A mother’s love for her son really has no end. And that love is precisely what drove Karin Cheshire, to commit suicide a year after her son’s death.
Her son killed himself over rape allegations
A year before, Karin Cheshire’s son hanged himself after a rape charge left his life in tatters. He struggled to cope with the rape allegations that were filed against him, which were eventually found to be false.
He hung himself in a park in Southampton in the UK. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, but had to be taken off life support since his condition wasn’t getting any better.
His death caused his mother to have a mental breakdown and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a result of her son’s suicide. She was so devastated by his death that she went so far as to sleep in his old room, keeping it in the exact same state as when he had died.
She used the same piece of rope that he used to kill himself
She was hospitalized five different times over the course of six months since she was not able to cope with his son’s sudden death.
Karin killed herself on her son’s death anniversary, using the same piece of rope that he had used to kill himself the year before. Her daughter, Camellia, said that the rape allegation started a chain reaction that led to her losing both her mother and brother within the span of a year.
In addition to the loss of her son, she was also facing the loss of her home. Coroner Grahame Short adds, “She was losing the sense of what she had with the house, places like Jay’s bedroom, and they were clearly very special to her.”
She was found hanging at the top of the stairs by her neighbor and close friend, Theresa Beddoe, as she entered her home.
Coping with grief and depression
Feelings of grief are feelings that everyone has whenever they lose someone close to their heart. But for some people, grief can take over their lives and lead to constant feelings of pain and depression.
Grief has 5 different stages. These stages reflect the emotions that people go through when they’re struggling with grief. These include:
- Denial – This can be similar to disbelief. It helps protect us from experiencing the full impact of the loss. As reality slowly sets in, feelings of disbelief eventually fade.
- Bargaining – This stage could be described as having thoughts of what could have been done to prevent the loss. Some people can get too obsessed about figuring out ways of preventing their loss that it causes feelings of anger which doesn’t help them cope with the loss.
- Depression – This is where a person feels the reality that they have indeed lost someone. Common signs are trouble sleeping, fatigue, lack of energy, feelings of self-pity, and loneliness. If not addressed, depression can take over a person’s life.
- Anger – This is a common feeling that stems from grief. It’s usually because of feelings of helplessness and abandonment that we were unable to do something about the loss of someone that we love.
- Acceptance – In time, we learn how to deal with the loss and slowly start to move on with our lives. Once we have accepted the loss, then we can start the healing process.
It’s important to understand that for some people, the grieving process can take years, and people do indeed get depressed because of grief. That’s why it’s important to understand these feelings and know when to seek help for ourselves or anyone we know that’s currently struggling with the loss of a loved one.
READ: Bullied 13-year-old said teachers “didn’t do anything” in his suicide note
Sources: BBC.com, mirror.co.uk, WebMD.com
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!
