A Depraved Society
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Sometime in the past few days the city of Vancouver was unfortuneate enough to have 2 jumpers, on 2 different bridges, at the same time. I say unfortuneate not only for the poor souls that felt they had no other option except to die but also the way Vancouverites reacts to the event.
Now being Vancouver, the only way to basically get in & out of it is either over a bridge or on a ferry. So you can imagine the gridlock & the temperment of the drivers waiting. Most surprisingly, to which I am completely shocked & dismayed with what I heard afterwards. Some people the next day were phoning talk radio programs & telling everyone that we would be better off if they had jumped. If it were a major accident very few individuals would be upset, other than being late of course. No one would drive by & shout "Come on! Hurry up!" or "About time".
People need to understand when a person finally makes a decision to kill themselves their whole attitude changes, though they tend to have tunnel vision on their goal. Strangely enough they can become content, more like a relief they have answered the question of whether it is finally time or not. Afterwards they may even laugh & joke with friends & family. Do not think the depression has suddenly dissapated. Long term depression doesn't work like that. They may start to give away possessions and/or write a will. Defineately a big one. At this point get them help if you didn't think it was a problem before! Kicking & screaming if you must.
About 5 years ago, some poor guy jumped off the Lions Gate Bridge & people in their cars were actually clapping. What kind of f&*K up individual claps in the midst of a suicide? Others were enouraging him by shouting "JUMP" as they drove by. Hope they never need help. Nearly 4,000 people die every year in Canada from suicide(Canadian Mental Health Association). Can you wrap your head around that number? I can't. 1 is too many. Why lift a finger to help them when it is much easier to mock & ignore them. Suicides not only affect the individual but is horribly traumatic on their family and friends. They have brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandparents, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephew & so on. Maybe they should have to tell the victims family they were cheering them on. Then they would have to face the reality of what they are doing. Why do others so fiendishly enjoy their misery?
I don't understand why some people believe that suicide attempts are for attention. I guess maybe in a way. They are saying "Please help me!".Statistics do show that around 80% of individuals who attempted suicide that nearly succeed, never go on to try again with the proper treatment. That's the key. Without treatment they are likely to try again & again. Suicide seems like the only resort they have. With people celebrating their jump who can blame them! I would like to think the demographic for this type treatment is by the under-educated but it's not. This shows no matter how much governments & health authorities try to educate the public on issues to do with mental health they obviously aren't getting it!
For those that don't believe depression is a real illness please note the brain DOES show changes compared to someone not sufferring with depression under an MRI exam just like any other brain disorder. Hard to fake a change in ones brain(can you sense my sarcasm). Would you tell a Parkinson's patient they are faking it? Parkinson & schizophrenia involve the same chemicals. Only one has too much. The other has too little. We want to think of ourselves as a caring society, as long as the ailment is physical in nature. When it comes to diseases of the brain like depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, alzheimer's & so forth, then nothing can be wrong. Maybe it is because people are scared that it could happen to them. And they'd be right. It could. When did society become so cold-heart & still claim to be civil?
Paul
If you are feeling depressed or suicidal please call your dr, a local support line, search the web for more information or head to the ER.
www.suicideinfo.ca/
www.suicideprevention.ca/
0 comments
Now being Vancouver, the only way to basically get in & out of it is either over a bridge or on a ferry. So you can imagine the gridlock & the temperment of the drivers waiting. Most surprisingly, to which I am completely shocked & dismayed with what I heard afterwards. Some people the next day were phoning talk radio programs & telling everyone that we would be better off if they had jumped. If it were a major accident very few individuals would be upset, other than being late of course. No one would drive by & shout "Come on! Hurry up!" or "About time".
People need to understand when a person finally makes a decision to kill themselves their whole attitude changes, though they tend to have tunnel vision on their goal. Strangely enough they can become content, more like a relief they have answered the question of whether it is finally time or not. Afterwards they may even laugh & joke with friends & family. Do not think the depression has suddenly dissapated. Long term depression doesn't work like that. They may start to give away possessions and/or write a will. Defineately a big one. At this point get them help if you didn't think it was a problem before! Kicking & screaming if you must.
About 5 years ago, some poor guy jumped off the Lions Gate Bridge & people in their cars were actually clapping. What kind of f&*K up individual claps in the midst of a suicide? Others were enouraging him by shouting "JUMP" as they drove by. Hope they never need help. Nearly 4,000 people die every year in Canada from suicide(Canadian Mental Health Association). Can you wrap your head around that number? I can't. 1 is too many. Why lift a finger to help them when it is much easier to mock & ignore them. Suicides not only affect the individual but is horribly traumatic on their family and friends. They have brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandparents, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephew & so on. Maybe they should have to tell the victims family they were cheering them on. Then they would have to face the reality of what they are doing. Why do others so fiendishly enjoy their misery?
I don't understand why some people believe that suicide attempts are for attention. I guess maybe in a way. They are saying "Please help me!".Statistics do show that around 80% of individuals who attempted suicide that nearly succeed, never go on to try again with the proper treatment. That's the key. Without treatment they are likely to try again & again. Suicide seems like the only resort they have. With people celebrating their jump who can blame them! I would like to think the demographic for this type treatment is by the under-educated but it's not. This shows no matter how much governments & health authorities try to educate the public on issues to do with mental health they obviously aren't getting it!
For those that don't believe depression is a real illness please note the brain DOES show changes compared to someone not sufferring with depression under an MRI exam just like any other brain disorder. Hard to fake a change in ones brain(can you sense my sarcasm). Would you tell a Parkinson's patient they are faking it? Parkinson & schizophrenia involve the same chemicals. Only one has too much. The other has too little. We want to think of ourselves as a caring society, as long as the ailment is physical in nature. When it comes to diseases of the brain like depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, alzheimer's & so forth, then nothing can be wrong. Maybe it is because people are scared that it could happen to them. And they'd be right. It could. When did society become so cold-heart & still claim to be civil?
Paul
If you are feeling depressed or suicidal please call your dr, a local support line, search the web for more information or head to the ER.
www.suicideinfo.ca/
www.suicideprevention.ca/
0 comments
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