Teen Suicides in Dungannon

[The Iceman]

From BBC website.  Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7598227.stm

Five teenagers have taken their own lives in Dungannon, County Tyrone, in the last fortnight.

Residents met at a public meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the issue.

Many people at the meeting have been personally affected by suicide, Catherine McBennett lost her 15-year-old daughter two years ago.

"We have been banging on doors to try and get awareness within the community. Instead of hiding the issue under the carpet we need to be more aware."

Gareth Falls, project manager at the Niamh Louise Foundation drop-in centre said the community had been devastated by the recent deaths.

"The impact of suicide in a rural area has a wider influence and its important we tackle that," he said.

"There's going to be another meeting so we can implement suggestions to the Southern Trust as to how we can approach the issue of suicide in the area."

On average, about 195 people take their lives in Northern Ireland each year.

Very sad that these young people have taken their lives.  My thoughts go out to their families and the young people themselves RIP.

I read a book by Malcolm Gladwell called The Tipping Point - he has some interesting theories on teen suicide.

[screenexile]

Awful awful stuff. Draperstown has had a number of suicides the past 5 years or so as well, the latest being at the weekend almost a year to the day after the last one. It seems people just don't realise that there is help available or are just too scared to admit to it themsleves until it's too late. 5 in the space of a fortnight for a town like Dungannon is crazy though and something needs to be done about it for sure!

[The Iceman]

This is a comment made from Gladwell in a question and answer session on his book:

One chapter, for example, deals with the very strange epidemic of teenage suicide in the South Pacific islands of Micronesia. In the 1970's and 1980's, Micronesia had teen suicide rates ten times higher than anywhere else in the world. Teenagers were literally being infected with the suicide bug, and one after another they were killing themselves in exactly the same way under exactly the same circumstances. We like to use words like contagiousness and infectiousness just to apply to the medical realm. But I assure you that after you read about what happened in Micronesia you'll be convinced that behavior can be transmitted from one person to another as easily as the flu or the measles can. In fact, I don't think you have to go to Micronesia to see this pattern in action.

If you get a chance read into this as I don't believe its too far away from the truth.

I think the same happened in Portadown at one time?

Very sad indeed

[Puckoon]

Very sad times - surely this cannot be the only option for such a high number in a small town. The depths of despair to me are unfathomable.

God bless them and their loved ones.

[SLIGONIAN]

Very sad to hear this. Hope the people affected can get through these dark times. 5 in a fortnight is alot and 5 too many. Hope maybe the residents find the cause and are able to deal with stopping any more.

[orangeman]

Very sad times - surely this cannot be the only option for such a high number in a small town. The depths of despair to me are unfathomable.

God bless them and their loved ones.

What's it all about ?

[Puckoon]

Who could ever know?  You could speculate about pacts, and domino effects, but whatever caused the first person to take such drastic action, is just something I cant begin to imagine.

[theskull1]

This is a comment made from Gladwell in a question and answer session on his book:

One chapter, for example, deals with the very strange epidemic of teenage suicide in the South Pacific islands of Micronesia. In the 1970's and 1980's, Micronesia had teen suicide rates ten times higher than anywhere else in the world. Teenagers were literally being infected with the suicide bug, and one after another they were killing themselves in exactly the same way under exactly the same circumstances. We like to use words like contagiousness and infectiousness just to apply to the medical realm. But I assure you that after you read about what happened in Micronesia you'll be convinced that behavior can be transmitted from one person to another as easily as the flu or the measles can. In fact, I don't think you have to go to Micronesia to see this pattern in action.

If you get a chance read into this as I don't believe its too far away from the truth.

I think the same happened in Portadown at one time?

Very sad indeed

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme[url]

[Tyrones own]

Who could ever know?  You could speculate about pacts, and domino effects, but whatever caused the first person to take such drastic action, is just something I cant begin to imagine.

I honestly believe that we're not programmed to understand what's in a man's mind at that point
and I've long held the belief that the day you figure it out is the day you do it yourself

[orangeman]

Who could ever know?  You could speculate about pacts, and domino effects, but whatever caused the first person to take such drastic action, is just something I cant begin to imagine.

I honestly believe that we're not programmed to understand what's in a man's mind at that point
and I've long held the belief that the day you figure it out is the day you do it yourself

Ok I'll not even think about it any more.