Chris, Khaled, and I were riding back home after Hammerfest to Horseshoe Bay (haha) and down by Science World last Sunday and we came across a police car blocking the seawall. There were police boats out on the water using poles to try and dredge the water. My first thought was that someone went in to do a post-race cold "bath" to flush the lactate out, slipped, bashed his/her head, and went under.
I was partly right.
Using my super sleuth j-school skills (aka being in the right place at the right time and eavesdropping on a cop), I found out that a 20 year old male came down post-Sun Run, took off all his clothes, went into the water, and didn't back come out.
The article's here...
So, the deal is that, as a rule, suicides are not reported on. Which sucks because now I won't get any more information on it as it is being treated as a suicide... It's more confusing to me than anything...
Suicides supposedly incur copycatting. It's why you always hear about "incidents" on Lion's Gate Bridge, instead of what's actually happening. Which is bullshit really because you're a) just using a euphemism to try to pretty it up instead of saying what's really happening, and b) it's completely ridiculous because everyone knows exactly what you're talking about. Which is almost insulting.
Anyway, that's not my real issue. My real issue with it is to do with the copycat factor. You think that if a depressive hears about someone else killing themself, they're going to think, 'Gee, a bridge. Never thought of that one before. I'm in.' No. Fair enough the thought of it being the easy way out and 'wouldn't it be easier' and yada yada but I think there's more of a chance that someone's going to copycat a school shooting or a murder than a suicide. And we still report on those...
Mental health is one of the biggest issues right now and I don't think there's enough focus on it. I've dealt with the issue of suicide in my life - people around me. It's hard, it's scary, and it's messy to deal with because you're terrified you're not helping... that maybe you might make it worse... but I don't think that's reason enough to not talk about it.
Or maybe it's being brushed aside, judging from all the over-medicating we seem to be doing in this day and age.
I can't really come to terms with that stuff. I mean, I understand that some people need medication in order to balance their brain chemistry because it actually is out of wack but I'm afraid that some people are being given stuff to cope when they don't really need it. Like, it's just a quick fix. Kids as young as 4 are being given drugs in order to balance them out... 4! You've got to be kidding me! What could they possibly need drugs for at that age? I mean, sure, the chemistry imbalance again, sure, but there are way too many being medicated to blame on that.
I dunno...
I think the reasoning behind brushing suicides under the rug is that suicide is taken as the coward's way out, and knowing that someone else has done it recently gives them courage. I don't know if it's a good reason to hush it up, but the fella who's going in for a school shooting isn't doing it because he's scared.
ReplyDeleteThough your point about copycatting in the school shooting instance is, I think, more valid than a lot of people care to admit.
Interestingly, when I was in the states recently, they had all KINDS of coverage about a teenage girl who took her own life, and the stated cause was bullying. I wonder if the rules are different down there, or if it was her family who went to the press to try and warn other parents . . .
Food for thought.
Cheers,
Cote