Recent reports of young Irish people who took their own lives had one glaring omission: the cause of death. When someone dies of a heart attack, stroke, cancer, car accident or whatever, we always hear the cause of death. But in the case of suicide it's different. It's reported as a "sudden" death. And when I heard the news about Niall Donohue I was listening to the report on Newstalk about it and waiting for the cause of death, but it never came. It was hidden in a tangential reference to counseling, phone numbers for organizations like the Samaritans, and other riddles that leave it up to the listener to figure it out. I've looked back at written news reports and all I can see is that "sudden death" has become a euphemism for suicide. It seems like no media outlet wants to spell out the cause, almost as if it's a matter of shame and they want to spare the family some sort of embarrassment.
I just don't get it. Why are we so reticent to talk about this?
I don't buy the argument that it'll lead to copycat suicides. The cause of death is going to become public knowledge one way or another, so why not come out and say it? Suicide clusters have many causes, but openly talking about the issue is not one of them.
By looking down at our feet and shuffling around uncomfortably, muttering some code-words to imply suicide without actually using that word, we reinforce the perception that this is a taboo subject that must not be talked about, and we perpetuate the "keep it all bottled up" culture that makes it so hard for people to reach out and ask for help when they need it most.
Call it what it is.
It was suicide.
It was caused by mental health problems, and this is a serious medical condition that can be addressed. It is possible to prevent this sort of tragedy, but keeping our mouths shut about it and talking in riddles is not going to help.
Very good post and something I've noticed becoming increasingly prevalent.
I posted "best not to speculate on the cause of death." and I take affront to the accusation that I am reinforcing anything.
Guys had made suggestions of SADS and other heart problems when in reality sudden death in men at that age has one highly likely cause. Unless you wanted a thread where we all threw in our 2 pence suggestions until someone said "I heard he killed himself".
There is a clear distinction between not wanting to talk about suicide and not wanting to speculate on the cause of death of a 23-year old GAA player on a GAA forum when none of us had the facts. So take my quote out of that OP, what I said has nothing at all to do with this thread.
When I heard about the Galway lad, I did assume it was suicide, as it didn't state the cause.
I know alot of cases of suicide can be prevented, if people get the right help. But some are determined to go through with it. I knew of someone last year who took their own life. They'd tried it before a few times, and failed for different reasons, but eventually did it. How do people stop it if some people just have had enough of life? Can it be prevented?
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 05, 2013, 11:39:57 PM
At least part of it is to do with life insurance - coroners are often asked by the family of the deceased to record something other than suicide e.g. open verdict, as the insurance companies will often not pay out if the cause of death is recorded as suicide.
That needs to be changed right away.
The financial industry is largely to blame for the recent rise in suicides in Ireland. It can start taking responsibly for some of its own mess.
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 05, 2013, 11:39:57 PM
At least part of it is to do with life insurance - coroners are often asked by the family of the deceased to record something other than suicide e.g. open verdict, as the insurance companies will often not pay out if the cause of death is recorded as suicide.
Actually, unless it's a recently taken out policy, most large life companies will pay a claim (subject to any policy exclusions) in the event of suicide.
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 05:21:38 AM
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 05, 2013, 11:39:57 PM
At least part of it is to do with life insurance - coroners are often asked by the family of the deceased to record something other than suicide e.g. open verdict, as the insurance companies will often not pay out if the cause of death is recorded as suicide.
That needs to be changed right away.
The financial industry is largely to blame for the recent rise in suicides in Ireland. It can start taking responsibly for some of its own mess.
Could actually lead to more suicides. Those who are contemplating suicide due to finanical worries may be encouraged to do so if they felt their family would gain financially from it. But do agree that financial institutions and those who cause someone to want to end their lives need to be held more accountable.
My friends suicide was recorded as death through misadventure and to be honest I think this was a comfort to his parents as it didn't stipulate suicide on his death register.
I always think the same when someone kills themselves. There seems to be this taboo over actually stating the cause of death. Joe Brollys article was the first I have read that used the word 'hanging', and it is a strong word. The way these type of deaths are swept under the carpet are not going to help bring the issue to the publics attention.
Was there or is there some kind of different treatment with regards to funeral/burial for people who committ suicide?
I recall a few years ago that a high profile GAA player committed suicide and there was a full set of fixtures played soon after. I remember at the time somebody telling me that they would have been called off had it been a death that wasn't caused by suicide, not sure of how accurate this is/was though.
I agree with the main post and said as much after recent events. The 'sudden death' term is widely used to report suicide across all media streams and I just don't understand it. It's nearly an unwritten rule you cannot state the death was suicide when it is already confirmed, I can't fathom the long term benefits of this personally but i'm certainly no expert.
nrico that word struck a chord with me when reading Brolly's article, first time i've seen it too used.
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 05:21:38 AM
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 05, 2013, 11:39:57 PM
At least part of it is to do with life insurance - coroners are often asked by the family of the deceased to record something other than suicide e.g. open verdict, as the insurance companies will often not pay out if the cause of death is recorded as suicide.
That needs to be changed right away.
The financial industry is largely to blame for the recent rise in suicides in Ireland. It can start taking responsibly for some of its own mess.
Has there been a rise in suicides since the start of the recession? Wouldn't have thought finances would be a big cause among young people, probably more the 35-55 age group would be worst affected by the financial end of things
Quote from: gallsman on November 06, 2013, 07:33:53 AM
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on November 05, 2013, 11:39:57 PM
At least part of it is to do with life insurance - coroners are often asked by the family of the deceased to record something other than suicide e.g. open verdict, as the insurance companies will often not pay out if the cause of death is recorded as suicide.
Actually, unless it's a recently taken out policy, most large life companies will pay a claim (subject to any policy exclusions) in the event of suicide.
gallsman is correct here. The vast majority of life insurance policies now cover suicide unless it happens within 12 months of taking out the policy or if the person taking out the policy fails to declare e.g. pre-existing mental health problems, previous suicide attempts.
I would of thought that another reason was to not pubiclise it (suicide) too widely.
You will find that one suicide can trigger the same action in other people who may be in difficulties. I know West Belfast and my own area in North Antrim have had times when it was very prevalent.
No one is stopping anyone calling it suicide. But - and God help me for saying this - I think it is to the credit of the media in Ireland that they are collectively capable of demonstrating some subtlety in this matter. I can't imagine there is any more difficult death to deal with than suicide as the survivors (for want of a better term) agonise over what they might have done differently, the signs they missed that might have averted disaster. The last thing they need is their trauma being blared out in print/over the airwaves.
While it is important not to hide from the word it is also important to appreciate the impact that this type of death has on the family that are left behind. We do need to face the issue of suicide head on but how do you think that Niall O'Donaghue's family might have reacted to reading a paper and seeing the details of their son's death in print or saw it on the television? Dealing with death is exceptionally hard, dealing with losing a member of your family through suicide is beyond comprehension. When someone dies in a car crash or by a heart attack or through cancer you can't really say 'what if'. With suicide those what ifs are there all the time. Why exacerbate the pain the families are going through. They know, and everyone else who is important or cares know what has happened, it is very difficult to deal with the whole thing without it being broadcast.
Suicide is very much an issue that needs to be addressed but it is not the taboo it was years ago. Reporting of it needs to be very sensitive because at the end of it all there are families trying to pick up broken lives with questions that can never be answered and pain that can never leave you.
You would like to think the Samaritans would have a good brief of how this should be reported . The do's and don't sections of the link below covers a lot of what has been mentioned above
http://www.samaritans.org/media-centre/media-guidelines-reporting-suicide
On average, more than 6,000 individuals take their own lives by suicide each year
across the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI). Some of these deaths
attract media attention. Suicide is a complex topic and presents a distinct set
of challenges for the journalists who report on it. They have to balance a range
of factors including what is in the public interest and the risk of encouraging
imitative behaviour. At the same time they must guard against intrusion into the
grief and shock of the bereaved while considering industry regulation and codes
of practice.
Research shows that inappropriate reporting of
suicide may lead to imitative or 'copycat' behaviour.
For example, if vulnerable groups such as people with
mental health problems and young people are provided
with details about the method of suicide used, it can
lead to more deaths using the same method.
Similarly, a vulnerable person who might not otherwise
have attempted suicide could strongly identify with a
particular characteristic of a person who has died by
suicide, and this may lead them to take their own life.
Through working closely with the media to promote
responsible reporting of suicide, we have seen signs
of significant progress over the years. One of the ways
coverage of suicide can have a positive effect is by
encouraging people to seek help. Sensitive coverage
can also help reduce the taboo around talking about
suicidal feelings as well as challenging stigma.
The copycat phenomenon does appear to be real and media reporting appears to have a major influence on it. So it may be reasonable to assume that media conventions in reporting and naming suicide may, at least in part, for once, be well motivated. My primary reason for this speculation is the The Viennese experience 1980–1996 (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1009691903261).
Quote from: ludermor on November 06, 2013, 09:58:49 AM
They have to balance a range
of factors including what is in the public interest and the risk of encouraging
imitative behaviour. At the same time they must guard against intrusion into the
grief and shock of the bereaved while considering industry regulation and codes
of practice.
That's something I find strange about the Niall O'Donoughue case. Whilst an inter-county hurler, his unfortunate death was certainly not a matter in the national interest that required national media reporting - word would have travelled soon enough without it being splashed all over the papers. Did the media need to report on it? Did Anthony Cunningham need to make statements? Would it be better if we left the families to grieve without publishing anything?
Quote from: gallsman on November 06, 2013, 11:29:52 AM
Quote from: ludermor on November 06, 2013, 09:58:49 AM
They have to balance a range
of factors including what is in the public interest and the risk of encouraging
imitative behaviour. At the same time they must guard against intrusion into the
grief and shock of the bereaved while considering industry regulation and codes
of practice.
That's something I find strange about the Niall O'Donoughue case. Whilst an inter-county hurler, his unfortunate death was certainly not a matter in the national interest that required national media reporting - word would have travelled soon enough without it being splashed all over the papers. Did the media need to report on it? Did Anthony Cunningham need to make statements? Would it be better if we left the families to grieve without publishing anything?
Yes
Quote from: Hardy on November 06, 2013, 11:28:58 AM
The copycat phenomenon does appear to be real and media reporting appears to have a major influence on it. So it may be reasonable to assume that media conventions in reporting and naming suicide may, at least in part, for once, be well motivated. My primary reason for this speculation is the The Viennese experience 1980–1996 (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1009691903261).
I wouldn't have thought it but that Viennese experiment study has been repeated and basically the similar conclusions were held. The extensive media reporting had a trigger effect, though there has to be an underlying cause but seeing how there's no comeback from the trigger and a latent desire to commit suicide is more than likely to be replaced by something better at a later stage, then it's beyond debate.
Furthermore was there not some discussion in the public domain on whether the profuse adulation a teenage suicide casualty received via online tributes, church eulogies, truckloads of flowers, having the effect on some teenagers as glamorising the whole event, reinforcing a decision to commit suicide in another teenager in similar circumstances?
Quote from: Hardy on November 06, 2013, 11:28:58 AM
The copycat phenomenon does appear to be real and media reporting appears to have a major influence on it. So it may be reasonable to assume that media conventions in reporting and naming suicide may, at least in part, for once, be well motivated. My primary reason for this speculation is the The Viennese experience 1980–1996 (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1009691903261).
I believe Kildare has a much higher than usual attempted suicide figures among teenage girls, which may have a substantial copycat element. It hasn't got much media coverage, but you can't stop word of mouth.
And of course regarding any of the poor unfortunates who are successful, the natural reaction is to speak glowingly of them, and putting them on a pedestal (mostly in an effort to comfort those left behind). But does that unwittingly encourage the copycat element.
I don't know diddly, but in my opinion the more talk about it the better. More communication and more education of young people. Letting them know where you go for help if you or someone you know needs it. And letting them know of the pain and tragedy left behind when suicides occur.
Copycat suicide is an old phenomenon . Goethe wrote "the sorrows of young Werther" in the 1700s . The character in the book died by suicide and there was a wave of suicides across Europe after the release of the book. That was when Romanticism was really flying.
Quote from: seafoid on November 06, 2013, 03:07:21 PM
Copycat suicide is an old phenomenon . Goethe wrote "the sorrows of young Werther" in the 1700s . The character in the book died by suicide and there was a wave of suicides across Europe after the release of the book. That was when Romanticism was really flying.
Malcolm Gladwell had a chapter in
The Tipping Point on the subject as it occurred in Micronesia.
Here is another piece on it: http://guampedia.com/contemporary-guam-suicide-in-micronesia/ (http://guampedia.com/contemporary-guam-suicide-in-micronesia/)
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on November 06, 2013, 11:35:54 AM
Quote from: gallsman on November 06, 2013, 11:29:52 AM
Quote from: ludermor on November 06, 2013, 09:58:49 AM
They have to balance a range
of factors including what is in the public interest and the risk of encouraging
imitative behaviour. At the same time they must guard against intrusion into the
grief and shock of the bereaved while considering industry regulation and codes
of practice.
That's something I find strange about the Niall O'Donoughue case. Whilst an inter-county hurler, his unfortunate death was certainly not a matter in the national interest that required national media reporting - word would have travelled soon enough without it being splashed all over the papers. Did the media need to report on it? Did Anthony Cunningham need to make statements? Would it be better if we left the families to grieve without publishing anything?
Yes
I'd be inclined to agree - his story made national headlines as he was an inter county hurler. Let's be honest though, he'd hardly have been the most prominent sportsman in the land so why do the media report it all? Do we as a society particularly want to hear about it, even though 99% of us didn't know the lad or his family? Suicides happen all over the place all year long and are never reported on.
Quote from: gallsman on November 06, 2013, 08:31:18 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on November 06, 2013, 11:35:54 AM
Quote from: gallsman on November 06, 2013, 11:29:52 AM
Quote from: ludermor on November 06, 2013, 09:58:49 AM
They have to balance a range
of factors including what is in the public interest and the risk of encouraging
imitative behaviour. At the same time they must guard against intrusion into the
grief and shock of the bereaved while considering industry regulation and codes
of practice.
That's something I find strange about the Niall O'Donoughue case. Whilst an inter-county hurler, his unfortunate death was certainly not a matter in the national interest that required national media reporting - word would have travelled soon enough without it being splashed all over the papers. Did the media need to report on it? Did Anthony Cunningham need to make statements? Would it be better if we left the families to grieve without publishing anything?
Yes
I'd be inclined to agree - his story made national headlines as he was an inter county hurler. Let's be honest though, he'd hardly have been the most prominent sportsman in the land so why do the media report it all? Do we as a society particularly want to hear about it, even though 99% of us didn't know the lad or his family? Suicides happen all over the place all year long and are never reported on.
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Was at discussion one night on suicide and aMother of a child who had taken his own life got very annoyed with the term"committed suicide ".have been very careful not to use it since.
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 08:34:35 PM
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Meh, speak for your self. I've never sat down and watched a funeral on the telly.
Quote from: glens abu on November 06, 2013, 08:38:43 PM
Was at discussion one night on suicide and aMother of a child who had taken his own life got very annoyed with the term"committed suicide ".have been very careful not to use it since.
Attended a suicide awareness seminar recently by pips newry and mourne and they stressed that we should not use the term 'committed' in this context as it relates back to a time when suicide was illegal in the eyes of the law.
Quote from: The Worker on November 07, 2013, 07:22:58 AM
Quote from: glens abu on November 06, 2013, 08:38:43 PM
Was at discussion one night on suicide and aMother of a child who had taken his own life got very annoyed with the term"committed suicide ".have been very careful not to use it since.
Attended a suicide awareness seminar recently by pips newry and mourne and they stressed that we should not use the term 'committed' in this context as it relates back to a time when suicide was illegal in the eyes of the law.
Not trying to be awkward, but how else would you say it - carried out suicide? killed himself?
Not trying to deflect from the subject matter but i remember a time when someone died of cancer that "cancer" wouldn't be said. Like there was some sort of shame in it. Anyone else get this ?
Quote from: Never beat the deeler on November 07, 2013, 07:31:28 AM
Quote from: The Worker on November 07, 2013, 07:22:58 AM
Quote from: glens abu on November 06, 2013, 08:38:43 PM
Was at discussion one night on suicide and aMother of a child who had taken his own life got very annoyed with the term"committed suicide ".have been very careful not to use it since.
Attended a suicide awareness seminar recently by pips newry and mourne and they stressed that we should not use the term 'committed' in this context as it relates back to a time when suicide was illegal in the eyes of the law.
Not trying to be awkward, but how else would you say it - carried out suicide? killed himself?
taken his or her own life.
My wife had a big row with her 'old school' mother who claimed that if a death is described as "sudden" in the death notices in the papers then it was surely suicide if one didn't hear of a car accident or some other type accident.
I too was astonished by this view head by mid-70s rural Irish mammies.
Quote from: haveaharp on November 07, 2013, 08:12:54 AM
Not trying to deflect from the subject matter but i remember a time when someone died of cancer that "cancer" wouldn't be said. Like there was some sort of shame in it. Anyone else get this ?
Definitely so in the past and even surviving to some extent among older people, I think. My father died of cancer when I was thirteen and we never heard the word cancer mentioned in the context of his illness. I'm not even sure whether my mother didn't know it was cancer herself or participated in hiding the reality. We (kids and, as far as I understand, neighbours) were told he had jaundice which affected his liver and that was what he was dying from. It was cancer of the colon, which I didn't find out until I was in my early twenties and saw his death certificate.
My THoughts are i can see where Eamonn is coming from and he has strong point. But tbh having experienced the devastation of a close friend committing suicide recently and that pain isnt close to what his family is going through, i would allow them make the call on what to say how there son died tbh if it helps them cope easier then let them call it a sudden death.
Quote from: glens abu on November 07, 2013, 08:42:55 AM
Quote from: Never beat the deeler on November 07, 2013, 07:31:28 AM
Quote from: The Worker on November 07, 2013, 07:22:58 AM
Quote from: glens abu on November 06, 2013, 08:38:43 PM
Was at discussion one night on suicide and aMother of a child who had taken his own life got very annoyed with the term"committed suicide ".have been very careful not to use it since.
Attended a suicide awareness seminar recently by pips newry and mourne and they stressed that we should not use the term 'committed' in this context as it relates back to a time when suicide was illegal in the eyes of the law.
Not trying to be awkward, but how else would you say it - carried out suicide? killed himself?
taken his or her own life.
healthcare professionals now refer to it as completed suicide.
Quote from: trileacman on November 07, 2013, 12:06:51 AM
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 08:34:35 PM
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Meh, speak for your self. I've never sat down and watched a funeral on the telly.
'Watch' doesn't just refer to the telly.
Think of the thousands lining the streets for a famous person that many of them never met.
Quote from: muppet on November 07, 2013, 06:30:34 PM
Quote from: trileacman on November 07, 2013, 12:06:51 AM
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 08:34:35 PM
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Meh, speak for your self. I've never sat down and watched a funeral on the telly.
'Watch' doesn't just refer to the telly.
Think of the thousands lining the streets for a famous person that many of them never met.
They mightn't have met them but they "knew" of them and perhaps wanted to pay their respects? I'd say a fair few ones out there knew the life of the deceased and what they stood for alot better than "yer man up the road" when he was buried.
Quote from: trileacman on November 07, 2013, 06:35:28 PM
Quote from: muppet on November 07, 2013, 06:30:34 PM
Quote from: trileacman on November 07, 2013, 12:06:51 AM
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 08:34:35 PM
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Meh, speak for your self. I've never sat down and watched a funeral on the telly.
'Watch' doesn't just refer to the telly.
Think of the thousands lining the streets for a famous person that many of them never met.
They mightn't have met them but they "knew" of them and perhaps wanted to pay their respects? I'd say a fair few ones out there knew the life of the deceased and what they stood for alot better than "yer man up the road" when he was buried.
There are celebrities who don't seem to stand for anything who have thousands mourn them. We are probably talking about different things.
Quote from: muppet on November 07, 2013, 06:30:34 PM
Quote from: trileacman on November 07, 2013, 12:06:51 AM
Quote from: muppet on November 06, 2013, 08:34:35 PM
This might sound funny but we seem to be more likely to watch the funeral of some famous person we never met, in preference to attending a funeral of a person who lived nearby or we knew, but we 'only' met <insert number> of times.
Meh, speak for your self. I've never sat down and watched a funeral on the telly.
'Watch' doesn't just refer to the telly.
Think of the thousands lining the streets for a famous person that many of them never met.
I saw an article in the Irish News today that a young fella (16) from North Belfast had committed suicide.
Maybe it's just me but I thought it was an unwritten rule that journalists don't mention that it was suicide, or wouldn't even report on it ?
Quote from: Minder on April 16, 2016, 09:03:44 PM
I saw an article in the Irish News today that a young fella (16) from North Belfast had committed suicide.
Maybe it's just me but I thought it was an unwritten rule that journalists don't mention that it was suicide, or wouldn't even report on it ?
Please don't refer to someone taking their own life as committing suicide. The story was in the paper in the obvious hope that young people or their parents read it and notice any signs and take the appropriate action, it always a very risky time for young ones when there friends or relatives complete suicide.
There was a lengthy and very informative article in the Mosaic magazine recently about the rise in deaths by suicide in NI.
Suicide of the Ceasefire Babies (http://mosaicscience.com/story/conflict-suicide-northern-ireland)
Also examines a phenomenon known as 'intergenerational transmission of trauma'. how traumas are passed down though the generations.
I suppose died by suicide is the term that should be used. This young lad was in school with my lad, the year below him, and his next door neighbour sits beside my daughter in school. I didn't read the article so I'm not sure if it went into detail of what may have been the triggers behind it but this lad had an awful lot going on that had a massive negative impact on his life. Suicide is something that was always there but I'm not quite sure if the language used is the reason that it is more prevalent. It wasn't called suicide for years for many different reasons, shame, religion, insurance, but there is a more negative perception to the word. The problem in my view is not the language that surrounds the final act but the absolute horrendous lack of support beforehand. There was another death by suicide this week that I know of the person involved. It was his 2nd or 3rd attempt. The tragedy is not just that it happened but that it could have been prevented. I don't know the whole details of the individuals background and possible engagement but I do know from personal experience that the mental health profession is under so much pressure that a lot of people don't just fall through the cracks but are forced through them.
Some families feel a sort of shame when a relative takes their own life. Is nothing to feel ashamed about as the person was ill... same time is best not splash it around the papers to add to their pain unless family wants to come out and say the cause... IMO
it is scary the amount of suicide happening recently... scary and so sad
Quote from: Shamrock Shore on November 07, 2013, 09:04:41 AM
My wife had a big row with her 'old school' mother who claimed that if a death is described as "sudden" in the death notices in the papers then it was surely suicide if one didn't hear of a car accident or some other type accident.
I too was astonished by this view head by mid-70s rural Irish mammies.
The previous generation understood/understand very life very well. For example there were always gay people in rural communities even if the culture ignored them. I found the holy joes really interesting because they were so ignorant of real life.
iT MAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE LIFE POLICES THAT ARE INVALID DUE TO SUICIDE?
Quote from: Denn Forever on April 06, 2023, 02:01:40 PM
iT MAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE LIFE POLICES THAT ARE INVALID DUE TO SUICIDE?
And what is put in the local newspaper won't matter to that, it will be the death certificate signed off by a doctor and that will go into detail as to the actual cause of death.
Quote from: Truth hurts on April 06, 2023, 11:29:45 AM
it is scary the amount of suicide happening recently... scary and so sad
So so sad. The chances of actually being born are absolutely miniscule. Trillions to 1. Life is so precious. More needs to be done in our schools and communities to tackle what is a scourge on our society.
I get why it isn't reported in the papers and that is to stop copycats. Anorexia went through this, with the more focus on it the more it seemed to fuel the cases. Like wise with the transgenderism going on. Very difficult to combat in todays social media society.
I've been at a few talks in relation to suicide. SafeTalk ran one of their workshops and it was very enlightening, particularly in relation to the language used when describing suicide. A few of the main points;
1. The best way to find out if someone is thinking of suicide is to ask directly.
2. Asking directly will not give someone the idea
3. Avoiding direct and open talk about suicide is not helpful and could be dangerous.
As part of the training we had to roleplay and directly ask another participant were they thinking of suicide.
It was extremely difficult, certainly for our group and i think its probably a cultural thing in Ireland. We would have used phrases like ' your not thinking of doing something silly/hurting yourself' even role playing it was very difficult. Of course the American/Canadian actors/actresses in the video roleplay had no bother asking had they suicidal thoughts. This is also true to life, because as a general rule of thumb, we as a people don't like discussing these topics in a direct matter of fact manner.
The training definitely helped and if you do get a chance to participate in a safeTalk workshop well worth doing.
One last point i was amazed in the % of the population in society who had suicidal thoughts at some stage.
About one in six according to their stats