MISTAKES**

SUICIDE

I was lying in bed this morning, unable to sleep any longer. My thoughts kept returning to how to share this book in a way that truly reaches the people it’s meant for. Social media feels like the most realistic path, but it’s also a crowded, fast-moving space. If something doesn’t connect almost immediately, it’s easy for it to be passed by.

That challenge has made me think carefully about how to speak to this topic with honesty and care. The people this book is written for; those who are struggling themselves, supporting someone they love, or carrying the weight of loss, deserve to feel seen, not startled. If this book is going to make a difference, it has to meet them where they are, with clarity, compassion, and respect, and invite them into a conversation that feels safe enough to stay with.

CHAPTER 1_RICHARD

For this blog I have decided to cover some of the many mistakes that were made along the way leading to Richard’s suicide. There were so many mistakes made that there is no way I could cover them all in one blog, and no way I could keep your attention that long. So, I have decided to do this in the order of chapters in the book and there will be follow up blogs. None of the mistakes listed in this blog are to push the blame on anyone. They are just mistakes, made by people that didn’t know how to handle things in a better way. In this chapter, we see a sixteen-year-old boy, Richard, who has been openly smoking pot and drinking for several years, while our father, fully aware of this substance use, spends yet another night closing down the bar.

CHAPTER 2_TWO INCHES

In chapter two we find Richard at the hospital getting a two-inch-long cut of his wrist stitched. An obvious suicide attempt, and two doctors trying to convince our father that Richard needed to stay for some follow up intervention. Richard wanted no part of it and somehow convinced dad to take him home. Did dad think the suicidal tendencies were going to stop there? Why wasn’t more done right then? Any real attempt at suicide has to be dealt with through immediate counseling and not dropped as though it never happened.

CHAPTER 3_ONE BULLET

Lock your firearms in a safe place. Lock your ammunition in a different safe place. Your children may never have thoughts of killing themselves, but curiosity about firearms will always be there. Make getting a firearm and then getting the ammunition virtually impossible for them while you are away. This chapter shows a suicidal teen with access to alcohol, drugs, and a firearm, while his parent was gone most nights until 2:00 a.m. The outcome was irreversible. Once the trigger was pulled, the consequences were final.

CHAPTER 4_DON’T GO IN THERE

The obvious mistake here is contained within the title, Don’t Go in There. If you know for sure there is nothing you can do to save your friend or family member that has just gone through with a suicide, don’t go in there. Don’t let the final image you carry of them be the way their body was left after their death. Some scenes are definitely more shocking than others, but any scene of someone you care about laying lifeless from their own hand is extremely shocking and will stay with you for the rest of your life. Don’t go in there.

CHAPTER 5_SHARED SPACE

By then, the signs of mental illness were hard to miss. Trying to act as doctor or psychologist for your children, yourself, or other family members can do more harm than good. Your own medications, such as prescribed Valium, are not a solution for anyone else, if treatment is needed, leave it to the professionals. This chapter also addresses one of the biggest mistakes within the family unit. When one parent’s household is clearly unhealthy, it becomes the other parent’s responsibility to protect the children from that environment. Older children will naturally be drawn to the parent who offers more freedom and fewer rules, but that isn’t always the safest or healthiest choice. No one person bears full responsibility, there was enough blame to go around. The key takeaway is clear: recognize the warning signs, act early, and never assume that the easiest choice for a child is the safest one.

**TO BE CONTINUED ON FUTURE BLOGS.

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**Reach out to me at any time. 

I am not only willing, but I also look forward to taking a share of your pain. Email: David@bondedabrotherslove.com. You will get a caring same day response.

Nothing scripted.   

You are not alone, and you matter.

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If You’re Struggling

If you or someone you love or know is in a dark place, please know you’re not alone and there is help available. Reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. There are people ready to listen, ready to walk with you, and ready to help.

Immediate assistance is available:

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  

📞 988

Veterans Crisis Line  

📞 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) | 📱 Text 838255

Survivor Support / Crisis Group  

🌐 https://www.crisishotline.org  📞 832-416-1177

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💡 If you know someone who needs to hear that they are not alone, share this story. Together, we can create echoes of hope that outlast the pain.

For more than five decades, I carried this story in silence. Silence nearly broke me, but telling it is what keeps hope alive.

Bonded: A Brother’s Love : One Bullet. A Thousand Echoes my hope is that it offers understanding, connection, and even a reason to hold on when life feels unbearable.

📖 Order your copy today and join me in breaking the silence. Together we can spread hope, honor the lost, and change the future.