What do you think pushes someone over the edge, and can we prevent it?

[Mike 03]

Every day now we are reading about people who have lived normal lives, been good human beings, been good fathers, mothers, children, etc...

Perhaps they had depression, or were in treatment for anxiety, mood disorders, etc...

But some day it became too much. They killed themselves, or other innocents, or their own children, or parents, or someone else...

Four years ago, it would have seemed silly to ask this question because this was so rare, but it has become a daily phenomena.

What can we do to stop these events, or deliver pre-emptive intervention to stop things like this from happening?

[nickinSTL]

1. suicide is hardly a new phenomenon...

I don't have any kind of answer, but...

I have to plug an event a friend of mine is involved in, which is working to find an answer.

http://www.theovernight.org/

She'll be walking in the Chicago event in June.

[Uzybone]

5. So far the only sensible reply

Suicide rates have actually decreased in the past 50 years each decade. The difference now is that people have the means to take out multiple people as they go down if they so choose. Couple that with copy cat mentality and that is what we have.

[rug]

2. An open, compassionate , commited and unbigoted society would go a long way to prevent it.

Meanwhile, I expect to see a lot more people die.

[MadMaddie]

3. Sadly the entire American Environment since

Reagonomics has sufferred immensely from over consuption, greed and the distortion of what is really needed by American individuals to be happy.

How do we save those who are distraught? We have to start paying attention to our neighbors, coworkers, teens and strangers.

Consumerism has not necessarily been a good thing in recent years.

We need to push for Americans living within their means and not on credit. Only using credit when necessary.

Parents should make their kids earn rewards such as vehicles etc. For example my sister is using a point system for my nephew, when he gets good grades and he follows the rules and makes good decisions he gets points, those points add up to things that he would like to get. When he misbehaves (his decision) he loses points. Responsibility.

And finally Americans in general need to understand that life is not easy, evertything will not always go the way we want to. Americans need to learn those lessons and keep moving forward to accomplish their goals.

[Double T]

4. Get rid of banks and bankers, lawyers, crooked self serving politicians.......

on BOTH sides of the aisle and wall street with their corporate criminals. Perhaps THEN the future of America would not look so GD dim and people wouldn't feel like killing themselves. Peoples GD lives are being destroyed because of the humongously insatiable greed of a few and the jerks in washington could actually care less as exemplified by their 'business as usual' actions and attitudes.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. Psychotherapy. Many people avoid it.....

>>>>What can we do to stop these events, or deliver pre-emptive intervention to stop things like this from happening>>>>

... thinking it's an admission of weakness or because they're afraid to delve to deep into messy , personal, emotional stuff or because they're just embarrassed.

It should be thought of as something to do to get *stronger*; something you do to *improve* yourself. Something you do because you WANT to , not because you HAVE to.

The sad irony is that the people in therapy right now are probably the people who need it the least.
We should try to change the taboos associated with psychotherapy.

[varelse]

8. Many people can't afford it

this isn't all about "stigmas" and "taboos". There is a nationwide health care crisis - millions of Americans do not have access to health services of *any* kind. Many others are only able to access limited services, depending on our ability to pay and on the terms of our insurance coverage.

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. There's that, too.

But I just had dinner a few nites ago with a friend who had been *hospitalized* ( i.e. in a proverbial padded cell for a good deal of that time) after a first time ever psychotic episode. and was released after being chemically stabilized with the proviso that he follow -up with outpatient headshrinkage. He felt "he didn't really need it." Thankfully, he's going anyway.

This person was being strapped down a week before. He *has* good coverage.

Doesn't really need it. Yikes.

[varelse]

10. Yes, that level of denial is not unusual, and it is frightening

I'm glad your friend is able to get the help he needs - and that he's going to take advantage of his good coverage which allows him to get it.

And, I agree with you that the US of A (and probably most of the world) does need to work on improving attitudes toward mental health problems. We also need to improve access to health care - ALL health care. Many insurance policies still offer very limited coverage for mental health treatment, and of course there's the whole "pre-existing condition" problem. :(

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. Agree all around, And this thread needs a KICK. And....

... I love your signature line. Adding it to my collection of pithy sayings.

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. Fuckers who drive slow in the fast lane.

They make me want to poke sharpened pencils into my brain through my ear canals or eye sockets while pulling my nasal septum with a red hot pair of needle-nose pliers. Of course, I'd have done that to the rest of my family first; THEN and only then would I do it to myself.

So if you see me in your rear view mirror, move the hell over or risk being the cause of the mutilation of my loved ones.