The quest for immediate gratification and happiness has become so profound in western civilization that sadness as an emotion in response to normal life stressors has lost its value.  As such, there are now studies that claim one in ten Americans suffer from some form of depression.  It is of course a diagnosis that is best left in the hands of professionals but it does raise questions about how we as a society treat those moments in our lives that are not a constant flow of joy and happiness.  There are very few of us who have not experienced a feeling of complete despair at same point in our lives. It might be because of a personal loss that we have suffered: an unaccomplished goal, a financial setback, a debilitating illness, or any number of obstacles that seem overwhelming. Some of us know how to ride these slumps by recognizing that sadness in our lives is a perfectly normal emotion that is part of our human experience. Some of us understand that we will choose our experience of sadness based on the viewpoint that we are prepared to take. But what happens when that sadness and despair become a way of life.  What happens when the only choices we see perpetuate that isolation until it spirals into the most drastic choice of all, giving up on life. What happens when we place a greater value on death over life?

Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States and the third leading cause among young people aged 15-24.  This is disturbing not just because of the devastating outcome for lives that will never reach adulthood but because it also signifies a choice made by someone to opt out of life.  It is difficult to comprehend how a person could make that choice without understanding what they went victim to.  It is impossible to rationalize even if we understand there might have been help via an intervention, medical or otherwise.  What is clear is that our capacity to give ourselves a greater array of viewpoints in our choices can help us see life as the outcome regardless of circumstances.

So to all of our grads and friends we send our love and support to any of you who have somehow been affected by such a situation and know that at Klemmer & Associates we will continue to create a world that works for everyone with no one left out!