Is there an increasing contempt for life? Why is the suicide rate so high? Why are so many people giving up? What can we do to help? Is it okay to talk about this?

Like most of you here, I feel I have a lot to share. I wasn't always comfortable with it until I became a member of the Ask Me Help Desk. So many people struggling and some of them even getting ready to give up.

Human contact is important, a friendly smile or a kind word from someone after a tough day can lift our spirit and make our existence more meaningful.

But the internet is here. I'm not blaming the internet, I think it's wonderful, but that all important human contact is becoming almost non existent.

For every person who is comfortable sharing what they know - and who understand what a God Send the internet has been for a lot of people - there is one person who is suffering through loss or lack of personal human contact.

What can we do to help? It is becoming more and more important to reach out to those who can't. We humans are stronger than we realise, and we know much more than we are aware of. But people in pain need to be reminded of this fact occasionally. And that's why the Doers are here - on these boards and on the internet.

Personal human contact is becoming non-existent. The world is changing. The world is becoming the Internet. We must change along with it, and help those struggling to change, too.

Most sixteen year olds can teach us a thing or two. I don't know about you but I used to look out the window and watch my kids arriving home from school, they would wave to the friends they had walked with, and the minute they were indoors, they were on the phone to them! Now my grandchildren are on the net to their friends! Lol

But for those who haven't got the message yet, and for those who are feeling like they have been left out of the loop, let us show them that we care. Let us show them that they are not alone, and that cyber friends can become just as important a real up close friends and family. Show them that despair is never the answer and that hope is always here - even on the net.

And, just as we warned our kids about strangers, let us remind them that not everyone can or will be their friend and that that’s okay, too.

Not really sure where I was going with that, just felt it needed to be said.

Great stuff, Blue. I'm scratching my head to add something profound but am coming up short, so I'll leave it at what you said :)

Thank you.

I have just read... How to best word this sentence?
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/writing/how-best-word-sentence-65602-2.html

I was about to comment on someone's comment about posters not using search before posting, but I decided to come back and post it here instead.

I believe asking someone, even an unseen someone, for help and advice is just a touch more appealing to most posters.

I think it is to do with what I wrote about above, some people just need the contact - the personal touch.

I hope anyone who may be getting a little pissed off with people who post without doing a search read this and hopefully gain a little more understanding and patience.

If someone comes running up to us screaming for help, we don't ask them to "Start at the beginning. How did this happen?" We just help them - if we can.

Actually... we DO ask them to start at the beginning in some cases. How can we help if we don't know if they're running away from someone, or running to bring help back to a fire? How can we help if we don't know what kind of help they are asking for?

Also... I am hesitant to "help" someone when I only know part of the story. That's like getting mad at someone because a child says "He hit me!" --With the other side of the story being that the child's hand was slapped to keep them from touching a hot stove. Hearing the whole story helps us to help someone else.

Otherwise, I completely agree with what you've posted!

There are those who come here who do not want to reveal too much about themselves. Does that mean we simply ignore them? Is it not possible to help someone a little (all said and done, that is all we can do on a forum) without prying or asking them too many personal questions? Councillors can do it, psychiatrists can do it. Personally, I try only to answer the question, if I am having a little difficulty in understanding the question I read the answers others have given and that can be very insightful.

Most of us can remember times when we were left out - left out and not picked for a sports game, not asked for a dance. It felt like the end of the world didn't it? Remembering this helps us to understand the pain and suffering some of the younger posters here are going through. We know now it wasn't the end of the world, it just felt like it.

Great post Bluerose,
Something I've been thinking about for a few days is this:

I have a strong faith, I believe in the power of prayer & I know that prayer works so would it be feasible to have a prayer board?

I'm new to the site so it may be something that has been discussed before, in which case I'm sorry.

We have many members who belong to many different denominations. As you say Bluerose, sometimes just knowing that there is someone who you can 'talk' to about things makes a difference.

What are other members thoughts?

Moomin

Not sure about a prayer board but why don't you just post a prayer wherever you feel it might help someone?

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” ~ Meiser Echart

Feeling sad after reading about cutters and young folks struggling with the ‘little things’ that seem so huge at their age. Saw a lovely looking young girl on the bus today, her hair and clothes immaculate. I was just thinking how lucky she was to be so young and pretty, just starting out in life. Then she reached out to press the bell for the bus to stop and her sleeve rode up and her arm was covered in the angry red scars of a cutter. And I just thought oh, God! Sweetie, what are you doing to yourself! I used to envy them their youth.

What the hell is going on in this world that cause so many young people to scream in silence and cut themselves or worse - want to kill themselves?

Sorry, folks. I’m feeling a little down. I guess it must come to us all sometime… That time when we realise that no matter how much we want to help someone, there is nothing we can do.

Do we really help anyone?

Anyone interested in re-reading this one?