Suicide

freshpopcorn

I'm in my twenties now and in my local area a few people have taken their lives in the last decade or so. They were mainly men, I think their was one woman.
I remember back in mid 2000's a guy killed himself and people said it was because of the expectations of the Celtic Tiger.
Other cases I've heard of were linked to drugs/alcohol.
One family lost two sons to suicide.
Between 2009-2012. Suicides in my area were mainly linked to the economic downturn/debts.
One guy out of my class took his own life. He basically fell in with the wrong crowed.
The one thing all these people have in common is it wrecks families. I've seen people recover from terrible incidents but Suicide destroys families in my opinion.

I have noticed there's being a decrease in suicide in my area in the past year or so.

I've no idea why suicide became such a epidemic in Ireland and other countries. I do believe that there is a lot more awareness of mental health in the last few years and this has helped.
I do think more should be done on school to raise awareness about mental Heath and how to deal with various problems you might encounter.
We had a chat with Aware(I think) for a couple of hours. I thought this was beneficial and would have helped prople who were struggling.
Another day we had a religious retreat(not a pray mentioned) it was all about mediation and relaxing. People were almost crying. Almost everybody agreed it was an excellent way of dealing with your troubles. Sadly tough these kind of days rarely happen.
I actually grew up with a nice bunch of lads in my class going to school and their was no really bullying. When I went to college tough the bullying was unreal. The name calling/teasing/ignoring/etc. It really showed me what teenagers can be going through in school and why they might take their own lives.
There's also major pressures online for teenagers nowadays. I'm actually happy I only had a dial up internet connection/with a Bebo page with pictures of cars and a awful phone. I'm not an Internet safety warrior and I know twelve year old boys will look up dirty pictures/etc.
One thing tough I don't a lot of teenage boys/girls realise what they are posting on social media and once it's there it never goes away. I know myself and the majority of my friends would have made mistakes online if we grew up today. Another major problem I see everybody has a camera at hand for any little incident that might happen. Can be seen again and again.

There are also various other pressures/problems that people of all ages face every day.

What are your views about suicide?

efb

That a thread title about it shouldn't include an exclamation mark

crazygeryy

It shouldn't be in here either i think. Its open to all sorts of ah treatment.

freshpopcorn

Another problem more so in rural Ireland. Is the closer of local post offices/banks/shops/pub. This has isolated especially older men especially. Who were comfortable with there lives and now but now their pension is paid into there bank account or in another post office miles away from the area they gew up in all their lives and since the post office/bank closed other shops/businesses went out of business. They now have to go to an area full of strangers that might make them uncomfortable/afraid.

harry Bailey esq

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I'm in my twenties now and in my local area a few people have taken their lives in the last decade or so. They were mainly men, I think their was one woman.
I remember back in mid 2000's a guy killed himself and people said it was because of the expectations of the Celtic Tiger.
Other cases I've heard of were linked to drugs/alcohol.
One family lost two sons to suicide.
Between 2009-2012. Suicides in my area were mainly linked to the economic downturn/debts.
One guy out of my class took his own life. He basically fell in with the wrong crowed.
The one thing all these people have in common is it wrecks families. I've seen people recover from terrible incidents but Suicide destroys families in my opinion.

I have noticed there's being a decrease in suicide in my area in the past year or so.

I've no idea why suicide became such a epidemic in Ireland and other countries. I do believe that there is a lot more awareness of mental health in the last few years and this has helped.
I do think more should be done on school to raise awareness about mental Heath and how to deal with various problems you might encounter.
We had a chat with Aware(I think) for a couple of hours. I thought this was beneficial and would have helped prople who were struggling.
Another day we had a religious retreat(not a pray mentioned) it was all about mediation and relaxing. People were almost crying. Almost everybody agreed it was an excellent way of dealing with your troubles. Sadly tough these kind of days rarely happen.
I actually grew up with a nice bunch of lads in my class going to school and their was no really bullying. When I went to college tough the bullying was unreal. The name calling/teasing/ignoring/etc. It really showed me what teenagers can be going through in school and why they might take their own lives.
There's also major pressures online for teenagers nowadays. I'm actually happy I only had a dial up internet connection/with a Bebo page with pictures of cars and a awful phone. I'm not an Internet safety warrior and I know twelve year old boys will look up dirty pictures/etc.
One thing tough I don't a lot of teenage boys/girls realise what they are posting on social media and once it's there it never goes away. I know myself and the majority of my friends would have made mistakes online if we grew up today. Another major problem I see everybody has a camera at hand for any little incident that might happen. Can be seen again and again.

There are also various other pressures/problems that people of all ages face every day.

What are your views about suicide?

I agree with everything you said 'freshpopcorn' I've lost more friends through suicide/murders/traffic accidents than you could shake a baseball bat at.That said,its probably suited for discussion in a forum other than after hours,because your always gonna get the same two or three clowns that will try to be 'witty' on what is a very sensitive,and painful topic for many.Sorry about your pal by the way.

Robbie32

They go on about awareness and mental health, but they actually hid the fact of it happening. There is no reports of it in the media. I have friends in the coast guard and lifeboat and it is a weekly occurance for them to be called out for a suicide or attempted, putting their lives on the line.
I am not sure what can be done, but it all well and good talking about awareness, but until people realise the extent of the issue it will always be a bit of a taboo subject.

Tzardine

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.

mad muffin

In all my life living in Perth, I have never known or heard of someone committing suicide. Not friends or in my area or friends and family of people I know.

Since moving to Ireland, I have known neighbours committing suicide, people in my area, friends and family on my wife's side committing suicide or that have committed it.

I live in rural Ireland.

efb

Robbie32 wrote: »

They go on about awareness and mental health, but they actually hid the fact of it happening. There is no reports of it in the media. I have friends in the coast guard and lifeboat and it is a weekly occurance for them to be called out for a suicide or attempted, putting their lives on the line.
I am not sure what can be done, but it all well and good talking about awareness, but until people realise the extent of the issue it will always be a bit of a taboo subject.

That because reporting of suicide is proven to cause a rise in suicide attempts- the Samaritans have guidelines on reporting

mattP

efb wrote:

That because reporting of suicide is proven to cause a rise in suicide attempts- the Samaritans have guidelines on reporting

This is why the Japanese media are not allowed reference "Suicide Forest" anymore. The more it is presented it lingers in people's minds longer.

questionmark?

It's caused by a horrible disease. One that you generally can't see. A disease that people are embarrassed to have. A disease that unless you had it you can't understand what someone who looked for a way out was going through.

Depression kills more people than road accidents but yet it's kept generally silent and gets a lot less investment/coverage than speeding or driving without seat belts.

I've lost a very close friend through this silent killer along with a few others from the area I knew over the years. As a country we need to get a grip on the killer that is depression.

Jon Stark

My heart breaks for anyone effected by suicide. For the victim who was in so much pain that this was the only solution they could see, and for the friends and family who are just left utterly broken and tormented over what ifs.

Depression is complicated and never the same for two people, So I really find it difficult to find the right words to help someone. I think people can sense that as well so don't want to "burden" someone with their troubles (which of course is never the case).

On the other hand there are some people just not equipped to support people due to their own issues. That's why people should just be encouraged to directly reach out for professional assistance.

Akrasia

My father died from suicide 12 years ago. He had been suffering from mental illness for decades (bi-polar) and just decided that he couldn't live that way anymore.

We don't blame him for what he did. We miss him terribly but he was suffering from an illness that turned out to have been a terminal one.

people end their lives when they want release from the pain of living. They don't think the moments of joy are worth the days or months of suffering.

For young people, this is often a poor decision based on short term pain and impulsiveness and a lack of perspective. Often alcohol or drugs push people over the edge. It's hugely tragic when people end their lives over something that seems like the most important thing in the world to them, but over the course of a full lifetime, would amount to only a footnote


But this is life. I feel terrible for the families and friends of someone who ends their life prematurely.

StephenHendry

it really is tough OP, I've had some lowpoints myself , even contemplated it but I did not make any real effort, thank god for that, I think nowadays there is more awareness about it which is good

Daith

One of the issues is really around access to mental health support.

I do understand the work done by Aware, Samaritans, etc but people really need access to more affordable counselors and therapists.

Spending upwards of €60 or more to see someone and it could take god knows how many sessions?

Maybe I'm missing something and it is cheaper though?

Annasopra

questionmark? wrote: »

It's caused by a horrible disease. One that you generally can't see. A disease that people are embarrassed to have. A disease that unless you had it you can't understand what someone who looked for a way out was going through.

Depression kills more people than road accidents but yet it's kept generally silent and gets a lot less investment/coverage than speeding or driving without seat belts.

I've lost a very close friend through this silent killer along with a few others from the area I knew over the years. As a country we need to get a grip on the killer that is depression.

Sure depression is a huge cause but not the only cause

Annasopra

Daith wrote: »

One of the issues is really around access to mental health support.

I do understand the work done by Aware, Samaritans, etc but people really need access to more affordable counselors and therapists.

Spending upwards of €60 or more to see someone and it could take god knows how many sessions?

Maybe I'm missing something and it is cheaper though?

It's mixed

There is little or no state counselling unless you have severe mental health problems.

There are local groups that support positive mental health such as Aware and GROW but groups don't suit everyone.

There are other charitable organisations that provide free counselling to those on low income etc but not that many.

So yes in many cases the only option is to access counselling at approximately €60 a session. You may find sympathetic ones who will offer a smaller rate to some. I lost my job a few years ago and the counsellor reduced the weekly cost from €60 to €40 although this was still a huge struggle on €188 a week.

Daith

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

There are local groups that support positive mental health such as Aware and GROW but groups don't suit everyone.

I think these services are aimed at people who really just need to talk to someone bar themselves and it can be very beneficial.

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

So yes in many cases the only option is to access counselling at approximately €60 a session. You may find sympathetic ones who will offer a smaller rate to some. I lost my job a few years ago and the counsellor reduced the weekly cost from €60 to €40 although this was still a huge struggle on €188 a week.

Exactly. So when I see article after article about mental health and the list of support services such as Aware it doesn't address the fact that access to mental health support can be prohibitively expensive for people here.

Annasopra

Daith wrote: »

I think these services are aimed at people who really just need to talk to someone bar themselves and it can be very beneficial.


Exactly. So when I see article after article about mental health and the list of support services such as Aware it doesn't address the fact that access to mental health support can be prohibitively expensive for people here.

Yes but groups such as AWARE and GROW are a form of support for mental health. I wouldn't dismiss them.

Daith

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Yes but groups such as AWARE and GROW are a form of support for mental health. I wouldn't dismiss them.

Sorry I didn't mean to dismiss them at all.

It's just I think you are really suicidal it would be counselling services and I wonder if cheaper access is needed more than anything else.

Mother Brain

One thing I believe gets glossed over in these discussions is that, if we were to be truly honest about it, there are actually specific, objective things about life that are actually pretty s**t.

People who are generally happy tend to have mitigating factors in their lives that help to offset the experiences we share of life being s**t, and thereby diminishing the effects of the exposure to the bad parts. If you have good friends, solid family relationships, fulfilling work etc, it can all serve to take the focus off of the bad parts of life that we are all exposed to. When someone does not possess any of these things, they don't have the offset and so experience only the negative side of life. I often feel that the focus is put on the person suffering depression as having something wrong with them rather than there be any consideration of the view that there are many things wrong with the world, with life or what have you.

In fact many times I have felt that such a large taboo exists around depression and suicide is that nobody really wants to consider the proposition that depression is a legitimate response to the experience of life. That if we were all to be bit more honest about it, we could probably concede that there is some validity to that claim.

Conor Bourke

Mother Brain wrote: »

One thing I believe gets glossed over in these discussions is that, if we were to be truly honest about it, there are actually specific, objective things about life that are actually pretty s**t.

People who are generally happy tend to have mitigating factors in their lives that help to offset the experiences we share of life being s**t, and thereby diminishing the effects of the exposure to the bad parts. If you have good friends, solid family relationships, fulfilling work etc, it can all serve to take the focus off of the bad parts of life that we are all exposed to. When someone does not possess any of these things, they don't have the offset and so experience only the negative side of life. I often feel that the focus is put on the person suffering depression as having something wrong with them rather than there be any consideration of the view that there are many things wrong with the world, with life or what have you.

In fact many times I have felt that such a large taboo exists around depression and suicide is that nobody really wants to consider the proposition that depression is a legitimate response to the experience of life. That if we were all to be bit more honest about it, we could probably concede that there is some validity to that claim.

There are many, many people who have "had it all"- good job, loving family and friends but have still taken their own lives.

Mother Brain

Alaskimo-cake wrote: »

There are many, many people who have "had it all"- good job, loving family and friends but have still taken their own lives.

That's true. As I said, these tend to be mitigating factors, but are not a blanket guarantee of happiness.

In my opinion, there are also all sorts of knock on effects of experiencing long term depression that lead to a sort of snowball effect over time.

Also, a person's subjective experience of things such as personal relationships etc. may not accurately reflect the reality of those relationships. I.e. maybe you have friends but you feel alone amongst them, or only maintain those friendships out of habit / historical reasons. Or you have a family, but find the burden of responsibility for it too much to bear for example.

Streetwalker

We are a third world country when it comes to mental health, always have been. Doesn't help when leaders of the country where telling people to go off with a gun and a bottle of whiskey into a dark room because they where trying to be cautious about their/nations finances (how'd that work out Bertie?).

Chemical Byrne

Me and a friend and his friend went out a few weeks ago in his local village during a festival. At the end of the night the friends friend went missing on the way home, ran away from the taxi. We got home and friends dad and us 2 had to drive around the roads looking for him. Found him all depressed, brought him back home and before we opened the door he took off running again off up through the yard.

We ran after him looking for him for 5 or 10 minutes in the dark (it's a big farmyard, lots of sheds) and we found him in the slatted shed hanging from a high gate by his belt. We had to cut him down......

I think there is lots of awareness about the issue and there is existence of Pieta house there are TV and radio programs about the issue and ads aimed at men and boys. Fundraisers like the darkness to light walk.

The openness about the issue is a double edged sword, in the past shame, guilt, and religion keep people from committing suicide so they lived with suffering and stayed alive, however now suicide has lost its taboo and has become one of the the solutions people consider when they are suffering.

gctest50

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Me and a friend and his friend went out a few weeks ago in his local village during a festival. At the end of the night the friends friend went missing on the way home, ran away from the taxi. We got home and friends dad and us 2 had to drive around the roads looking for him. Found him all depressed, brought him back home and before we opened the door he took off running again off up through the yard.

We ran after him looking for him for 5 or 10 minutes in the dark (it's a big farmyard, lots of sheds) and we found him in the slatted shed hanging from a high gate by his belt. We had to cut him down......

I know someone who has that effect on people too - tis sad

Mother Brain

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

We ran after him looking for him for 5 or 10 minutes in the dark (it's a big farmyard, lots of sheds) and we found him in the slatted shed hanging from a high gate by his belt. We had to cut him down......

That's horrible. My condolences to you and your friend.

folamh

Robbie32 wrote: »

They go on about awareness and mental health, but they actually hid the fact of it happening. There is no reports of it in the media. I have friends in the coast guard and lifeboat and it is a weekly occurance for them to be called out for a suicide or attempted, putting their lives on the line.
I am not sure what can be done, but it all well and good talking about awareness, but until people realise the extent of the issue it will always be a bit of a taboo subject.

Wouldn't reporting on suicide violate the privacy of the victims?

Streetwalker

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Me and a friend and his friend went out a few weeks ago in his local village during a festival. At the end of the night the friends friend went missing on the way home, ran away from the taxi. We got home and friends dad and us 2 had to drive around the roads looking for him. Found him all depressed, brought him back home and before we opened the door he took off running again off up through the yard.

We ran after him looking for him for 5 or 10 minutes in the dark (it's a big farmyard, lots of sheds) and we found him in the slatted shed hanging from a high gate by his belt. We had to cut him down......

So sorry to hear this. Must have been horrific.

folamh

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Me and a friend and his friend went out a few weeks ago in his local village during a festival. At the end of the night the friends friend went missing on the way home, ran away from the taxi. We got home and friends dad and us 2 had to drive around the roads looking for him. Found him all depressed, brought him back home and before we opened the door he took off running again off up through the yard.

We ran after him looking for him for 5 or 10 minutes in the dark (it's a big farmyard, lots of sheds) and we found him in the slatted shed hanging from a high gate by his belt. We had to cut him down......

How awful.

kylith

I've a relative who works with the Samaritans and they said that there's always a spike in calls from suicidal teens around this time of year because of exam results. Fcking exam results! Their parents have put such pressure on them to do amazingly that they freak out when they're afraid they haven't measured up to their parents' expectations. I can't believe people would put such pressure on their kids that those kids think that death is better than living with their parents' disappointment.

Diamond Doll

kylith wrote: »

I've a relative who works with the Samaritans and they said that there's always a spike in calls from suicidal teens around this time of year because of exam results. Fcking exam results! Their parents have put such pressure on them to do amazingly that they freak out when they're afraid they haven't measured up to their parents' expectations. I can't believe people would put such pressure on their kids that those kids think that death is better than living with their parents' disappointment.

On the flipside though, I really feel for parents of kids who might kill themselves after getting exam results, and the parents end up blaming themselves. When it often isn't necessarily the case that the parents put any excessive pressure on. Depression tends to be far more deeply rooted than that.

Penny Tration

From my own experience of mental health services through public health, this is how it goes -

A caveat first - I was a 'high risk' patient. So high risk that I could only collect my medication daily in case I killed myself with an overdose.

I waited three months for an appointment with a psychiatrist. Three fcuking months.

After that, I was seen every three months. With a different psychiatrist each time. So every three months, I had to repeat everything I'd been asked in my initial assessment, instead of actually progressing. Because of this bollocks, it took three years to get a diagnosis. Three years of being given meds that didn't work, because I didn't actually have depression.

Then the counselling. I waited eight weeks for that. The counsellor told me I should look to God for guidance. She told me I was wrong to not believe in god and that everyone believes in god. I saw her once every two months.


Then, after finally scraping the money together, my family and I could afford for me to go private. I saw the psychiatric registrar monthly. I eventually got a proper diagnosis (bi-polar and anxiety, not depression that I'd been told I had for three years).

He referred me to a non profit organisation called Target. I received weekly therapy. The therapist accepted that I don't believe in a god and so didn't bring spiritual crap into it.

The problem is, to get proper treatment without a three month waiting list, I had to pay 130 euro per session to the psychiatrist.

It shouldn't be so bloody difficult to get help. If someone who's considered a serious suicide risk had to wait months, what the hell is gonna happen with those who aren't such high risk patients?

Until the mental health treatment system is made efficient and helpful, this suicide epidemic will continue

Chemical Byrne

folamh wrote: »

How awful.

<snip>

That's not the first time I've had to cut someone down either. Another time I and a few others were working on a house to house survey for a city council in the south. It was a somewhat deprived area of housing. We were working our way along the street and a teenage girl ran out into the street shouting help, help, <snip> The three of us managed to cut him down and he began to come to and we called the ambulance who came and took him away. The daughter was in a bad state and went with him.
Then at about 6pm that evening we were driving back through town and who did we meet coming against us with a few bags of cans and pissed drunk only yer man we rescued earlier. On his way home for another night on the dutch gold.

Penny Tration

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

<snip>

I'm sorry you and your friend had to go through that, it sounds horrific.

The second story sounds really odd though. A suicide attempt results in a minimum 72 hour assessment in a psychiatric unit generally. Very odd that he'd be let out that very day

Mod

Please guys, refrain from posting details of suicides on this thread. Not only is it traumatic for others to read, it goes against the guidelines set out by the samaritans in relation to suicide.

Please be respectful.

Chemical Byrne

I don't know, perhaps he signed himself out?
We were certainly gobsmacked to see him again.

folamh

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

We were working our way along the street and a teenage girl ran out into the street shouting help, help, <snip> The three of us managed to cut him down and he began to come to and we called the ambulance who came and took him away. The daughter was in a bad state and went with him.
Then at about 6pm that evening we were driving back through town and who did we meet coming against us with a few bags of cans and pissed drunk only yer man we rescued earlier. On his way home for another night on the dutch gold.

I saw the previous incarnation of your post

RDM_83 again

I'm with joeytheparrot that suicide isn't always to do with depression, it doesn't make sense statistically with the higher depression rates in women but vastly higher male suicide rates, the standard reply to this is that women choose different methods and so have more survival however perhaps we should look at suicide differently to suicide attempt, the latter being a desperate cry for help. It sounds like a horrible thing to say but unless somebody is being watched or isn't able bodied they can find a method that will certainly end their life, why is there this difference. I think the dialogue about this is understandably like this because Jane that was suffering depression and used pills is here to talk about it, whereas Jack who may or may not have been suffering depression (we dont know) used a rope or a car and can't tell us why


The destigmatization thing has been harmful as well as others have pointed out about guidelines, and there is now a body of research about suicide clustering. IMO its not simply that we record more accurately there has been a genuine increase.

It seems odd but if its about men being open about ones feelings why was it lower in the past when there was much more repression of emotion.
Personally I think its more to do with people (particularly young mens) lack of a place in the world and disposability (this can be seen in the comparative lack of resources to death toll, we should have active suicide prevention at hotspots around the country and it would likely save more lives than the hundreds of speed traps)

Anyhow thats all just my personal opinion and is not intended to be dismissive of those that suffer depression or have been impacted by suicide (which is basically any younger person in Ireland unfortunately :-\ )

Penny Tration

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

I don't know, perhaps he signed himself out?
We were certainly gobsmacked to see him again.

You can't. The 72 hour admission is involuntary. You can only sign yourself out after.

Either he managed to lie through his teeth, or the system failed him.

folamh

RDM_83 again wrote: »

It seems odd but if its about men being open about ones feelings why was it lower in the past when there was much more repression of emotion.

-Religious beliefs about the immorality of suicide.
-Less exposure to the horrors of the world.
-Less knowledge of how to commit suicide and accessibility of tools.
-Less pressure on young people to follow a certain course in life.

kylith

folamh wrote: »

-Religious beliefs about the immorality of suicide.
-Less exposure to the horrors of the world.
-Less knowledge of how to commit suicide and accessibility of tools.
-Less pressure on young people to follow a certain course in life.

More suicides reported as 'accidents' because of both the stigma attached and the fact that suicides couldn't be buried in consecrated ground.

whatdoicare

I think as well, theres just a huge lack of help for people. Proper help, not just ringing a helpline.

I have a relative who is mentally ill and has been for a very long time, she had made numerous attempts at taking her own life. Its always, always the same treatment, the few days in 5B and put her on meds and off you go now. No further help offered.

There is zero contact with the family, no group therapy, noone knows exactly what medication shes on or if she needs us or if she has anywhere to go for further treatment - they really dont want family involved at all and unless the patient wants to share then family is largely kept in the dark. Its very much a patch em up and ship them out job. Or as her sister says, press the reset button and wait for the next episode in a few months.

Even for alcoholics, treatment is always family therapy - so why not for those with mental health issues??

Even myself, when I had my baby, about five minutes before I was discharged, some random nurse came up and asked me was I feeling depressed and of course, I said no. She ticked the box and off she went. Job done. Like, I was really going to be able to assess if I was okay while completely shell shocked and left with a raw infant. No further enquiry as to my mental health after that but its drilled into us that new mams are so susceptible to psd and ptsd but noone is checking them properly.

Mental health services here are totally inadequate.

RDM_83 again

folamh wrote: »

-Less exposure to the horrors of the world.

I can agree with the other points but is that true? Think of my fathers side of the family and members fighting in the world wars, think of my mothers and people emigrating that they would expect to never see again or getting TB or the Spanish flu.

folamh

whatdoicare wrote: »

I have a relative who is mentally ill and has been for a very long time, she had made numerous attempts at taking her own life. Its always, always the same treatment, the few days in 5B and put her on meds and off you go now. No further help offered.

There is zero contact with the family, no group therapy, noone knows exactly what medication shes on or if she needs us or if she has anywhere to go for further treatment - they really dont want family involved at all and unless the patient wants to share then family is largely kept in the dark. Its very much a patch em up and ship them out job. Or as her sister says, press the reset button and wait for the next episode in a few months.

Even for alcoholics, treatment is always family therapy - so why not for those with mental health issues??

How much should the patient's own autonomy be limited, though?

I'm sorry for your relative's pain.

folamh

RDM_83 again wrote: »

I can agree with the other points but is that true? Think of my fathers side of the family and members fighting in the world wars, think of my mothers and people emigrating that they would expect to never see again or getting TB or the Spanish flu.

I mean more in the sense of how modern media exposes people to horrors constantly and in detail. Before mass media, your horrors were largely limited to your own life experience and what you heard in the daily news/radio.

It's a problem globally. Men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women, but it's just something that isn't being addressed as much as it should. Culturally we need to change our viewpoint as men, to see and acknowledge that it's OK to talk and that it should be encouraged.

whatdoicare

folamh wrote: »

How much should the patient's own autonomy be limited, though?

I'm sorry for your relative's pain.

Well that's it, it should really be assessed one on one, if they are violent to themselves or others. Then family should be involved.

My relative is both and is very destructive to her own life and to her family members lives. She recently tried to burn down her parents house.

Her family have no idea if her doctors are even aware of any of that, they are going by what the patient is saying and sure, she could be telling them anything.

I think that there should be far more communication happening.

folamh

Isn't it the case that if a patient shows intent to harm herself or others, then mental health professionals have to inform the family?

whatdoicare

folamh wrote: »

Isn't it the case that if a patient shows intent to harm herself or others, then mental health professionals have to inform the family?

Nope, from what I've seen, they do not.