
Suicide Contagion and the Reporting of Suicide (1994) - dbloom
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031539.htm
======
goshx
Would you guys stop posting about suicide? I've already been measuring the
speed I'd hit the ground if I were to jump from my balcony. I'm serious. Maybe
this is why mainstream media doesn't report on suicides.

~~~
rpearl
I don't know if this comment was meant to be snarky, or illustrative, or in
any way not a direct statement of fact, but I will never take such a comment
lightly.

Are you okay? Please call a friend and talk, or 1-800-273-8255 (national
suicide hotline, for US people).

If you want to talk to someone but don't have anyone to turn to, my email is
this same username at endofunctor.org

Life can be hard sometimes and I know it doesn't feel like things will change,
but it will pass. You will feel better.

------
goshx
Thank you all for the kind comments. Although this is a real struggle to me, I
didn't mean to bring all the attention to my issues. Thank you sincerely.

I am certainly not the only one here struggling with these kind of problems. I
come to HN to distract my mind and learn new things, but it is tough when you
try to get away from something happening in your life and you have to face it
here. Some people don't realize how depressing some topics/discussions are and
they don't realize how this can affect others already struggling with
depression or other related issues. I'm sorry for asking what I asked, but I
fail to understand why topics like suicide are coming up here more often.

~~~
thaumaturgy
Distractions are good, but HN also still has some remnants of a "community",
and depression has been a recurring topic here for years. There are some
factors that can make small business and startup founders susceptible to
severe depression, and it wasn't that long ago that we lost one of our members
to suicide -- and at this point, unfortunately, I'm sure there have been
others, statistically speaking.

A few people, like me, have decided to start talking more openly about
depression rather than trying to maintain the appearance that nothing was
wrong. I was motivated by Stephen Fry and by a few other events around the
same time, including the suicide of one of my clients.

I don't think anybody understands depression well enough yet to give advice
that will work for everyone. (I sure as hell am long past wanting to receive
any more advice; I _hate_ being told to talk to a professional.)

But, if you'd like to just chat about stuff for a while, my email address is
in my profile. Open invitation. You wouldn't be the first. It might be better
than jumping out a window.

On the balance though, I think it would be good to de-stigmatize depression a
bit. People who struggle with depression shouldn't also feel alone.

