The Effect of Distressing News on My Emotional Health

A tragic event that ended the life of a young woman

It happens a lot for me when I walk past strangers in the streets, look at them, and wonder: What do they feel? What stories do they take with them? What experiences have led them up to this point?

Today, having heard about a young woman who became a victim of a brutal murder, this news broke me. Especially when I found out about horrible details leaked about her killing. Her husband cut her up and put her into a suitcase.

The man was a podcaster who investigated criminal stories and had a most captivating voice and insightful observations about murders and their minds. He came through in his interest in dark aspects of human behavior and built a large following for his podcast.

They were residents of Canada, where he was a PhD candidate, and doing well at the university and career. His wife had taken a Canadian visa just a month ago to join him after a long-distance relationship for a couple of years.

Scrolling through her Instagram, one could see perfectly that she was in love with him, looking forward to the remaining days when they would finally be together.

He also expressed his happiness publicly, feeling lucky to have her as a wife. Well, their social media portrayed a perfect relationship, something that everybody admires and wants a marriage just like them.

But what could have forced him to do such a shocking thing to his wife? It was the dark content he engaged with as a podcaster. Or probably, he suffers from unresolved mental health issues or the pressure of moving to a new country and the stress of adjusting to a different culture.

I don't have the answers, but I wonder if there were any warning signs—red flags—she and his friends overlooked. We can't always predict crime, but we certainly need to be alert to changes in behavior. If someone we care about is struggling with problems, we should encourage them to seek help.

When I think about this young lady's parents when they say goodbye to their daughter to leave the country to chase her dreams,They never knew that soon they would be hit with the painful news of her passing. It's something that will remain with me for quite a long time.

She wrote in her Instagram bio, "Enjoying every moment shoveled out by life and grateful." That proves she lived wisely, and yet her life ended so tragically."

Ironically, the man behind the horror had committed suicide before the news broke, and it frustrated all of us. He spoke in his last podcast episode about a man who killed his wife, and that seemed like a prediction of his action. I wonder if it was a premeditated crime or if it happened out of the blue.

These tragedies occur daily, yet we only ever hear about a few. It opened my eyes to be more critical about what I see in the media and aware of mental health issues. And also, for our well-being, we must be mindful of the warning signs within our relationships.

Every headline represents real people—people with stories, dreams, and lives, all of which can shatter within a second.

We never know how much time we have left to live. So let's promise to be more compassionate to each other and be more cautious about mental health. Sometimes it gets late too soon.

In the end, I apologize if this news made you sad. I feel like I need to write this to help me process it better.

If you enjoyed this kind of journal, please like and subscribe for more.