Synopsis

I have joined an online group called 'Parents of Suicide'. I felt a need to connect with people who have lost a child to suicide. They have been asking me to tell Mike's story. It is hard to do. Since they are visiting this blog, Im going to give a brief synopsis here. When Im ready I will fill in more details.
Mike was 42 years old when he died of Alcoholic liver failure. He chose to kill himself with alcohol. It was a long tedious process spanning several years. At first alcohol numbed him. But when his liver started to fail he realized that it could be his ticket out of his sad and scary life.
He and I both have bipolar disorder. His was a much more severe form. His mood swings went from deep depression to a sense of anxiety and heightened fears. He sometimes got to the intoxicating high that bipolars often experience. But most of the time it was what my therapist called a 'mixed state'. During those times he was extremely anxious and restless and felt that demons were haunting him.

Mike tried to get those demons out of his head through art. He left 100's of drawings with intricate patterns and very often a demonic face. He told me that drawing these faces was the only way to get them out of his head.
So it didn't come as a surprise to me when I was told the Mike was getting hospice care and would die soon.
Naturally there is much more to this story. I will try to write more soon.