A grieving father shares his thoughts on his 12-year-old son's suicide: the culprit is isolation
The Coronavirus has impacted our lives in many ways. Perhaps one of the biggest ways it has affected us is the amount of time we've had to spend alone. Isolation not only has an impact on us physically but also mentally. Unfortunately, mental health in many parts of the world is still a topic that no one wants to bring up. Or, if people are talking about it, very few actually take it seriously. Although lockdown is over, people still feel isolated. Turns out, social distancing and keeping certain recreational activities closed has left people feeling lonely and depressed. One 12-year-old boy committed suicide just days before his 13th birthday, claiming he couldn't take isolation any longer. After his death, his father, Brad Hunstable, decided to share some of his thoughts about his son's suicide on social media.
It's a tough video to watch, but it sheds a light on what forced isolation has done to adults and children who are emotionally unstable. As Brad opens up about his son Hayden's suicide, he states, "My son died from the Coronavirus, but not in the way that you think." He goes on to state that Hayden took his own life because he couldn't take quarantine anymore. He had hung himself in his own room and was later found by his younger sister who then had to tell her dad what happened. It was no secret that Hayden had issues of emotional instability, but they never thought he was capable of taking his own life.
Hayden was an avid gamer, meaning he spent a lot of time playing video games and was also really good at it. His parents started to suspect that he might be mentally unstable when one day, in a fit of rage, he threw his video controller at the TV screen, shattering it.
Brad knew that his son's behavior was unacceptible, which is why he told his son the only way his was going to get a new tv monitor was by earning it himself. That's when Hayden started doing chores around the house and spending more time with his sister. Once he earned enough money, Hayden bought himself a new monitor. To Brad and his family, it seemed like things were going better. That is, until they found him dead in his bedroom the day Hayden decided to take his own life. That's when it was clear to Brad, that perhaps Hayden had more serious problems than what they assumed. After his death, they also discovered that Hayden's new TV monitor had been shattered as well. Clearly, there was something more going on in Hayden's mind than feelings of loneliness. Brad is convinced, however, that Hayden would still be alive if he wouldn't have been confined to his house.
We may never know what really was going on in Hayden's head, but we for sure know it doesn't make it any easier on Brad and his family.
