Newsreader - DEAD!

[Shaman]

Hey all,

Whilst waiting to head out to our NYE bash, I was waiting for the missus to get ready and watching the telly. Caught the bit where they mourn the passing of people over the year - sad TV and a kinda morose thing to see on NYE, really. The names rolled, and right at the end, a dedication of this entire segment was displayed for Channel 10's Charmaine Tregun who also apparently passed away within the last couple of weeks!

I actually saw her on a bulletin within the last fortnight - was kinda shocking news to think that a face you see on TV almost every night is suddenly gone!

I was interested / concerned with what happened - so I decided to see what I could find out about it. As it happens, a few people knew she'd passed away, but none know how or why. After a bit of googling, I found some possibly credible information stating that she had, in fact, committed suicide as a result of a terrible state of depression she was facing in her life. I can only assume there was a bit of a cover-up put in place to keep her name from being tarnished, hence the lack of information available surrounding her passing.

On a side note - depression is a terrible state. I hear it's statistically more common with blokes than it is with the ladies - I reckon I spent a good 2 years clinically depressed due to being shacked up with one of the most evil women you'd ever imagine However, I just looked at it as being angry /sad etc because I was in a relationship with a right carnt of a chick I come a bit from the old-school belief that pills don't fix things... it's pretty much proven with the use of placebos and their success rate, so I just think keeping a good perspective on things tends to make the world of difference. I still don't think that things can ever get as bad as needing to commit suicide. I told my friends honestly that if they ever did it I'd piss on their grave. It's the ultimate weakness and there's no defence for it, ever.

Back on topic, if anyone knows anything further about it (anyone with 'inside' information - PAGING JASE), I'd like to know more about the circumstances of her passing as I found this to be quite shocking news and it was especially sad to hear and see on the turn of our New Year.

RIP Charmaine.

Ride safe, people!

[MickLC]

I saw a few stories on it when it first happened, I don't think there was any sort of cover-up.

I know it sounds harsh but the only reason I remembered hearing it was because I thought it only got coverage was because she was in TV. Unfortunately there are plenty of people committing suicide from depression that you never hear a peep about, never mind getting their own spot in the news

[aardvark]

It's the ultimate weakness and there's no defence for it, ever.

(anyone with 'inside' information - PAGING JASE)

You know, I used to think that. I thought that people who comitted suicide were just plain selfish and that there was no excuse for it.

Last year, a work colleague shot himself with his work revolver. We knew he'd had a couple of issues, but not one person knew the full extent of his depression. He'd told different people small bits and asked them not to tell anyone else. Not until after he killed himself did everyone get together and realise that there was a "big picture".

He left behind a wife and 4 young boys. It was terribly sad and thinking about it still makes me a little edgey.

Words like selfish, weak, etc were thrown around the office. And at first I agreed.

But then I started to think about it. Mentally, he was in such a deep dark hole that he thought there was no way out. From the outside he appeared to have it all. A wife who ran a successful franchise of vet clinics, 4 fantastic kids, a great job with not much stress.... but from the inside, something troubled him. I guess to him, things seemed so bad that he thought he only had one option left and taking that option was going to be the best thing, not only for him, but for his family and friends.

People who are at such a low point don't see reason. They don't think about the people who are going to miss them. They don't think about the consequences. I'm sure that in many cases, some of them think that although they don't really want to die, it's going to be the best thing to do for the people they love the most in the end.

Selfish? Weak? I don't think so....



And as a side note, even if I had inside information, sharing it here, or anywhere for that matter, would not be the thing to do.

[Smitty]

Hey all,

Whilst waiting to head out to our NYE bash, I was waiting for the missus to get ready and watching the telly. Caught the bit where they mourn the passing of people over the year - sad TV and a kinda morose thing to see on NYE, really. The names rolled, and right at the end, a dedication of this entire segment was displayed for Channel 10's Charmaine Tregun who also apparently passed away within the last couple of weeks!

and worse news for their family
I saw in the news last night....one of the truck drivers killed in the WA wildfires
was her uncle

terrible


Smitty

[Shaman]

He left behind a wife and 4 young boys.

People who are at such a low point don't see reason. They don't think about the people who are going to miss them.

Selfish? Weak? I don't think so....

Huh? So (with all due respect), he knew he had a family to support and bring up, he didn't see reason, he didn't think about anyone else and he's NOT selfish in his actions after taking his own life? I'm not being sacreligious or anything - my condolences are passed to his family and friends. However, I understand that some things affect people moreso than others - there is no universally stressful issue - however, what you've written is a massive contradiction in itself. I don't really understand how it states that suicide is understandable. There's always a choice and I disagree with his particular choice, just the same way I disagree with Charmaine's choice and many others who made the same choice when suffering from this condition.

I know it sounds harsh but the only reason I remembered hearing it was because I thought it only got coverage was because she was in TV. Unfortunately there are plenty of people committing suicide from depression that you never hear a peep about, never mind getting their own spot in the news

So true, and that's why I wanted to make a point of this - because, like it or not, it's a big issue. However, media-covered cases such as this do highlight that it is an issue and bring awareness to people as a result. It's not that the average Joe who tops himself because he didn't get his latest AMCN subscription issue is unimportant, it's just that he doesn't have that coverage around him. With cases like Charmaine, I think it does open peoples' eyes - it certainly made me turn and listen.

Btw Jase, I knew that you couldn't give out any inside information

[Gosling1]

......Btw Jase, I knew that you couldn't give out any inside information

then why bother asking him for some in the first place ?

[aardvark]

Huh? So (with all due respect), he knew he had a family to support and bring up, he didn't see reason, he didn't think about anyone else and he's NOT selfish in his actions after taking his own life?

You're right... he probably did know all of those things. The problem isn't that people who are in that state don't see reason, it's that they can't see reason!! To him, at that point in time, taking his life was probably the best thing he could do for his family. He's probably thought about his family and, in some messed up kind of way, decided that for them to have the best shot at life it would be easier if he wasn't around. So you see, there's no selfishness involved. Giving your life for the benefit of your children is the ultimate sacrifice.

It's easy for us to sit back and say "How fucken selfish. It makes me angry. Why didn't they think about it?". A lot of suicides aren't done on a whim. They've thought about it. They've pained with the idea of staying behind and trying to deal with life. But, for whatever reason, in the end they honestly believe that taking their life is the best for everyone!

[Shaman]

You're right... he probably did know all of those things. The problem isn't that people who are in that state don't see reason, it's that they can't see reason!! To him, at that point in time, taking his life was probably the best thing he could do for his family. He's probably thought about his family and, in some messed up kind of way, decided that for them to have the best shot at life it would be easier if he wasn't around. So you see, there's no selfishness involved. Giving your life for the benefit of your children is the ultimate sacrifice.

Ahh, 'don't' and 'can't' - now that makes sense in terms of what you said. It still doesn't make sense overall, however, considering that depression is a state of mind, just like anger, lust, happiness etc - they're all states and they all emit different types of chemicals within oneself. Scientifically it is proven that when you're in love, you actually have an addiction because you've exposed yourself to it enough and conditioned yourself into almost requiring it to live. Your mind associates these times with the chemicals released when you're in love and that's that! It's the same but in reverse with depression. People get unhappy and then they keep convincing themselves that things are crap and they get to the point where they don't WANT to help themselves, much like a drug junkie. They're happy in their unhappiness and this is why I will never believe in pills to solve something that's not physical - if the problem lies within the mind, the solution is within the mind.

They put themselves there in the first place and they look to everyone else for help when the problem is internal...

You're right - giving your life for your children / family is the ultimate sacrifice, but the right thing done for the wrong reasons is still wrong... especially if it's suicide.

[Shaman]

Hey all,

Whilst waiting to head out to our NYE bash, I was waiting for the missus to get ready and watching the telly. Caught the bit where they mourn the passing of people over the year - sad TV and a kinda morose thing to see on NYE, really. The names rolled, and right at the end, a dedication of this entire segment was displayed for Channel 10's Charmaine Tregun who also apparently passed away within the last couple of weeks!

and worse news for their family
I saw in the news last night....one of the truck drivers killed in the WA wildfires
was her uncle

terrible


Smitty

This is even worse news

Condolences to the family.

[Neka79]

it happened a good month ago mate...
she was due to read the news and didnt show- it was only an hour to go (like 4pm) when chan 10 were told she had died .. or so it was said...

shit i reckon i told u about this weeks ago on the way to indoor.. she was a real hotty..., seemed to have everything going for her... but apparently not..

[Strika]

It's the ultimate weakness and there's no defence for it, ever.

(anyone with 'inside' information - PAGING JASE)

You know, I used to think that. I thought that people who comitted suicide were just plain selfish and that there was no excuse for it.

Last year, a work colleague shot himself with his work revolver. We knew he'd had a couple of issues, but not one person knew the full extent of his depression. He'd told different people small bits and asked them not to tell anyone else. Not until after he killed himself did everyone get together and realise that there was a "big picture".

He left behind a wife and 4 young boys. It was terribly sad and thinking about it still makes me a little edgey.

Words like selfish, weak, etc were thrown around the office. And at first I agreed.

But then I started to think about it. Mentally, he was in such a deep dark hole that he thought there was no way out. From the outside he appeared to have it all. A wife who ran a successful franchise of vet clinics, 4 fantastic kids, a great job with not much stress.... but from the inside, something troubled him. I guess to him, things seemed so bad that he thought he only had one option left and taking that option was going to be the best thing, not only for him, but for his family and friends.

People who are at such a low point don't see reason. They don't think about the people who are going to miss them. They don't think about the consequences. I'm sure that in many cases, some of them think that although they don't really want to die, it's going to be the best thing to do for the people they love the most in the end.

Selfish? Weak? I don't think so....



And as a side note, even if I had inside information, sharing it here, or anywhere for that matter, would not be the thing to do.

We had a good mate in Perth take his own life in 2000! What really stuck in my mind, was how much of a crap place his head must have been, to feel that way and NOT be able to talk to his best mates or his family about it! We were all gutted that we didn't see it and even more sorry that he didn't feel he was able to talk to any of us about it!!! His note was an apology for the person he was. Problem was, the person he was and who he thought he was, were poles apart! His self perception was severly tainted! Like Aardy, prior to that I had always had the Week and gutless opinion of Suicides! That is no longer the case!

[ttc]

Not too many years ago I was with a guy who was suicidal.
He dissapeared without warning, wrote notes and checked himself into a hospital.
His family and I did everything we possibly could for him, but his view of the world was so skewed that he couldn't see any way out.
I simply couldn't help him, and I knew he was just a matter of time.
He killed himself about a year after we split up, he tied himself into his mate's borrowed car and drove down a boat ramp.

I was terribly sad, but also glad for him. His life was a living hell because he was so screwed up inside, even though it was a horrible way to die. Normal rational people just can't understand how they think and feel.

[Daisy]

Normal rational people just can't understand how they think and feel.

What she said.

[nicko]

Way old!

Channel 10 never said she commited suicide - All the other networks did though!
She threw herself over a cliff

Quite sad really, pretty girl, young, engaged and her whole life ahead!

[Bogan]

A couple of links:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/stor ... 52,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22698775-2,00.html