Tag: suicide

Suicide is desolate. It is weighted with shame and secrecy, criticism and judgment. Too often there is little compassion for those who have chosen to end their lives; and compassion or support for the survivors of suicide is often embarrassed and spare.

Surviving loved ones are traumatized as they hold the remains of a shattered life in their hands. They are full of questions, recriminations, and their own mixed emotions. Why did this happen? Why didn't I see this coming? Could I have done something more?

When someone you know seems to be struggling, how should you handle it? If you’re like many people, you may hesitate to cross boundaries or get involved—especially given the stigma attached to depression and mental illness. But the worst thing you can do is say nothing.

It is incredibly important that the distressed person in your life knows there is hope. Your silence may suggest there is not. It may feel uncomfortable, but it is an act of love and friendship to ask, "Are you okay?"

At this point we’ve all heard the alarming statistics and percentages of marriages ending in separation and divorce. And, although many couples try and resolve their issues through a number of outlets, sometimes separation and/or divorce happens. However, many couples that choose this route might have children, and those children do suffer. And the current modernist thinking about this, is well, the kids will be all right. A couple of tough months maybe, but hey, now they can have two Christmas’s, two birthdays, and two Thanksgivings. And the occasional blood feud between Mom and Dad over money, or time with the kids, or things allowed here but not allowed there—it’s just part of growing up.

A lot of attention is paid to men’s fitness and their physical health, but consider this: 6 million men are diagnosed with depression each year in America, and they account for 79% of suicides in the United States. These are shocking statistics; and they reveal the devastating consequences society’s views of masculinity have on men and their mental health.

Boys grow up to be men with the understanding and expectation that they need to be tough, independent, and above all else, masculine.

Enacting policies that promote equality, like same-sex marriage laws, may ease the mental burdens on lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, a new U.S. study suggests.

Researchers found that in states where same-sex marriage became legal, there was a drop in suicide attempts by high school students, especially among sexual minority students.

"I hope policymakers and the public are aware that the social policies that govern LGBT rights can have an impact on child welfare and wellbeing," said lead author Julia Raifman, a public health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

To one degree or another, most of us are mourning the loss of Robin Williams. His appeal was incredibly far-reaching and almost all of us count one or two (or more) of his movies among our favorites. But for some people this tragedy won’t just result in a passing sense of sadness—celebrity suicides can promote feelings of deep despair in those who are already vulnerable.

Actually, one of two things can happen: all the attention around depression, mental illness, and suicide can lead at-risk people to finally seek help; or two—and this is the dangerous part—it can cause them to lose hope and give up.