depression can be fatal (.org)

[mellowtigger]

It would, on the surface, appear to support claims by social conservatives that the "gay lifestyle" is unhealthy. I mentioned a few months ago that one local gay man killed himself. I found out today that another one did, a guy from where I work. Apparently coworkers learned that something was wrong when "his partner" (the phrase used to describe the situation today) called us to ask if the man had shown up for work Monday. He hadn't. It turns out that he had checked into a hotel on Sunday and killed himself.

Now, those of us "in the know" realize how tiring it can be to put up with homophobic jerks for a lifetime. It's one unnecessary but persistent hassle. It's not usually enough alone to tip a person over the edge of reason into an emotional cascade, but it's certainly enough to add a non-zero amount of permanent stress to a life. I have no idea if that was an issue in this man's (former) life. Maybe instead it was stress over work. He was an important figure in fundraising for us, and maybe he was worried about projections for our corporate future. I've heard no rumors of us being in dire straits, but we rely on donations to operate and obviously the economy's tanking these days. Maybe he gave in to the stress of trying to support the rest of us at work. I dunno. Supposedly he left no note, so we may never know the real story.

Regardless, just a little bit of digging into statistics can show a strange story about life in Minnesota for everyone, not just queer folk.


That's the billboard that I saw on my drive to work a few months ago. They had them plastered around the Minneapolis metro area for a while. I found these info nuggets at the Minnesota Department of Health regarding 2004 data specific to Minnesota:

• 529 persons died by suicide. Minnesota’s suicide rate has risen each year since 2000.
• suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15- to 34-year-olds
• males comprise approximately 82 percent of all suicide deaths
• an average of 469 persons have died each year from suicide, three times as many as have died from homicide

But there's also good news:

A 2003 study of suicide prevention in the United States Air Force demonstrates that a community-wide suicide prevention program aimed at decreasing stigma, enhancing social networks, facilitating help seeking and enhancing understanding of mental health was associated with a 33 percent risk reduction for completed suicide.

So education can make a difference in outcome. I do think that folk should be allowed to decide their own fates. I also think, however, that permanent solutions (to any problem) should be reconsidered... once, twice, and thrice.  A lot of bad decisions can be overcome or undone or outlived, but this one can't.  So it's important to get other perspectives, especially from people who aren't invested in the stresses that may have you down at the time.  I don't know how much of a factor that Seasonal Affective Disorder plays at this northern latitude, but I have to figure that it's part of the equation somehow in the local statistics.  Maybe life in Georgia would have its own kind of stresses, but there are other southern destinations that could offer some respite from seasonal change.

I've been there myself, long ago.  Obviously, I survived the trial but it was a very close call.  I dislike remembering much of those years (remembering emotions means reliving them), but I might write about it sometime if I think it'd be productive in preventing someone else from making a bad choice.

So concludes today's public service announcement.

Comments

[anziulewicz.livejournal.com]

" Researchers at the University of Minnesota have published a study showing that the degree of internalized homonegativity (negative attitude towards homosexuality) among homosexual men is what predicts poor mental and sexual health – not the act of being homosexual."

Read the full article here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145418.htm

I think it goes without saying that Gay men generally have things stacked against them in terms of societal support. How can one go through a lifetime of horrible messages from evangelists, social conservatives, etc., without internalizing it just a tad? Plus the fact that, especially outside of major metropolitan areas, the only social venues are BARS. Plus the fact that, by virtue of our being a small segment of the population, finding someone genuinely compatible becomes problematic.

[mellowtigger]

Ooh, nice find! :)

[otterlover01.livejournal.com]

I was just looking what I could call a rant by a somewhat famed Psychiatrist on tv the other night about all the public money being chanalized into publich health threats, AIDS included, and he was stressing out the null amount of money given to mental illness research projects. He mentioned depression-related deaths and the numbers were astronomical. La Paz, the city where I live, has the highest national number of Young People - 15/25 y/o -suicidal deaths per capita. The main cause: depression. It seems it is a phenomenon underestimated and overlooked in both countries, it seems! Interesting posting MT! Hugs, Luis.

[mellowtigger]

It is sad news, yes. I take it as evidence of how unnatural that "human society" has become. We are too far away in daily experience from the life that our genetic history prepared us for. The stress is taking its toll on the population. :(

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

I think I know who you're talking abut in the second case. No need to go into names or anything.

I've also had my battles with depression (My last "smack-down" was a little over three years back.

[mellowtigger]

I rarely create Friends-only posts. I did write one, though, with the details that were kept out of this blog entry. I'll Friend you shortly so that you can read it here.
http://mellowtigger.livejournal.com/51291.html

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's the one. I don't know if you're aware, but he and his partner Dallas Drake started a research center looking into homicides--initally GLBT homicides. I'm at the center right now, pretty much hanging out and offering morale support & an ear if anyone needs to talk.

[mellowtigger]

I volunteered briefly there a few years ago. I went to Quatrefoil (the local GLBT library) to look through periodicals that they listed for me, searching for any references to homicide. No, I didn't know that the couple were connected in this way.