Suicide is an admittedly somber topic to start off the work week (I promise to be more uplifting later this week if you keep reading), but this blog is designed to address any and all issues regarding mental illness, however unpleasant. No sugar coating. No denial. No avoidance.
Last week the friends of a British woman who posted suicidal content on Facebook mocked the facebook suicide note that she left and failed to call police in response to her post. As a result, she died. The incident reminded me about the Florida teenager who streamed his suicide live via webcam in 2008 while 1500 people watched. It was 12 hours before anyone called for help.
For those who have trouble understanding suicide--who understandably feel betrayed in the wake of what seems like a selfish act of abandonment--there is a beautiful column in Salon today by a woman who couldn't comprehend her mother's reasons for committing suicide until, decades later, she experienced her own devastating depression. It's the interesting perspective of someone who has experienced anger in the aftermath of a loved one's suicide, and, later, understanding in the wake of her own attempt.
Anyway, I just learned about the Facebook Help Center. It's a place where you can report suicidal content you may see on the site (please also reach out to the person yourself and/or call someone who can get to them). Once notified, Facebook will report the content to a national suicide crisis center that will step in and try to reach out to the person.
On a related note, I know I've neglected to write about the nationally publicized suicides of several LGBT teens recently. I need to get to that . . . . I sometimes find myself avoiding writing about tragic current events, especially when they involve children, because it's really tough to think about them long enough to compose a post without getting pretty sad.
The issue of child and teenage bullying also makes me feel helpless, because I don't know what the answer is. I feel like I don't have expertise in the area because I was never bullied in school. I can't imagine what some of these kids have to go through, and I don't know what to say it make it better.
Though Facebook has been used as platform to flash suicide notes, I think they are doing their part to alleviate this situation through the Facebook Health Center. Suicide isn't a problem that can be resolved overnight. But the people around the person attempting it can help a lot when it comes to giving that person hope by making her/him feel capable and worthwhile.
Posted by: Carolin Newmeyer | February 13, 2012 at 01:45 PM