From CNN:


Report: Owens Attempted Suicide

WFAA-TV in Dallas is reporting that Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens attempted to commit suicide Tuesday night.

According to a Dallas Police report obtained by the station, Owens was depressed and reportedly took prescription pain pills.

WFAA says the report states a woman companion said that she observed Owens putting two pills in his mouth. The woman said the prescription of 40 pills was filled on September 18 and -- until Tuesday -- Owens had taken only five pills. The police report said Owens was asked if he had taken the rest of the prescription; Owens said, "Yes."

TommyRoss said:

Im not sure taking 2 tablets of a pain reliever is a suicide attempt. Actually, whomever wrote the news blurb needs grammar lessons from Irresistable Bitch
[Edited 9/27/06 6:55am]

purplerein said:

I think they (try to) clarify that at the end. She saw him take 2 pills, and he'd previously only taken five out of the bottle that was now empty.

I take it as...wah wah wah...i make millions of dollars playing football...wah wah wah

purplerein said:

First of all I have ZERO respect for people who commit suicide and even less for those who fail but I must ask if you that if you think making millions of dollars is somehow supposed to prevent you from being depressed or having mental problems?

A slightly updated and slightly clearer story:

DALLAS - A police report says
Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens attempted suicide by taking pain medication. Owens reportedly put two more pills into his mouth even after fire rescue personnel arrived.

A Dallas police report released Wednesday morning said Owens told rescue workers "that he was depressed." The report was first released by WFAA-TV.

The rescue worker "noticed that (his) prescription pain medication was empty and observed (Owens) putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

The worker attempted to pry them out with her fingers, then was told by Owens that before this incident he'd taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied. The worker then asked Owens "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time (he) stated, `Yes.'"

The 32-year-old player broke his right hand Sept. 17 against the
Washington Redskins.

Owens had surgery the following day.

Initial reports indicated Owens was hospitalized last night after a reaction to pain medicatio

lovemachine said:

if you have millions of dollars you have access to better medical care then people without money. If he was depressed, he could have the choice of the best therapists. that's what the wah wah is for

lovemachine said:

I think if somebody cares so little about himself that he'd kill himself, they really aren't looking for your - or anybody's - respect. If it's caused by "being depressed or having mental problems," why would you boil it down to a respect issue?

TommyRoss said:

Sympathy is probably a better word. I feel no sympathy for people who attempt or commit suicide because they are hurting others and they know this.

purplerein said:

you first, though!

more in line with the topic though - i hope he's ok.

lovemachine said:

Speaking as someone who's lost some friends to suicide, I can tell you: The weight of their problems can make even wonderfully compassionate, thoughtful people think there is no alternative.

Sometimes, they think their lives are so messed up that there is no hope. It's not necessarily about: "Ooh, I know my death will hurt them." It's about wanting the pain to end.

It's not necessarily about being selfish, although it admittedly is a supremely selfish act.


.
[Edited 9/27/06 7:28am]

ThreadBare said:

ThreadBare said:

Well said, TB

purplerein said:

Wah wah wah I...I didn't catch the ball last week.....wah wah wah

lovemachine said:

thank you for this addition ...

gemini13 said:

If Terrell Owens tried to end his life, dont you think it was about more than football? Dont judge people. We have no idea what his life is really like or if we were him if we would handle it half as well. DONT JUDGE!

here's the police report taken:
http://www.dallasnews.com...eport2.pdf

lovemachine said:

I'd say I have a fairly unpopular opinion, but I like to think each individual is in charge of their life and should thus, in any event, be in charge of whether or not it continues or ceases in events where we can choose. I'm all for continuing, though. If that makes sense.
[Edited 9/27/06 7:52am]

dreamfactory313 said:

I happen to think that he is THAT shallow...that is IS just about football. My opinion is that this guy is an arrogant showboater who wasn't cutting the mustard last week, and he's depressed about it.

And don't think I don't have sympathy for people who are REALLY hurting from depression. I had this problem in my twenties. Wanna know how I got over it? I grew the hell up and stopped thinking the world revolved solely around me.

Rant over, coffee needed.

Let this be another oppurtunity for those suffering from psychological trauma, depression, etc to seek help! Depression effects a great amount of us at some point in our lives and it is ok to acknowledge that one is having difficulty. We must de-stigmatize mental health issues so that people are able to get the help that they need. We need to have compassion for people and wish them well instead of condemning them.

gemini13 said:

Im not trying to attack you or anything, but you dont know Terrell Owens. You have no idea who he is or what his life is like. For all you know there could be a whole world that none of us know nothing about. Making crash judgements about people that you THINK you know is foolish.

dreamfactory313 said:

Do you personally know him? Cuz if you do, I'll not say anything more about it.

gemini13 said:

i do agree that it helps to put things in a broader perspective when you suffer from depression - it's what helped me get over mine. but we are looking at a chicken-or-the-egg situation: does depression come with an overblown focus on oneself, or does depression cause one to not be able to see beyond one's own nose? i have no idea, but i think everybody arrives at their own answers on their own time, and in the meantime, all we can do is show compassion.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I'll try to muster up the compassion for him. I really will.

This is sad news. I do not care if T.O is famous and rich, it is still tragic anytime someone feels so low and hopeless that they feel like they need to commit suicide.

I may not like T.O. as a person, or the things he has done on the field and in the media (and to my 49ers), but I would never wish him harm. I truly hope he is going to be alright and he can work through his problems.

dreamfactory313 said:

Well said. He could be undiagnosed bipolar. I never heard of him until this thread, but I hope he gets the help he needs.

It's easy to dismiss people who attempt or commit sucicide as weak for doing so, and as selfish for endangering the lives of others when they do. Yes, it can be annoying when your train is delayed for hours because somebody jumped in front of it, but without knowing what motivated them to do it, we shouldn't be taken seriously when we suggest that they are weak or selfish or make other judgements about them, because we just don't know.

gemini13 said:

If growing the hell up and getting over it was what solved your depression, then it's my opinion that it wasn't depression you had, at least not clinically diagnosable depression - merely a case of teenage angst. People who suffer from depression usually require medication to control it, it's not something you can 'get over' by 'growing up'.

ThreadBare said:

Admittedly??? By whom??

If someone wishes to end their life, then so be it, they are in control of their destiny by their own choices. If the pressures of their existence is too great, then their free will allows them to do whatever they choose. There is no selfishness. Maybe "cowardice" or "hopelessness" but it is ultimately still their choice. So selfish would only come into play if there were other lives that depending on them for their survival at stake.

:twocent:

dreamfactory313 said:

DexMSR said:

That was an excellent two cents you just spent, if I say so myself.

I tend to think it's "selfish" for people to expect you to live to please them. No one has to live in your body and have your thoughts and feelings except you.

I don't even think it's necessarily a question of "cowardice" to off oneself.

DexMSR said:

well, from experience, i can tell you that it certainly feels like selfishness to the surviving family and friends at the time. it's hard to cope with the suicide of a loved one, but with time, we can understand what can cause such a drastic step, and hopefully learn to prevent it in the future.