08-16-2014, 08:47 AM
I liked Mo's post too. Colorful Mofo can paint a mental picture and almost always makes me smile. 
Just for the sake of accuracy though...
-The US isn't even in the top 20 countries in terms of suicide per capita in the world.
-Western Europe was the regional champ of suicides per capita for decades after the World Health Organization began measuring suicide rates in the 1950s.
-Hungary held the country-specific title for years, until the damned Eastern Europeans in Lithuania stole the trophy. In between them, Sri Lanka in Asia was numero uno.
-South Korea has the fastest growing suicide rate per capita.
- Of all the countries that keep records, China is the only one where more females than males commit suicide.
-The region with the lowest documented suicide rate is the Middle East, but most of the countries therein don't measure or don't report the rates formally so it's unclear if the documented suicide rate and the actual suicide rate are in the same ballpark.
- I don't know if everyone who's an addict and self-destructive is mentally ill and/or choosing to kill themselves slowly rather than get to the point. But, I do know that the United Kingdom, Australia and the US are about the same in terms of suicide listed as a cause of death (as opposed to drinking or drugging or rough-sexing oneself to death "accidentally), between 3.5 and 4.5 per capita per year. HOTD Edit --correction: the female ratio is about the same for the UK, Australia, and the US, but the total suicide per capita is higher than in the US, followed by Australia and then the UK -- 11.0 US per 100k, vs. 8.2 Aust, vs. 6.0 UK.
Source: World Health Organization -- Mortality Rate Report; suicide.
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/3/760 --- Page 7 of imbedded PDF, Chart 3
IMO: Some people use the threat of suicide as emotional blackmail or to garner sympathy/attention and aren't really suicidal -- I agree with that. Some suicidal people decide to check out because they can't live up to an unrealistic standard set by society, I believe Mo's right about that. Some suicidal people believe in the moment that they'd be better off dead but have been saved by medical or therapy intervention and are grateful for it -- plenty have attested to that. Some people have a brain abnormality that causes severe depression and can be helped medically before or after they enter suicide ideation -- I think that medical studies adequately validate that contention. Some people are likely mentally ill for whatever reason and want to die but don't want to want to die and talk or otherwise announce it -- some of them are helped and saved. And, IMO, there are people who make a rational decision to die rather than continuing living until their organs shut down -- I think they have that right.
(HOTD edit: correction; update source detail)
Just for the sake of accuracy though...
-The US isn't even in the top 20 countries in terms of suicide per capita in the world.
-Western Europe was the regional champ of suicides per capita for decades after the World Health Organization began measuring suicide rates in the 1950s.
-Hungary held the country-specific title for years, until the damned Eastern Europeans in Lithuania stole the trophy. In between them, Sri Lanka in Asia was numero uno.
-South Korea has the fastest growing suicide rate per capita.
- Of all the countries that keep records, China is the only one where more females than males commit suicide.
-The region with the lowest documented suicide rate is the Middle East, but most of the countries therein don't measure or don't report the rates formally so it's unclear if the documented suicide rate and the actual suicide rate are in the same ballpark.
- I don't know if everyone who's an addict and self-destructive is mentally ill and/or choosing to kill themselves slowly rather than get to the point. But, I do know that the United Kingdom, Australia and the US are about the same in terms of suicide listed as a cause of death (as opposed to drinking or drugging or rough-sexing oneself to death "accidentally), between 3.5 and 4.5 per capita per year. HOTD Edit --correction: the female ratio is about the same for the UK, Australia, and the US, but the total suicide per capita is higher than in the US, followed by Australia and then the UK -- 11.0 US per 100k, vs. 8.2 Aust, vs. 6.0 UK.
Source: World Health Organization -- Mortality Rate Report; suicide.
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/3/760 --- Page 7 of imbedded PDF, Chart 3
IMO: Some people use the threat of suicide as emotional blackmail or to garner sympathy/attention and aren't really suicidal -- I agree with that. Some suicidal people decide to check out because they can't live up to an unrealistic standard set by society, I believe Mo's right about that. Some suicidal people believe in the moment that they'd be better off dead but have been saved by medical or therapy intervention and are grateful for it -- plenty have attested to that. Some people have a brain abnormality that causes severe depression and can be helped medically before or after they enter suicide ideation -- I think that medical studies adequately validate that contention. Some people are likely mentally ill for whatever reason and want to die but don't want to want to die and talk or otherwise announce it -- some of them are helped and saved. And, IMO, there are people who make a rational decision to die rather than continuing living until their organs shut down -- I think they have that right.
(HOTD edit: correction; update source detail)