maiyademama Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 Please take a moment for Iris and her family. So young and so tragic... lost her battle with clinical depression...She leaves behind a 2 year old son and husband. She was a personal hero of mine. Thank you! obituary Link to comment
Martytb Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 How terribly sad.I have read The Rape Of Nanking. Very well written. I am so sorry to hear this. Link to comment
sylinchinastill Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 I really like her as well. The Rape of Nanking and also one other book about early Chinese in America. But I think it is so tragic to leave a two-year-old child like that. I don't know that much about depression and I guess I don't understand it- but I just feel so bad for her child. Link to comment
Rick-Guohua Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 No! , I read the book; The Thread of the Silkworm. Great book.I'm so Sorry. Link to comment
lele Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 This was very sad when I read about it last night before I went to bed. I am certainly glad that someone decided to post this link on this site. I was enthralled by her ability to write a book which portrays the history well to a foreign audience. This book is one of the reasons why Japan has been brought to light recently for wanting to alter its history program to hide its past atrocities. Depression is a serious illness causing pain and loss for on order of a hundred million people worldwide. The exact causes and triggers of the disease are not well known, but it is thought to be caused due to a chemical imbalance due to either genetics or due to environmental pollution. It is very sad to hear about this current case. However, I have a somewhat distant uncle who has a similar condition and his life has been very tough for him, so I can try to understand a little bit. I hope however that we can all learn to care for those around us and to always encourage them, and do our best to fight for the real things to improve our lives (like our loved ones, caring for the ill, and helping to educate the world). For more information about clinical depression, take a look at this website (I promise it is a neutral and fact-based site): http://www.nmha.org/ccd/index.cfm --LeLe Link to comment
oregonknl Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Yes, Iris Chang was a heroic historian, and I will have to revisit her work... Several years ago I started: "The Rape of Nanking" but had to put it down..... Nanjing was the first city I ever visited in China --- to pick up Jet... For some reason, it just cut too close.. Fei's father, slightly too young for WW2, joined the PLA based on the family's first hand stories of Japanese attrocities in Hunan... Xinhua was one of the first to post her obituary .... offering details from the Rape of Nanking... Link to comment
tybeaux Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Very sad. The victims are her living family. I doubt I will read any of her books knowing she would do this to her husband and young son. Link to comment
maiyademama Posted November 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Very sad. The victims are her living family. I doubt I will read any of her books knowing she would do this to her husband and young son.I am sorry for your lack of understanding. I had a brother with clinical depression...like Iris, he too killed himself with a gunshot to the head. My sister also battles this illness and is currently in prison for a long history of self-medication through illicit drugs. Luckily in California, prop 63 passed...and hopefully we will see that 1 mil go to good use for the mentally ill in this state. Link to comment
oregonknl Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 GEEZZ ......... Taz...... Link to comment
sylinchinastill Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 lele- good link- I will check it out- Most of my friends are on ProZac or, I forget- the other one- one of my friends has social anxiety disorder and the other has a history of abuse of different kinds (I mean to her- not substance abuse) and if she doesn't have her Prozac she feels really depressed. Maiyademama- I'm sorry for your family's experience- I feel sorry for Iris Chang- but I can understand the reaction- my first reaction was to feel bad for her child- and for the world too- she had a great talent and I think Chinese Americans needed more of her contributions to the world. Link to comment
LouRose Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I wasn't familiar with her writing, though now I am definitely interested in checking it out. Is there anywhere in Beijing where I can get ahold of her books? As for her struggles with depression, I want to add that of course the family members are victims in a way but we must include herself as the main victim of depression. My sister, aunt, and best friend have been dealing with depression for years and after a long time of trying to understand what they are going through, the only conclusion I can really make is that it is near impossible to fully understand it unless you are experiencing it. Depression is intrinsically a very isolating disease, and so many people suffer from it. I think the most important way to help is to increase awareness and understanding of the disease and in this way try to support people that suffer from it and help them find a way of life that they can live with, accepting the fact that it may be different from the majority. Whenever I hear of people that couldn't make it out of their depression, it just reminds me how important it is to make that kind of help and support available to anyone and everyone. In addition it makes me appreciate how lucky we are to be healthy and happy and able to connect with our loved ones. It seems like everyone on CFL has found "true love" and despite the fact that we can't all be together right now, at least we have the ability to love and feel loved. This is something that should not be taken for granted. Link to comment
maiyademama Posted November 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 GEEZZ ......... Taz......What??? Some people get all the breaks when it comes to family....unfortunately I am not one of those people...Somehow still manage to keep perspective...and so far haven't needed anti-depressants or psychotropics. Link to comment
maiyademama Posted November 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Maiyademama- I'm sorry for your family's experience- I feel sorry for Iris Chang- but I can understand the reaction- my first reaction was to feel bad for her child- and for the world too- she had a great talent and I think Chinese Americans needed more of her contributions to the world.That was my first reaction as well (her poor baby has no more mommy! ), but I wouldn't condemn her or the contributions she has made in the world through her work (as tybeaux suggested) because she didn't have the physical and emotional stamina to get through her depression. Some people cannot handle their thoughts and feelings, even while medicated or undergoing therapy. The unfortunate fact is that her family would suffer either way--- with her dead or with her ill. It wasn't easy for our family to handle my older brother's death...but I am not sure which is harder, his death or my sister's rollercoaster rides going from serene stability and a "normal" family life to wild crazy fits of mania, drugs, violence, and prison---over and over again. Losing my brother was hard once...but everytime my sister gets stable, we gain hope, but we always end up losing her again. Link to comment
Martytb Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Welbutrin worksAmbian helps a littleValium when times are real bad. Some of the stuff they give you for depression can make you more suicidal. That doesn't make sense to me. Link to comment
steve&wei Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 I doubt how on the earth she died........ Link to comment
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