World Suicide Prevention Day ...... some thoughts

See discussion HERE from TVJ but the entity named is a faith based one and may not offer LGBT specific interventions to deal with the attendant issues however some salient points were brought out, in a subsequent radio interview with the gentleman above he said Choose Life International had a mix of psycho-social, spiritual and other support mechanisms to handle cases that he says almost come in on a daily basis. Men seem to be more inclined to commit suicide and employ more drastic measures in ending their lives as females being the social creatures they are tend to seek some sort of closure before actually planning their exit.

The LGBT community just going from memory as there are no formal statistics available on the suicide rates specific to us locally has had its share of persons resorting to ending their own lives, cases or persons who I knew seem to have hinted to or successfully ended their lives because of some of the following reasons:

1) rejection from family members and feeling as outcasts

2) very little social support from friends

3) lack of social services towards the LGBT community in developing social intelligence so persons can gage challenges early and seek help

4) lack of proper pyscho social support to address depression, stress especially those persons who are victims of homophobia, lesbophobia and homo negative trauma

5) the poor skills of some faith based persons and entities in engaging suspected suicidal tendencies 

6) feeling dirty and filthy after a corrective rape or sexual abuse episode as experienced by same gender loving females

7) the taking for granted hints to suicidal tendencies expressed to friends as they are sometimes dismissed as a joke then comes the bad news after the fact

8) feelings of being a burden to friends and family post a homophobic episode while recovering in the company of others

Loss of my friend surprisingly:

Some years ago I lost a good friend to suicide that left sections of the community asking how come or why? he locked himself in his Mercedes and attached a hose from the exhaust pipe to the interior of the car overnight as he was found by the household help in the morning. Robert Cork was an ally for me in my early years of advocacy and we worked closely at the time in some programs with an array of NGOs. There were no visible signs to us or at best to me at the time that he was undergoing some trying issues in his life when one judges he was socially upward with all the materialistic trappings, his businesses seems to have been going on fairly well yet he took such a final decision. This was a man who would counsel other persons in their own personal challenges so it was really a surprise as the news spread then. Many were angry including myself and we asked why didn't he say something maybe we could have helped but it was not to be. I won't share the subsequent reasons that were revealed but it shows the challenges that sometimes it is hard to tell or predict when this may strike from someone close to us

more reading here:

Suicide rate by age, sex and population, 2002-2006

Source: Statistics Department of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. M: Male; F: Female.

Another case I can recall:

A same gender loving female with bipolar disorder locally was the victim of a brutal series of abuses and gang rape in her community some 5 years ago, the men upon suspecting she was a lesbian decided to enact the corrective rape formulae to enact their brand of justice, after seeking help and relocating from her depressed area where she originally hailed recovery was painful and her thoughts of suicide was repeatedly expressed were dismissed as just jokes or expressions of basic frustrations, it was not until she decided to overdose on pills even while having drugs for her bipolar issue and seeking counseling (outside of the LGBT circles) she has since recovered thankfully and is now abroad as he asylum case came through.

As indicated in my introduction the real stats in the LGBT community are hard to come by but we may need to begin to keep a track of this problem though not a major issue at this time.

Hints to suicide

It is a well-known fact that as a person begins to climb from depression the possibility of a suicide attempt increases. There are two thoughts as to why this happens. The first is that when a person makes up their mind to take their own life, they become more at peace with the situation. They feel more in control and thus the depression begins to lighten. The second idea is that as lethargy lifts, a person finds the energy to carry out suicidal plans made while incapacitated. Regardless of the reason, however, this is a very critical time.

Behavioral Indicators
Acquiring a Weapon
Hoarding Medication
Putting Affairs in Order
Making or Changing a Will
Increased Interest in Suicide
Giving Away Personal Belongings
Mending Grievances
Checking on Insurance Policy
Withdrawing from People

Verbal Indicators
Straightforward Comments:
"I wish I were dead"
"I wish I had the nerve to kill myself."
"I wish I could die in my sleep."
"If it weren't for my kids, my husband ... I would commit suicide."

Hints:
"I hate life."
"Why do I bother?"
"I can't take it anymore."
"Nothing matters anymore."

Note that these signs are not proof positive that someone is considering suicide. Any number of these signs may be evident, but the person has given little or no thought to taking their own life. The reverse is also true. A person may give no warning of an impending suicide attempt. So how do you know for sure? Ask. Yes, ask! Be open to discussing this difficult subject with your loved one. It could save a life.

References

Citrome, L. & Goldberg, J.F. "Bipolar disorder is a potentially fatal disease." Postgraduate Medicine, 117(February 2005): 9-11.

Peace and tolerance

H