I'm writing a letter to the person who drove me to attempt suicide
So yeah, the title sort of says it all, and I'd like advice on the contents of this first draft of the letter. I'll also be getting advice from the school counsellor on this. My main aim is to help this person to understand that I don't hold animosity towards them, but instead I feel like this is to help me grow past that point in my life and hopefully we can be better friends. Yeah, we were friends at the time and I think I still consider him a friend if a rather distant one, we've been friends since we were 10. I will delete this thread once I've posted the letter's final form.
Also sorry it's in a few different posts, it's quite long and there's a character limit on this website for posts
So this is the letter:
Hello to start off, I hope that you are doing well. Just so you know, this letter deals some pretty heavy topics and may make you feel generally negative emotions. Because of this, I suggest that you don't read this whilst tired or otherwise underprepared to deal with those emotions. Read this on your deck on a sunny day or in front of the fire on a day when nothing is really happening so you have time to think. I've written this letter because it not only does it help me to get my thoughts on paper, but also because I didn't want to message you because I want you to think about your response. I guess it's also because I don't have the courage to tell you face to face.
In year 10, there was a period of time in which, for no real reason that I know of, I suddenly became the butt of all the jokes, and quite a few of them were really hurtful. As you remember, I wasn't very good at controlling my emotions back then, and this only escalated things. It quickly got to the stage where I couldn't hang out with the group without me eventually going and crying in the bathrooms. This isn't meant as an accusation or me trying to make you feel bad, I want you to remember this.
With that in mind, and you probably didn't realise at the time, I want you to know that you were the main instigator in this bullying. About 2 weeks after it started, I attempted to kill myself. Since then I have dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts mixed in with a whole slew of other mental health problems. For the past 3 years, if anyone has asked me how I am, about 80% of the time I was lying if I said I was fine. Since then I have never felt comfortable around you or most other people from that group, which sucks. So far I've grown past everyone except for you, because I always feel this whole thing at the back of my mind when I see you, and the fact that I haven't told you.
So why am I writing this? Well as I said before, it's not to make you feel bad or something like that, and I'm sorry if it does I truly am. Rather, I want this to have a positive outcome. I am telling you this because it is helping me to grow past that point in my life, but also so I can become better friends with you because I won't feel uncomfortable around you. We can use this as a learning experience and something something quote from Mr. Thompson about personal growth.
I want to tell you that I forgive your year 10 self, I forgave your year 10 self years ago, do you know why? It's because you aren't a bad person. Sure you've done stupid things in the past, but you aren't a bad person, everyone makes mistakes (hell, I've made my fair share!).
I think that I've concluded my ramble, I hope that you think about this for a bit and you aren't too hard on yourself. If you are having a tough time thinking about it, I highly encourage you to talk to the wonderful people on the '7 Cups of Tea' website on the Depression community (don't worry, I promise not to look at your discussions), the school counsellor, a different professional mental health worker, or even your parents. I would like you to talk about this with no one other than the people I've mentioned though.
Thanks for reading this. Also you should listen to the song 'Hug All Ur Friends' by Cavetown, the central message of the song is something that goes really well with what I'm trying to say in this letter. You can have as many hugs from me as you want if it will make you feel better about anything (not just this).
Insert meme here
Thanks
@Blanched
hun, i know your in a bad place. but i promise that one day you will get out of it .. i know it i feel it. it may not be today or a month from now but eventually it will you will be better eventually. it takes time hold on dont try to hurt yourself or anything you are a strong person
@imsorryitry, yeah, but this is supposed to help me. Do you have anything to say in regards to this letter?
@Blanched
Great idea. I did to a person who had hurt me and it really helped me feel better.
A bit too much consideration for HIS feelings in my opinion. Reading on his deck? Seriously?
Maybe a bit of explanation is needed between jokes_ suicide attempt. Something like" it made me feel worthless and excluded, and I saw no other way out"
Maybe you could offer to see the school counsellor with him.
I encourage you and sincerely hope it will help you to heel and the ***** to grow up and learn compassion.
@considerateTree2184
Thanks for your reply!
In regards to the taking to much care with his feelings, this is pretty heavy stuff, very liable to cause him feel pretty horrible, and after what I've been through if I didn't think about his feelings then I'd be just as bad and insensitive as year ten him. Also I genuinely think that him having some time in a calm and relaxed environment is better all around.
I thought about putting some more explanation in, but I didn't. I think that I will now though, at first I felt that it would just be a bit petty, but it is just an accurate statement.
I don't really feel comfortable going to the school counsellor with him (I just don't like going with other people in general). I would much rather that he talk to the counsellor by himself.
Again, thanks for the feedback and advice.
@Blanched
There is that, you're not 10anymore. Mature of you.
Good luck
We're all here for you to help :3 I hope everything is okay