Hey everyone, if you follow my Kansas City Examiner.com TV articles, you may have seen my recent articles that followed the death of Kansas City meteorologist Don Harman. While I didn’t know Don personally, he, along with the Fox 4 Morning News Team have been a part of my life for years. I’m not alone in this thought. Check Fox 4’s Facebook Fan page and you will see an amazing showing of support after Harman’s death.
You see, on November 29, 2011, Don Harman committed suicide.
I wrote a very personal column over the weekend and I want to continue to spread my message. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, the only real shame is when depression is ignored. I myself have fought depression for as long as I can remember, going back to my childhood. Sometimes it’s very difficult for people to understand. Friends and family may look at a situation and think: ‘what are you so depressed about?’ but most often it’s never just one thing. It can be a collective of a lot of things or even nothing at all.
My Examiner column received a lot of attention on my Facebook page. It’s amazing how many people recognize something in themselves when they see someone put everything out there for the public to see. I don’t mind sharing my experiences.
From Examiner.com:
Hey Kansas City. Today I want to talk about a subject that may not be a lot of fun to talk about but it is very important and for me it is something that hits very close to home– depression and suicide.
This week, we were all shocked by the death of Kansas City meteorologist Don Harman. Don had been part of the Fox 4 KC Morning News team since 1999. His wacky antics and genuine sense of humor were a huge reason people tuned in to make the Fox morning news team a consistent leader in TV ratings. Don was very involved within the community and loved working with children.
He also suffered from depression…. (read more at Examiner.com)
Please feel free to share your thoughts with comments below or on the article page. If you suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts please seek help either from a friend, a family member if not a trained professional.
- 1-800-WARM EAR or 913-281-2251
- 1-800-SUICIDE
For more information, please contact Mental Health America at 913-281-2221
You can also follow me on Twitter @tbenglish and @badkarmafilms; on my KC Examiner Facebook page.