Bipolar man, 34, kills himself after loneliness during lockdown 'pushed him over the edge', family devastated
An extroverted man with bipolar disorder has killed himself after being in isolation due to the novel coronavirus pandemic because the loneliness "pushed him over the edge," his sister has revealed.
Daniel Furniss, 34, had lived by himself in Crookhorn, near Portsmouth, and had been staying indoors after the outbreak because his diabetes made him a part of the population that was particularly vulnerable to the virus, according to the Daily Mail.
However, because of his outgoing personality, Furniss, described as a "big kid at heart," is said to have struggled with the lack of contact with the world and was pushed to taking the drastic step of ending his life.
His sister, Chelsea Furniss, 28, paid tribute to him and urged health authorities around the country to work towards ensuring support for those suffering from mental health issues during the lockdown.
"He would always dress very bright and colorful – you couldn't miss him," she said, adding that her brother was "loved and adored by so many people."
"Dan brought a lot of joy to everyone's lives," she continued. "Although he was aged 34 he was just a big kid at heart."
Chelsea revealed that her brother had battled bipolar disorder since his teenage years and had struggled with loneliness during the lockdown despite hers and their family's best efforts to stay in touch with him.
"Dan had a long history of mental health issues and one of the things he struggled with was being on his own," she shared. "He lived on his own but would go out every day. Dan had diabetes and was classed as a high-risk person so after lockdown he was unable to go out which we think pushed him over the edge. We were concerned about him being in isolation and stayed in touch but were not able to see him."
The 28-year-old said there was "not enough guidance for people with mental health issues" and that "more could be done to help people who are struggling while self-isolating."
"Hopefully what's happened with Dan can raise awareness of these issues," she added.
Chelsea also said her family had been "completely overwhelmed and touched by people's generosity especially at a time of such difficulty."
A GoFundMe GoFundMe page set up by Chelsea to raise money to cover the cost of her brother's funeral has raised $2,366 at the time of writing.
"As you all know, Daniel sadly passed away last week," she wrote. "Daniel was loved and adored by so many people, and it is unfortunate that at this time due to covid-19 that only a few of us will be able to attend the funeral."
"Life is not going to be the same without you," wrote Cody Porter, a friend, in tribute. "I met Dan through our Pokémon Go game and became friends with him over the past few years. Thoughts are with Dans family during this difficult time."
"I was shocked to hear of Dan's passing, he was always a welcome sight in Victoria park and i wish his family and close friends the best in this difficult time," posted another friend, Harrison Wood.