The tragic deaths of five young men in the Newbridge area over the past month has raised fears of a possible suicide cluster.
The deaths, four in the town and one nearby, has caused shock in the area. Three were in their thirties, and one in his early forties.
Meanwhile, a Co Kildare woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, is appealing for people to think before ending their life.
The woman, who got therapy 25-years-ago, after considering suicide and battling an alcohol problem from the age of 20, said: "If I had taken my own life the only person that could be held responsible would be myself and even then maybe not as my mental state was not healthy. I would have never been able to understand fully the pain I would have caused to the living, the distress, the questions they would have left unanswered.
We are all individuals. For me I wanted to end the pain I was in. I knew no other way to do that other than death.
But there are other ways. Doctors therapists and loved ones can all play a part in recovering from mental health problems and addictions."
At the age of 14, Mary( not her real name) tasted her first alcoholic drink.
She said: "I was always a shy person and found it hard to mix with others. At the age of 14 I tasted alcohol and loved the way it made me feel. As I got older and was able to afford alcohol I began to drink a lot. By the age of 20 I definitely had an alcohol problem. I just couldn't socialize without it and only socialized in places that it was available. By the age of 27 I was drinking every day. But the real torture for me was my ongoing obsession with thoughts of suicide."
She had a son at the age of 21 and during the pregnancy significantly reduced her intake of alcohol.
However, when he was born, she resumed her daily drinking. By the time she was 22, she was consuming beer from morning until night.
Mary battled serious depression and began to isolate herself from family and friends.
She said: "I was not suicidal when drunk, the following morning would be terrible when I woke up sober. One thing kept me in this world. I had a child aged six whom I adored. I knew deep down that he needed me. I also knew that I would destroy him if I died by suicide."
Her son is now 30-years-old, she stopped drinking when he was six. She began a course of antidepressant medication.
She said: "It is 25 years since I stopped drinking. Today I feel sad at the loss and pain caused by suicides. I'm so grateful that I stayed in this world ,watched my child grow up, he is very proud of me, stayed sober and no longer feel depressed. Most of my days are good days now."
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