We live in a country where suicide outweighs murder and deaths from motor vehicles. Approximately 2000 people commit suicide every year, times that by 30 and thats how many people attempt suicide each year. Thats 168 people per day that are trying to take their life. Internationally, these statistics are much the same, with minor variations.
I think the debate about whether this is an actual illness is insignificant, the fact is that depression and suicide is a legitmate problem in society, which is not helped by a lot of the taboo's and ignorance about the issue (ie: "emo's").
Yes but suicide can be due to multiple things that are generally not as doubted by society as long-term depression. e.g. post-natal; traumatic stress etc
Depression has been described as a 'season of prolonged sadness, helpessness and hopelessness, either trigerred by something traumatic, or that comes on for no apparent reason.' I think everyone can relate to feeling like that at some point. I hate the fact that I hear sniggers and comments every single day about 'emo's' or think that depression is just some joke that people use as a way to get attention. Yes, some people do that, but can you pick which one it is? Is it worth ridiculing this person for your own pathetic entertainment, only to have them take their life?
I think emos are freaking annoying.. i mean, and i cant identify them, the ones that just tag along for kicks.. they endanger those ones who are actually in need of help.. for example, rather than three people who obviously need help, they are now eclipsed by 20 of their friends who obviously are just in it for the attention. because of them, the 3 in danger are never helped because they are characterised by their mates, the majority of whom can safely just be ignored.
I have had friends and family who have attempted suicide and suffered depression themselves. Although they did not actually die from this as a result, the long term affects will never go away, not for them or for the people that cared.
agreed. most people never get over it. im happy to talk about most of my experiences with my mates, some of my doctors.. but then even almost 2 years on, just seeing the word "suicide" on paper makes me dizzy and panicky.
i know how to deal with panic attacks and blah blah blah, so noone say that i'm not trying to deal with it... but that initial reaction will never go away.
my main point:
with most people, even without the specific events and all, the really bad cases will be with them for life.
i will have depression for the rest of my life. most people say 'dont say that, itll get better'. but yes and no:
as an illness, it will be with me for most of my life, i know that, ive been told that, and i can feel that. hwoever, the symptoms probably will not be. i might have fluctuations or i might not, but that depressive feeling WILL be with me. but i'm okay with that, because i'm learning how to deal with the long-term and short-term effects.
those around me know how things will happen, and we'll prevent fluctuations as best we can, and hoepfully ill never have all of those depressive symptoms.. but i will always feel it.
people with depression might have 2 or 3 years of shitness then through therapy or medication or just time, it might pass. for a lot though, even when it passes, the residue will still be there.
its kinda hard to explain..
but basically, people with depression generally can reach a point where they can concentrate and feel and therefore live by themselves, hold jobs and relationships etc but they still wont be back to normal.
the thing i regret most from the past few years is how ive affected those around me. after i got out of hospital and talked to the boyfriend, i realised how it had affected him and thats one of the things that has actually kept me out of hospital for so long. i had no sympathy for myself, and i didnt care what i did to myself or what happened, but i felt so selfish afterwards because i realised how fucking stupid i was to forget how it was for those around me.
it's kind of like waking up out of a dream really gradually.
