January and February are often considered some of the most depressing months of the year, and it's easy to see why. The holidays have come and gone and everyone's cheer has faded, leaving several months left of winter chill, short days, and for many people, more time away from their families.
Winter can easily be one of the harshest times of year to live in if you're in an area regularly affected by the snow and cold. Everything feels like a much bigger task to do thanks to the amount you need to bundle up, the often terrible driving conditions, and just how cold and hard to travel it is in the snow.
This has even gotten to the point where mental health experts have diagnosed more and more people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a disorder where people pre-disposed to depressive thoughts have them amplified by the season.
While there are a wide variety of treatments available for many of the aforementioned conditions, unfortunately, many people who suffer from depression and anxiety still opt to suffer in silence. When combined with factors like SAD, it often leads to a notable increase in the number of suicides in January and February, meaning everyone needs to pay extra careful attention to those close to them.
It also results in situations like this one from Woodbridge, ON, Canada, when a tow truck driver happened upon a woman who was about to take her own life...
Dino Juiakumar was driving his tow truck home after an overnight shift, heading along the 401 highway when he noticed a peculiar sight: a young woman laying with her head down on the side of the highway.
At the time it was 1.4 degrees Farenheit, and Juiakumar instantly recognized that the situation "wasn't good." He got out of his truck, only to discover that the 19-year-old woman was crying.
Through tears, the woman (who has not been named) said that she was planning to take her own life. Juiakumar immediately called 911, prompting the woman to make a break for the overpass in order to try to jump off. He immediately stepped in to stop her.
"I was holding her and she was pushing my jacket and kept saying she wanted to jump, that she seriously wants to go, so I kept holding her really tight," he told CTV. "I told her it's not going to happen, I'm here, and it's not going to happen."
Police soon arrived and revealed that the woman had warrants for her arrest for both theft from a motor vehicle and mischief, but she went along with them peacefully.
If you or somebody you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.