Docmentary "The Bridge" and Suicide

[student456]

I just watched this documentary called "The Bridge" - it was SO sad! Basically its a true life documentary that was fimed at the Golden Gate Bridge...they filmed continously for a year and caught quite a few people that were committing suicide by jumping off the bridge and then interviewed their family members.

There is also the account from survivor who jumped of the GG bridge. It was a haunting documentary to say the least...it was just really sad. I don't know if I would be able to film that and live with myself afterwards . I included the link from Google Video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4636757064676695790&q=the+bridge&total=55072&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

[leslymill]

I lived under the Golden Gate Bridge on Fort Baker for a few years and the stories about the bridge were predominantly about suicide. There was also a cliff on the other side of Fort Baker that was used. I almost fell off it once, but some friends grabbed my leg...I lost a shoe over it.

One time I had a neighbor commit suicide with a gun and I got a little or a lot depressed and petitioned the Lord. I was a bit suicidal in my arguments with Him and the GGB came to my mind. I said," So Lord you think your Grace is sufficient for me? Well ,what if I jumped off that bridge, there is a very slight chance that I would survive, but Lord would I get you to listen to my side of the story!!! ( arguing with God is sometimes liken to arguing with an uncompromising solid rock).

The Lord promptly said. Let me show you something.

This is what you will jump into if you do that.

Suddenly the room was obscured with dense darkness...thick and bleak..

I turned around and there was that cursed dragon in the room with me, the real source of my sorry. Just there doing nothing..but there was no door out and I was trapped.

This was bad but neither of these frightened me as much as the fact that the LORD WASN'T THERE TO ARGUE WITH.

I ran outside into the warm sunlight took a deep breath and never looked back I was so scared I was trembling like a leaf..

This is the saddest thing about hearing these stories for me.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I could only watch the first half hour. Yes, it is a heartbreaking illness, and the video was very difficult to watch.

I had to watch at least part of it because it seemed callous to me to simply set up a camera and let people jump. After seeing the span of the bridge and how some of the people appeared to be the usual curious tourists, I understood that there was no way to get to them.

[oramar]

I heard this story about a Pittsburgh medic who stopped a person from jumping out there. He was a big hero in newsmedia. Apparently apathy is a big problem out there.

[Atheos]

I just watched this documentary and It is absolutely heartbreaking. I cannot even think about the thought of committing suicide without shuddering, yet these people do it with ease. Its heartbreaking that people can reach that low of a low that NOTHING can help them. Even those who have everything they could possibly want, have this emptiness inside of them that only death can fill. Its unbelievable and a real wonder. It can happen to anyone. The most mentally stable person can one day change and nothing can stop them. Its really scary.

It's not really that easy, it's just easier than living every single day in despair. That is what is scary. That what other people think is such a horrible thing becomes less horrible than waking up tomorrow.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Their deaths are a tragedy, they seemed to have so many people that cared about them, and lots had a great future if they had just gotten through that rough patch.

Thing is that if someone is depressed they literally have nothing to lose. Who cares about someone else's pain when they are being tortured from inside. Torture victims will do anything to escape the pain. Plus, it's not like they can say to themselves "If I just get through this I won't have to face death." Death is coming, eventually, perhaps they feel it's better to just get it over with?

I must admit that many of those on the video I would have liked to have met. And some that described seeing people jump, might have wanted to talk to them to, but never had a chance.