swifty@fluke.UUCP (steve swift) (09/18/83)
So this newsgroup is dead? Maybe the lack of activity can be explained by the palliative effects of summer. After a winter of bad weather a great many people become depressed and feel the need to wish for summer. It is aggravated by weather reporters discussing the "bad" weather to be with us, etc. We can, I think, expect an increase in articles in this newsgroup when the weather gets colder and wetter and when the students on the net approach exams. I submitted a few articles last spring because I was deeply involved with the actual prevention of a suicide. As the psychology books call it, I was the "significant other." My direct involvement has lessened and I have had some time to look back and analyze the overall situation. This was impossible when I was in the middle fighting for someone's life. I will never really know if I had any significant impact or what would have happened without me. Looking back I can see that it was impossible for me to react any differently than I did. Sure, I can think of things that I'd do differently given the same situation, but I'll never know. My friend is still alive and under professional care. As always, then, my role is just to be a friend and to share any love that I can. I don't think this newsgroup is dead, unless we kill it. I'm not exactly sure what Ziggy is trying to do, but if he's trying to get serious inputs then he has succeded. If, of course, you consider this submission serious. I do. Suicide prevention is still a major subject that I work on. I don't run around looking for suicidal people, but I do come in contact with them on a fairly regular basis. More importantly, I come in contact with people who could become suicidal if influenced by the wrong sort of "significant others." Sometimes it is absolutely necessary that you give yourself and listen very carefully to someone. Listening to the clues for depression. Most of the time all you have to do is "be." So much for my rambling. Let's keep this group alive and well. Steve Swift (...decvax!microsof!fluke!swifty)