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Petrie Wheeler-Lill
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Australia

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Is suicide awareness a topic that is being neglected too much? Or is it tabooed for "PC Reasons"? When is enough enough?

In Australia, the ABC Tv Station recently ran a story on the subject of suicide awareness and a side-story on narcotics contribution. The show was nearly prevented from going to air because of "sensitivity and political correctness" concerns which ended up involving the High Courts. As someone who was suffered suicidal depression and lost family members to suicide, I find the "tabooing" of the subject wrong. In Australia, for example, newspapers are not allowed to report suicides as such: for censorship reasons they MUST be reported as "unsuspicious circumstances" - severe fines apply. Psychologists/Psychiatrists are not allowed to use the word around patients or patients' families for concerns best known to whoever decided on that regulation. And a similar story regarding depression, which in Australia affects 4 out of every 5 males and 1 out of every 3 females.

So when does this negligence and political correctness become overly excessive? Why is it that despite the growing suicide rate (which stands worldwide currently of one person every 30s), people are not prepared to try and do anything. In England ad campaigns are run to raise awareness: but IS THIS ENOUGH? How to we stop something when we cannot even mention it in conversation? Are we complicit as a silent community trying to avoid "that which must not be named"? How do we try and turn this situation around?

Topics: Community Cohesion community depression media mental health suicide suicide intervention

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Beth Kidenda
- 0
Oct 3 2012: It is true the the 'hype' that was accorded to the suicide topic has died down. Maybe because people have decided to stop looking at this personal issue from a communal point of view. People are starting to realize that there is a root cause. A persons upbringing and how they have been taught to value themselves and life in itself, to understand that they are here for a reason and not by accident. If people are going to deal with this Suicide Problem then reforms must be implemented from an early age. Therefore as a child grows up knowing that life is a gift more precious than any other, and understanding of the value of ones life, will make a them think twice before robbing themselves of that privilege.
W. Ying 10+
- 0
Oct 3 2012: I think:
It is easy!
Quit INVALID happiness will prevent most people from committing suicide.
wang dan
- 0
Sep 29 2012: In china,the "Lovelife" plan is pretnt people suicideing.the documentary record several pantients how love their life and cant live continued.
- Petrie Wheeler-Lill
  - 0
  Sep 29 2012: But Mao Zedong condoned/accepted suicide as a way to “curb our national growth”. So China has changed it’s position?
  - wang dan
    
    0
    Sep 29 2012: I have never heared such ridiculous. The population of china is big ,but we have birth control
    plan and this can effectively reduce the growth of the population. Chairman Mao is the most grestest leader in china ,he mustn't say such ridiculous.
    can you tell me where you find the sentence " Mao Zedong condoned/accepted suicide as a way to “curb our national growth”?
    - Petrie Wheeler-Lill
      
      0
      
      Sep 29 2012: Not quite in those words, but he told people not to worry about the spate of suicides after the Cultural Revolution/ Three-anit/Five-anti campaigns as the population was already under booming growth. My mistake
Ken brown 30+
- 0
Sep 23 2012: So what happens when awareness has reached everywhere and people are fully educated in spotting telltale signs or symptons of possible suicidal tendencies?
Efrain Torres
- 0
Sep 23 2012: Depression and suicide will not be solved with ad campaigns.
Our social and economic models see the people as consumers or producers, just a resource waiting to be harnessed. In my opinion, this is a modern slavery model.
It will be solved with people like you that really care for others.
Casey Christofaris 10+
- 0
Sep 22 2012: I would say that is is still a taboo about coming out and saying you are considering suicide even here in America. The effort to stop it from happening is strong. But even with all those resources, the person who is considering it is normally struggle to hard of an internal battle to out right ask for help. Which is how those campaigns work the person who is constipating the idea has to step up and say I choose to live but need help with why and how I am going to on with this struggle for the next x amount of years. I personally do not think that current system is 100% the right approach. I think more education need to be taken in teaching the "not suicidal" (use loosely) person to be able to witness the signs of someone asking for help. For me personally I have never contemplated "suicide" but I have thought about what it would be like if I was dead. Would people care? Yes and I do care. Who would show up to my funeral? If I died young would it be alot of people? If I died old would it still be the same about? And sadly if you to old would anyone other then family show up? These are thought that I have had. If you are considering suicide please go to someone you love and straight for forward tell the just as you would tell them that you love them. Also please do not hesitate to reach out to me
Casey Christofaris 10+
- 0
Sep 22 2012: And if you are considering the idea please feel free to reach out to me at anytime cs3@email.com or 330-261-8767 I dont normal answer blocked call but I will if you let me know it going to be that I will answer. You are worth more
Fritzie Reisner 100+
- 0
Host

Sep 22 2012: In the United States there are no taboos about this subject, even in schools.
- Linda Taylor 50+
  - 0
  Sep 22 2012: Fritzie is correct. In the US there is a campaign to prevent suicide and educate people about what to do if approached by someone in distress.
  
  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml
  
  They sometimes have a designated person at the school as a suicide prevention officer. The online resources are really good.

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