Alberta suicide rate soars by 30%

[jayswin]

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada...dgLE&ocid=iehp

Obviously something we all knew would be happening, but something many don't like to discuss. I didn't realize it would be this dramatic, but at the end of the day you have tens of thousands of people out of work who have lots of debt, many are going to become overwhelmed and see no way out.

Of all the tough reasons why people commit suicide, financial issues is one of the tougher to swallow. A big beautiful world, and an absolute miracle that you get to experience life and be on this earth and the banks calling for their money and making threats if debt is not paid sends many over the edge.

"It says something really about the horrible human impact of what's happening in the economy with the recession," Dr. David Kirby told CBC News. Kirby noted that calls to the Calgary Distress Centre have gone up almost 80 per cent.

[jayswin]

Was going to put this in the layoff thread but figured we keep using that thread for slightly off topic discussion and it really annoys those affected and looking for info.

[Locke]

Ugh. I dont even know what to say other than:

People are more important than stuff. Dont allow your worth to be evaluated by what you own.

Losing stuff sucks but life is defined by losing stuff.

If anyone believes that you are worth less due to being financially 'worth less' then thats an indictment of them and not you.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ugh. I dont even know what to say other than:

People are more important than stuff. Dont allow your worth to be evaluated by what you own.

Losing stuff sucks but life is defined by losing stuff.

If anyone believes that you are worth less due to being financially 'worth less' then thats an indictment of them and not you.

Unfortunately some of "them" tend to be for example spouses and friends, and that sucks no matter what.

And just generally; financial hardship makes everything more difficult. For example if you have a troubled marriage, unemployment is easily something that drives a whole bunch of nails on the coffin, or just makes it impossible to fix things. You can't afford marriage counceling, you can't afford to take a nice vacation together, you might not even afford to get a babysitter to go out together for one night. Buying gifts loses a lot of it's charm if it means you have to cut down on your grocery bill next month.

If you have important friends you have trouble keeping up with, having no money often makes it even harder to keep in touch as you have no money to go out, at least not to do the same things they are doing and things you used to do together. (Concerts, restaurants etc.)

And you just have less of similar things to talk about. The friend you who doesn't know what it's like to be unemployed can have a hard time sympathizing with your problems, and you can't really connect with their complaints about work if all you're thinking about is how much you'd love to have a job to complain about.

This is stuff I have a lot of personal experience with, since I'm financially clearly lower-class, while my social circles tend to be much more middle-class, with a lot of upper middle-class people thrown in. I've learned to live with it because that's been my situation almost all of my life, and my friends have grown up with it from the other side.

It's a lot harder when it's new for everybody.

[rubecube]

I feel like so much of this stuff wouldn't happen if we had more access to mental professionals. Often you can clear a lot of things up by just going to a few counselling sessions, but they're very cost prohibitive and if you're out of a job, it's hard to make that a financial priority.

I have a bit of support training that I picked up through my work with an organization that helps survivors of sexual assault. Obviously two completely different circumstances but there fundamental stuff that can be applied to most situations, so if anyone feels a need to vent, or put down the baggage for a bit, please feel free to PM me.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I feel like so much of this stuff wouldn't happen if we had more access to mental professionals.

That was mentioned in the CBC article as well however I disagree.

Do you honestly think in this specific scenario access to mental professionals would help? I don't think these suicides are exactly due to mental issues or clinical depression. Certainly not saying it's the correct action, but drowning in debt with no job options isn't exactly solved by talking it out or going on meds.

[PsYcNeT]

The problem won't be "solved", but the perception of seeing suicide as the best (or only) option might be solvable.

Mental health is not an all or none scenario.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ugh. I dont even know what to say other than:

People are more important than stuff. Dont allow your worth to be evaluated by what you own.

Losing stuff sucks but life is defined by losing stuff.

If anyone believes that you are worth less due to being financially 'worth less' then thats an indictment of them and not you.

Crippling debt is a lot more stressful than just materialist ideations. When you have debt that's insurmountable work becomes an exercise in slavery and life starts to lose meaning. Just saying, on the other side, it has very little to do with materialism and very much to do with servitude.

[CroFlames]

Absolutely saddening and shocking. Most of my people in Alberta are unaffected (relatively speaking of course) by the sudden downturn.

Hopefully this thing turns around quickly



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[Erick Estrada]

I'm not the poster boy for spending money wisely but I think a lot of people in this province could learn to live within their means much better. It seems like a lot of people have set themselves up on the bring of financial ruin with any interruption of their pay cheque.

[J pold]

I heard this story on the news last night, tragic. I scroll through the layoffs thread looking at the numbers and sometimes I forget those are real people with mortgages, kids at home, and are expected to provide for their families.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

That was mentioned in the CBC article as well however I disagree.

Do you honestly think in this specific scenario access to mental professionals would help? I don't think these suicides are exactly due to mental issues or clinical depression. Certainly not saying it's the correct action, but drowning in debt with no job options isn't exactly solved by talking it out or going on meds.

This post is really ignorant. Not sure you have a leg to stand on here to "disagree"

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

That was mentioned in the CBC article as well however I disagree.

Do you honestly think in this specific scenario access to mental professionals would help? I don't think these suicides are exactly due to mental issues or clinical depression. Certainly not saying it's the correct action, but drowning in debt with no job options isn't exactly solved by talking it out or going on meds.

Obviously depends on your definition of depression, but I would suspect most of these would fall under depression - feelings of hopelessness/worthlessness/etc. Its depression triggered by a event.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by AcGold

Crippling debt is a lot more stressful than just materialist ideations. When you have debt that's insurmountable work becomes an exercise in slavery and life starts to lose meaning. Just saying, on the other side, it has very little to do with materialism and very much to do with servitude.

This is bang on. Just to add to that...

There are companies and corporations out there that have the intention to convince people that being in debt is fine, and even necessary. In fact, pushing people into debt fuels the economy, that is until the floor falls out.

We've created this capitalist system that converts everything, including personal freedom and time, into a commodity that it is bought and sold. And it has become taboo to even criticize it or wonder if there is a point that we need to figure out something better. Once you are in debt and unable to pay, things get hopeless fast. People end up having to accept that the fruits of their labour for the rest of their work-filled lives is going to go to creditors.

[GirlySports]

would Christmas have to do with it too? Christmas is a big deal to a lot of people and to be struggling at this time of year would make it much worse.

also I think people have to live within their means. I live in a half-duplex probably worth about $300K now. Bought it for just over 200K 5 years ago. I talk to a lot of younger people (I'm 35) and they said a place like that would not be sufficient for them.

My husband and I are comfortable now and if one of us lost our job, it would be tough and we'd have to really cutback but i think it would be ok.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Do you honestly think in this specific scenario access to mental professionals would help? I don't think these suicides are exactly due to mental issues or clinical depression. Certainly not saying it's the correct action, but drowning in debt with no job options isn't exactly solved by talking it out or going on meds.

Yes, very much so. Talking to a professional could help immensely, it could help push away some of the clouds and thoughts of the world caving in on you away.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

would Christmas have to do with it too? Christmas is a big deal to a lot of people and to be struggling at this time of year would make it much worse.

The article specially mentions, in the first paragraph, the spike in numbers is for the first half of 2015. So they have nothing to do with Christmas. You're not wrong about the Holiday blues, but nothing to do with this.

[habernac]

I bet the numbers are astronomical in my hometown. A lot of people up there went into debt big time when oil was $100 / barrel, expecting it would last a long time.

[CaptainCrunch]

When you combine the silly season, with a lot of debt and pressures, and combine it with a lot of people who are out of work and coming to the end of their benefits, it can be a lethal combination for some who are just looking for a way out.

A lot of us at one time or another have looked at that way out as a solution. A lot of people have looked at life as unbearable and a long gloomy tunnel to nowhere and have thought that its easier to get off of that track.

A lot of people think that if they make a clean exit that eventually it will be easier on their family and friends because they won't be causing problems or strife anymore.

A lot of people's mental pain or depression is as real pain wise as a broken limb or a massive deep cut that will never ever heel and anything is better.

That's the crux of depression and suicide thoughts. People can feel like depression will never end, and the financial problems or other pressures are a burden not only on themselves or others, and in a twisted sense they also believe that people don't care about them or their problems. So they suffer in silence, until finally and completely ending the problem no matter what the unknown is looks like the best and most possible solution to ending their problems.

The questions that are asked, "will death hurt?", "What happens after we die?', "Will anyone miss me or cry for me?", and in some twisted way "Will my death make the people that made me suffer, suffer like I have?", have an answer that pales beyond the answer that "I won't have to suffer anymore"

Life is worth fighting for, it really is, but sometimes we all need help to see that and understand that, and realize that no matter what the problem is, its not worth destroying yourself, or your loved ones.

I've said it before, there's help out there if anyone needs it, sometimes, we just need a sympathetic ear, or a calming influence to talk you off of that hypothetical ledge. If your not comfortable talking to family, or friends, or a cleric, or a coworker, then the distress line is the best way to go.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

The article specially mentions, in the first paragraph, the spike in numbers is for the first half of 2015. So they have nothing to do with Christmas. You're not wrong about the Holiday blues, but nothing to do with this.

So will there be another article in 6 months saying the second half of 2015 was even worse? I hope there isn't one.

[sec304]

Ugh, so sad. Having witnessed one myself 6 weeks ago, this topic has hit me hard. It's unfathomable that people consider this the solution because they aren't themselves and they've been on a rough mental road to get there.