I know that the topics I choose to write about are often more light hearted but today I felt like writing about something a bit closer to my heart and I hope you will take the time to read it.
Male suicide is a real issue in Australia and around the globe.
Here are a few disturbing facts:
"- [In Australia] For the past five years, around 2,100 people have taken their life each year, with 2,132 deaths recorded in 2009.
-Males who die by suicide are more likely to do so via hanging than females, with approximately 50% of male suicide deaths due this method since 2001, compared with 40% of female suicide deaths.
-Suicide rates for males are higher than those for females and have been higher since at least the 1920’s. More women than men, however, attempt suicide.3-The ratio of male to female suicides rose from 2:1 in the 1960s to over 4:1 in the mid 1990s. In recent years, the suicide rate for males has reduced slightly to 3.3 times that of females in 2008, and is consistent across most age groups."-Mind frame resource
A year ago today, a friend of mine, Ryan took his own life.
Ryan and I met in hospital 3 years back where we were both being treated for mental health related issues. We connected instantly and he was one of few people that I kept in contact with after I was discharged... but I doubt at the time he chose to end his life that I would have crossed his mind as being a person that he could have turned to and that breaks my heart.
There were not enough seats at Ryan's Funeral to fit all of the people that loved him and as I looked around I found it hard to understand how somebody who was so loved could have ever felt so alone.
The stigma attached to depression in males is worrying.
It upsets me that so many dudes still view admitting that you aren't coping as being weak or emasculating. A couple of months ago rapper 360 posted this video:
It was on youtube so there were the usual bunch of dumbass comments posted is response ...like how it's poorly constructed (ignoring the fact that the guy is clearly distraught )but for the most part, a lot of young Australians seemed to feel like they related. Say what you want about the guy.... love him or hate him, I liked seeing somebody famous shining a light on the issue and getting people talking. Last count that video had reached 563,430 views.
Honestly I'd love to see more discussion that will eventually help people to stop viewing mental illness as a taboo topic.
Over the course of 2007-2009, I spent a collective of about 4 months in hospital. I would go in for a few weeks and then leave before I was ready and end up back in again.
Frustrated by the different diagnosis I'd receive, I began to self medicate. Eventually I got passed trying to put a label on what was wrong with me and how embarrassed I was and started to realise that my family and real friends loved me for who I am and saw past my illness.
I remember times where I stopped believing I had any chance of being happy and I can't pin point the exact moment that I snapped out of that kind of thinking because it was more of a gradual process.
This process was a combination of amazing support from friends family and hospital staff as well as educating myself as much as possible about what I was up against. There are also so many forums out there where you can talk to people who have been through what you're going through
Schizophrenia, depression, bipolar. None of these are a death sentence
If you have never felt depressed, I would say you're among the lucky few and I encourage people to read up about other peoples stories.
I also strongly recommend checking out this website:
http://softenthefckup.com.au/
'Soften the fuck up' is a campaign aimed primarily at males to start talking it out rather that keeping it in and if you ask me that's a fucking great idea
