Lived Experience Forum

[utopia]

Have noticed a huge rise in the numbers of celebrity suicides this year.

I understand that the media are now starting to report more truthfully on the cause of death.  And families aren't hiding behind stigma of mental illness. 

But I'm wondering if a possible increase in celebrity suicides (& all suicides) could be due to the world we are currently living in.

The news is depressing.  People dying in Syria, Palestine,  Myanmar,etc. The threat of nuclear war. The talk of a World War 3. Deforestation.  Plastics pollution.  Animal extinctions.  Corporate greed. Increase in homelessness.  Housing affordability.  etc etc.

Where is our sense of Community?  Why aren't we looking after the most vulnerable people in our community anymore?  Where has the connection with nature gone? Our empathy with others?

Is it that those of us who 'feel' are more susceptible to MI? Are those that deal with life and see no problems,  who go with the status flow, are they numb or blind to what is happening? 

Another celebrity death. Makes me wonder if I too will one day succumb to suicide. 

[Appleblossom]

It shows that success is not the answer. It is hard to know if they are reporting more or there are more.  If one goes then others often follow.  Thats what happened after my sister went, there were 4 the next year and brother followed much later but effected.

I hear you. @utopia 

Sometimes I think the same way, but I keep trying to give bad ideas the flick.

One of my choir conductors who is a really laidback happy kind of guy was recently posting about a suicide.  Its horrible but in a way it feels better for me that it is in the news and in the conversation, rather than feeling like it is one in a million.

Find some self care.

Take care of you.

[Ant7]

@utopia I struggle when someone i like or respect commits Suicide. I alwaws think they have all this and I have so little what do I have to live for. So far I have always pulled myself out. My thoughts are keep living for me.

[utopia]

@Ant7@Appleblossom

Yes we have to keep fighting for ourselves.  And remember that it doesn't matter if 'celebrities' or others have a perceived better life. If they have a mental illness,  then their struggle is the same as ours.

[Ant7]

@utopia @Appleblossom That is so true but I guess sometimes it is hard to see how others are having a hard time too. but I guess that is the truth of life .

[Flying_Hams]

Interesting topic @utopia I think the world we are living in is probably about as dark and depressing as it always has been - after all, death is guaranteed and so are taxes. All the disasters in the world at the moment are readily accessible to us and I believe that's what makes it different. There is about as much evil and suffering in the world as there was before we had mass media coverage of all of these events. You want to get depressed? It's easy. Just jump on google and look up World News. I don't think suicide (be it famous or other) of people is due to the world they are in, it's usually because that individual sees no place for themselves in the world. Maybe because it is so depressing? That would probably answer the question on why successful people suicide. After all, as @Appleblossom said "success is not the answer". I'm a fan of quotes and writers, so I'll turn to something I found from Voltaire's works.

“I have wanted to (k) myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?”"

I guess it's an eternal struggle we all face as those with a chronic mental health condition. I spoke to a friend today and joked that it seems like you have to be insane to seem normal in today's world.

[Owlunar]

There was a plane crash not far from where I live recently and people are up in arms about it  and want the local airport moved

But as much as I feel for the man who died and his heroism - I don't want the airport moved - it has been there for so long and is one of the busiest airports in Australia - maybe the world - at times the sound of aircraft buzzing around non-stop all day can drive me crackers but I don't want the airport moved

I love flying and this is not going to stop me from flying interstate when I feel like it

But I do understand that this kind of event is a trigger for people - it can be a very depressing world when we think about it - but there is little we can do except change our little corner and through my life I have done quite a bit of corner-changing

But yes - it can be bleak - and what can we do about our own feelings. For me - I do not intend to find the site of this plane crash - I am not going to rub salt in the wound that might be there

I don't believe we can ever become immune to world events - sometimes though we do need to shut the door on them

I am sorry for the hurt events cause people - there are times when people lay flowers near the scene of disasters - perhaps we need to lay flowers near our own hearts - where we can see them - where they can help heal us

And recognize also that fame and success do not bring happiness or peace of mind - and maybe peace of mind is what we want most and all kinds of sadness remind us of that - this world is not a comfortable place to live in

Actually - it never was - in this day of mass media bringing news to us the instant it happens can make things seem more real - more raw

My thoughts for all of you and the family, friends and colleagues for the pilot who died

Dec

[utopia]

@Owlunar. Yes sometimes we need to turn off the news and ignore the world for a while.

[Owlunar]

I tend to not watch the news at times @utopia - I am having one of those spells atm

Like many other people I can get an overload and although I know triggers cannot always be avoided I am certainly not going to look for them

And as I approach my son's anniversary - I still have a few weeks left to go but it is starting to weigh heavily on me - I recollect the news of his death hit the newpapers that evening and the next morning he had a name - it was on TV and I actually spoke - I was devastated by what had happened but not enough to stem the anger I felt about the circumstances - I would do it again and I was very calm and said a lot more than was on TV -

The worst thing was when the local newspaper got an interview from a woman who actually had no idea of the truth but knew my son - who could be angelic when he chose to be - and what was written in the local paper was really toxic and wrong and that was more that either of us could tolerate

Somewhere - sometime - in all the moves I have had since he died I have lost all the newspaper clippings and the videotapes - I don't need them because I will never forget

Right now I don't really want to watch the news - I remember the song - I think it was a recording from The Hollies - Good News Week - yeah - very satirical - I think it dates back to the 60s

How are you going today - or rather - how have you been today Utopia? I get introspective at times and this is one of the times - hopefully it will wear off soon and I will be back to posting with a little more insight

Dec

Tomorrow is Thursday

Tomorrow is Thursday

tomorrow is Thursday

It seems I really got carried away but I found it hard to get my picture to stick - and seeing as it took all the effort let's say that seeing as tomorrow is Thursday it really has to be better than the last few days - for me and hopefully for you and everyone else

Dec

[utopia]

It's good news week.  Someone dropped a bomb somewhere contaminating atmosphere and blackening the sky.

Yes I love that song @Owlunar.

Another song I like (can't remember it's name) -  but it goes:

I've been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding ....lol. 

Something was on the news the other night that mum was telling me about.  It wasn't what the story was - it was that the reporter spoke to a family member who hadn't talked to the subject person in over 5 years and the reporter thought that would be good news. Huh.

Some people just like to get their 5 minutes of fame & unfortunately you found that out the hard way when your son died, & people who didn't really know him spoke nasty about him. That must have been devastating.  I'm sorry that got added to all the other things you were dealing with at the time. 

I've been okay.  Not doing much. A very lazy, cold, just want to stay in bed week. Lol.

Hope you are looking after yourself.