I don't think that every suicide has a bystander to blame. But part of my anger this weekend came from thinking that it was my fault that three friends killed themselves. This isn't fair, though. There can be external reasons that cause people to attempt suicide, but when it comes down to it, there is no one to blame for suicide other than the one committing the act. It is up to a selfish individual to pull that trigger, jump off that cliff or take that fatal overdose.
Awareness is important.
This topic isn't discussed enough, nor thought about nearly as much as it should be. It is hard to talk about deep feelings and problems, but we must make the effort. That effort means being there for a friend who hasn't been herself lately or paying attention to a student's writing or drop in grades. Life isn't always easy. Most of the time it is damn hard.