It’s an issue that many truckers deal with, but is not often discussed. The subject of depression and suicide in the trucking community has come to light.
When one trucker’s depression almost took his life, he reached out to the only people he thought might understand. That’s when he found the Facebook group—a page dedicated to truckers who suffer from mental illness.
ABC 7 reported that the Facebook page had only been up for a week when the driver posted his plea for help. But even then, hundreds of truckers from across the nation were able to give the man the support he needed to choose life.
The creator of the page, Michael Suson, told the depressed driver:
“Dude, there ain’t nothing in this world worth killing yourself over. But you need to talk it out, you need to work it out and I’m always going to be here if you need me to.”
After having been a trucker for more than 22 years, Suson was well-aware of the common problem among truck drivers. According to Suson, because truckers spend almost all their time alone on the road, they are isolated and confined in a small space. This alone would drive most people to insanity.
Having known several truckers who lost their lives due to depression, he saw the need for a space where they could openly talk about these very real issues– without fear of judgment. So in June, he created the Facebook page “Truckers for Truckers: fight against depression and suicide.” Since its creation, the support offered has helped save two people from suicide attempts.
Suson’s stepson, Robert Davis is a member of the Facebook page and former trucker. He commented on the difficult life of a trucker.
“It’s a trying process, loved ones being away for so long. Missing out on a lot of things, birthdays, anniversaries, recitals, plays, everything…Christmas. It’s not fun. It’s really not, and it takes a special kind of someone to drive a truck.”
Suson explained that page administrators are always available to talk to a trucker in need. He explained, “I have 5 other people that’s on this page that were willing to talk to anybody in the world.”
He continued:
“And that’s what my main goal is. If I can help one person, which I already have, my goal is complete. If I help a thousand, that’s even better.”
Suson hopes to expand the group and create a 24/7 emergency hotline for truckers in need.
