Yesterday two things happened.  I saw this interview and found these – the media guidelines for suicide reporting.

The main argument against reporting suicides is that it’s contagious – a spate of suicides follow – especially celebrity ones. I’ve spoken about this before. Having read the media guidelines though, I have another perspective.

It’s not only how the media don’t ‘report’ about it, it’s also how the coroner doesn’t record it. Death by misadventure is usually a polite way of saying they jumped off a cliff.

I’m not in favour of a blow by blow description – though the public blood lust demands it – (I’m still amazed how many people ask me how my husband did it and are surprised when I tell them – you’ll sleep better if you don’t know) there is a morbid curiosity or is it something more sinister – something to file away for later in case they need it?

Having read the guidelines and finding the section where they talk about vulnerable sectors of the community being influenced, I stopped and thought about it carefully – that actually precludes the whole world – because there is always a weak moment in all of us at one time or another where we can be influenced either up or down.

So do I have an answer – yes and no.  Reporting of statistics, or the lack of them, issues surrounding what leads to suicide all need to be talked about and without the fear that these ideas and discussions will put ideas into other people’s heads.  We’ve built the buildings for people to jump off – now we have to teach them how to live with them.

Carry on.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

photo credit: Cameron Cassa

After a suicide you will hear phrases like “I never saw it coming”, “there were no clues”, “I didn’t know they were depressed”, “ouf of the blue”. So what is the key to seeing it coming, finding the clues and knowing what depression is? Hindsight.

What do I mean by hindsight? Hindsight is usually the knowledge and wisdom you get by looking behind you at the events leading up to the conclusion, in this case a suicide. So how can we use hindsight, as a tool?

Study your loved ones. If something seems out of character, unusual, they become quiet and reserved suddenly, or you notice it more and more, ask yourself what is going on now – don’t wait until after. This does not mean to turn into a paranoid nervous wreck, but it means to be aware.

Why do we ignore these changes in character? There are many reasons but I’ll outline the first few that I know.

1. We’re scared

We don’t like change.  We don’t like to face things that are hard.  We don’t want terrible things to happen to us or to our loved ones so even though there maybe a little nervous twitch in our bellies about something, we don’t act on it.

2. We may be wrong

There’s nothing worse than an intervention on someone who is perfectly fine and just having a bad day.  We don’t trust our own judgements or knowledge of a situation or the person in it.

3. We may be right

This section is not for the faint hearted but those who can be honest with themselves.  We may be right and we may want it to happen.  Sometimes situations are difficult and it seems that it would be easier if the person just wasn’t there anymore, they may be using it as leverage to manipulate you.  So go ahead and do it.

In any case, suicide is preventable.  But it takes enormous courage, not from those who are about to do it, but from those around them who can offer a hand but don’t, can’t or won’t.   If you can’t stop them or don’t have the personal tools to approach the person, find someone who can, talk to someone about your fears, let their doctor know that you think they may be depressed.  At least then, if the worst happens, you won’t be standing at the funeral saying “if  only I had done something”.

A final word, sometimes, even if you do ‘everything you can’, it’s still not enough. More on that in another post.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Suicide is a tragic waste.  I think we can all agree on that.  What I believe is more tragic is the community response to suicide.

There is a perception in the mainstream media that to talk about suicide will increase it.  This has been backed up by small increases in suicides after the suicides of popular celebrities (Coban for example). Suicide is seen as contagious to those who are vulnerable to influence.

How then, as a community can we act to protect, help or heal those vulnerable amongst us?  Rather than not talk about the disease that is killing a group of us, how can we talk to move change?

AIDS was not talked about for a long time, until its numbers increased to the point where all humanity was threatened, and then all of a sudden it was all anyone could talk about.  Suicide is, unfortunately, taking the same road, but no-one will talk about it.

Suicide accounts for the highest number of deaths among males 17-25 outside of motor vehicle accidents, and was the number two killer, for a while, of men 40-45.

These are only the clear cut cases we know about.  Reporting of suicides on death certificates, which then account for the ABS (statistics) figures are grey.

There seems to be a Darwinist stream that runs among us, where those who can survive turn a blind eye to those who aren’t ‘strong enough’ to make it.  Until this attitude changes amongst us as humans, suicide will always be ranked in the top 5 killers.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.