These stories leave an impression.
Taken entirely from this blog, a psychologist.

Case study One
She’s a teacher, first came to us being depressed, presented with a complete negative outlook, lacking drives and interests, having crying episodes, and not being able to teach.
After few months of treatments, she recently called up and requested for a letter written to the ministry of education, to say that she’s recovered. During the phone call, she said she’s still regular with med, but now she has no more crying episodes, and her mood is good generally.

Coincidentally one day when she was in school and called up to check whether the report was ready, the school principal walked past her, and requested to speak to me. The principal asked whether the family has contacted us regarding the patient’s condition (negative). She said although patient is no longer crying and depressed now, she has been doing things completely out of order.

The headmistress said patient has organized a basketball competition completely by her own, without the school’s permission but under its name. She also brought a few of her students out for day trip, and only sent them home past midnight. When she meets someone new, she talks a lot, telling a lot of private details about herself. Sometimes she feels tired and will just sleep in the school storeroom. She also refused to go home after the basketball event, stayed at the court and fell asleep there at 3am when she was found by the family. She tries to spend all her time away from home, refusing to go home. She promises to anything and everything others ask her to do, and fail to keep her promises. Others can’t criticize anything about her, she thinks she’s perfect, best of the best, so whoever criticizing her, she becomes very argumentative and defensive, which is why she argued with and shouted at the principals.

Case study Two
I recently called a sister of a new patient to check how the patient had been doing with the medicine and whether his state had improved, and came to know that the patient hung himself that very morning.

I’m not sure if I’m too sensitive, but I’ve received this kind of news considerably frequent in my job, the sister just didn’t sound sorrow (of course some people hide their emotions very well). In fact she later said that it was a relief not just for the patient, but also for the family.

The patient has 4 siblings who are all married with children. Their parents have passed away for few years. He was the only single and he lived on his own. Though the sister went to see him thrice per day, bringing him food and taking care of him. He had suffered from depression for many years, also done ECT quite a few times. The sister always did her best to help him. She said some siblings had given up on him, but she wouldn’t.


Now that he is gone, she just felt a weight off her shoulders. Then she started to wonder if she had done wrong all these years.

Case study Three
He became a millionaire in his early 30s, although primarily an insurance agent, he was known with his skills in investing. He had a wife and a daughter. They went on holidays all over the world every year.
In his mid thirties, he got depressed and suicidal, due to stress of work and some other problems. He attempted suicide several times, buying ropes to hang himself, overdosing himself on drugs but was always found early enough to save his life. Perhaps this wasn’t how his life meant to be.

His family took him to temples, hoping that the power of religion could help him to recover. They were told that the money he’d earned was “dirty money” (money obtained unlawfully or immorally). So by instructions, he went to China and donated almost all his money to the temples. At this point, the wife left him. He got even more depressed, he didn’t recover donating his money away.

Recommended by friends, he seek professional help and came to see psychiatrists. After weeks of medications and a course of ECTs, he got better. On the following years, his condition was maintained with medication. He would come to see doctor once he felt unwell. He rebuilt his career and became wealthy again. He even supported his ex-wife financially, although he also soon got married with another woman. Over the years he had had another 2 courses of ECT at times of difficulty.

He even went on press to talk about mental illness. He shared his stories including his suicidal attempts and helped raising the mental health awareness in the public, telling others not to discriminate them, but also encouraging those with mental illness not to give up, motivating them to seek help actively, telling them it’s recoverable, and they have the opportunities to lead a normal and fulfilling life just like him and anyone else!
He wasn’t just a normal successful insurance agent, but also one of the most motivating and inspiring speakers in the town.


Years later, in his mid 40s, he got into some troubles. This time he didn’t come back to see doctor, he checked himself in a hotel, jumped off from the window of the washroom in his hotel room. There ended his colourful short life.

Case study Four
Sometimes I think we wouldn’t even know if and when a patient ends his or her life, unless we read it from the news or the family member contacts us.

Yes family member does contact us and tell us about the news when it happens, not all the time, but they do. And one main reason they usually call us and inform us regarding the patient’s suicide, is that they want to question us.

“He’s been taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor regularly, how did this still happen?”
“How come the medicine he was prescribed with wasn’t helping?”
“The last time when she went to your clinic, did doctor say anything? Did she say anything?”

Yes, I understand this and that (sometimes I think they just need someone or something to point their fingers at). But we’re only an outpatient clinic, all we can do is not much, though we do try our best including using phone calls or emails to reach and support them in their daily lives.

The sister was in tears when she called. The last time I heard from the sister was almost a year ago. She said he’s gone, their brother, the six sisters’ one and only brother. He jumped off from the balcony of an apartment.
They still couldn’t accept the truth.
And no, she didn’t call to question us, to blame it on us. She called to ask if she and the other sisters should come for an appointment as they are all feeling really low and depressed.