Thread by @FNULNU1

🧵

Today, I was looking for an old file from a past work life. I stumbled upon a #LOR that I wrote for my freshman college roommate in 2013.

A few years afterwards, he called me with a great desperation in his voice. I asked that he give me a least an hour to travel there.

He agreed. Upon arrival, I entered a screened porch and saw an old college professor talking to him. On the table was a sawed-off double barreled #shotgun, #beer, & #cigarettes.

He was sweating profusely & murmuring that he had nothing to live for anymore.

His 7 yr. old son was in a back room. We talked for several hours. He finally agreed to travel with me to seek help. After several more hours in the hospital & watching his son, the physician comes and says to me, “We can’t hold him.”

It was a gut-punch! I knew he was not well.

He held on for one more year. One afternoon I received a call from one of his fraternity brothers. This person & I normally talk, but this conversation was different.

He said my roommate’s name 10 seconds into the conversation & I knew instantly the news coming next.

I won’t go into the details of what happened. This story is not about me. It’s about a friend that was crying for help.

It is unfortunate that the system, family or friends could not help in this particular case. I just hope we start intentionally listening to one another more.

We may not be personally equipped to handle situations involving people with #MentalHealth challenges, but help is out there.

I can only empathize with what my friend went & others go through on a daily basis. My prayer is that you will find peace on this side.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿