🕊️ There Is a Way Out: Reflections on Suicide, Pain, and Compassion

The news today shook me and reminded me once again how fragile life can be.

Lately, it feels as though so many hearts are carrying silent burdens, and our communities are grieving more than they can express.

A young Dallas Cowboys player, someone living the dream so many athletes long for, has reportedly died by suicide. Just days ago, he scored his first touchdown. He was 24 years old. To many, it looked like his life was just beginning.

As a therapist, I’ve worked with countless people who have felt hopeless, helpless, or trapped in their pain. Yet even with that understanding, I still struggle to make sense of moments like this. It’s hard to comprehend how someone who seemed to “have it all” could feel so alone inside. It reminds me that mental health doesn’t discriminate — it touches every walk of life, from professional athletes to parents, students, and leaders.

From the North to Now

Over ten years ago, I lived and worked in Indigenous communities across Canada, where suicide was heartbreakingly common. I’ll never forget sitting in a grief support group where every single person in the circle had lost multiple loved ones — many to suicide.

Those years changed me. They opened my eyes to the weight of intergenerational trauma — the way pain and disconnection can echo through families and communities for decades. It was during that time that I became a Suicide Intervention Training Facilitator, determined to help people find hope when they couldn’t see it for themselves.

I used to believe suicide was something that affected certain groups more than others, but I see now that it’s everywhere- in small towns, big cities, every culture, and every profession. It’s a human struggle.

What I Know- and Still Don’t Understand

Even after years of working with clients in deep pain, I still don’t fully understand suicide. Maybe that’s part of what makes it so devastating — that there is no tidy explanation.

What I do know is that suicide is rarely about a single event. It’s often the result of long, heavy burdens that have been carried in silence — trauma, shame, grief, or emotional exhaustion that eventually feels unbearable. Sometimes the outside world sees success and smiles, while inside, someone feels completely disconnected from life.

That disconnection can be healed, but only when it’s shared. Pain kept in silence tends to grow. Pain shared, spoken, and witnessed begins to loosen its grip.

What I Wish Everyone Knew

You do not have to carry your pain alone. There are always people who will listen, care, and walk beside you. Whether it’s a trusted friend, family member, or professional.

Checking In Counselling & Consulting is here to offer support to anyone who needs it, and for those who can’t afford private therapy, we can help connect you to free or low-cost community resources.

 If You’re Ready to Begin Healing

If you’re ready to begin your own healing journey or would like to talk with someone, please reach out.

📞 Checking In Counselling & Consulting

website: www.checkingintherapy.ca

Email: info@checkingintherapy.ca

You don’t have to do this alone — we’re here to help you check in, heal, and find your way forward.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, please reach out to:

• COAST Niagara: 1-866-550-5205 (24/7 Crisis Outreach and Support Team)

• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada): Call or text 9-8-8 anytime for immediate, free, and confidential support (available 24/7)

  
  

The pain you are feeling is temporary. The weight may feel unbearable, but it can be shared, released, and healed. The impact of suicide, however, is permanent — rippling through families and communities for generations.

There is a way out. There is a way through. It begins by checking in with yourself and with others.

💙Amanda Fidler

Owner & Psychotherapist, Checking In Counselling & Consulting