Lucius Annaeus Seneca - a Roman Stoic
Philosopher of Latin literature - once said: ‘Sometimes even to live is an act
of courage.’ Although Seneca died in 65 AD, the sentiment of his statement
still remains and is perhaps just as applicable today as ever before.
Tomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day.
A day to raise awareness of an issue so prominent in our society that it has made
an impact on most people’s lives. The latest figures show that over 800,000 people
die from suicide every day. They show that if you are a male, aged between 20
and 39, you are more likely to die from suicide than you are from cancer. This
is not something that we can ignore. This is not something that can be brushed
under the rug because it is an uncomfortable subject. This is a major, growing
epidemic and we need to start talking about it now.
In order to tackle the issue of rising
suicide rates, we cannot look just at its causes in isolation but we must
instead create a sea change in the culture of our society. Although not all
suicidal people suffer from long-term depression or other mental health needs,
it is still vital that mental health is to be considered as important as
physical health – suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young
people and in order to prevent this, we must treat it as such. The stigma
surrounding suicide and depression is at the root of the problem. Before the
1961 Suicide Act, taking your own life was illegal in Britain. Although this
has been revoked, the subject still carries with it a feeling of shame and
embarrassment and the idea of talking about suicidal urges can be painfully
hard – to the point where taking your own life becomes the easier option.
We cannot overlook the fact that that
although suicide rates in females are at their highest since 2011, there is a
significant issue with men taking their own lives. There is no clear-cut explanation
as to why this is. This is not a straightforward, black and white subject. However,
it might be safe to assume that this comes from human tradition throughout the
whole of history of men having to fill the role of the strong hunters and
providers who do not show emotion.
The role of the male has changed
dramatically over the past century and social progress in the UK has
(thankfully) allowed women to become more financially independent. The modern
man is changing and it is not the same as three generations ago, or even two.
Middle-aged men, who saw their fathers fulfil the role of the main breadwinners
and on top of this, fight in a World War – all whilst projecting a “toughen up,
man up” attitude – are now contributing to the huge increases in suicide.
The 2008 recession has a part to play in
this as well. 1,000 extra deaths and 30,000 to 40,000 suicide attempts occurred
between 2008-2010, following the economic downturn. This dramatically reversed
previous trends in Britain that showed suicide rates among men to be falling.
Lack of employment and an increase in job losses from a damaged economy can
surely be blamed for a portion of this. It is important, though, to consider
mental health once again and the damage of our Conservative Government’s
vicious cuts.
In early 2016, austerity measures were
branded ‘profoundly disturbing’ to the nations mental health in a letter that
was signed by hundreds of psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other experts
within the field of mental health. Over the past five years we have seen a rise
in demand for mental health services – a staggering 20% to be exact. This has
happened while mental health services have been slashed by 8% in real terms. It
has been shown that sanctions on benefits have also played their part in the
increase of mental illnesses that can ultimately lead to suicide. According to
the Independent, the restrictions put on claimants with disabilities have
correlated with 590 additional suicides, 279,000 cases of mental illness and
725,000 more prescriptions of anti-depressants. Research conducted by ReTHink
found that 21% of patents taken from 1,000 GPs had experienced suicidal urges
due to Work Capability Assessments. These are not ‘benefit scroungers’; these
are some of the most vulnerable in our society, people in positions that any
one of us could find ourselves in. Although we hear claims from Prime Minister
Teresa May that our Government is spending more on mental health than ever
before, it seems that the party has managed to create a crisis so profound that
their funding won’t even touch the edges of the void that it has made in our
society.
Some of these causes sadly lie in the
hands of our Government to fix but by opening up a dialogue about mental health
we can begin to tackle the wider problem. If we can step away from the stigma
surrounding mental illness and suicide and instead create a culture of care and
communication, we can encourage people who are suffering to come forward and
seek the help that they deserve. We must break down the barriers of gender
inequality that affect men as well as women. In order to ensure that the help
is there for us, free at the point of use through our NHS, we must speak up to
our Government and make them see the problems that have been created.
Take action – write to your local MP, work
with charities and campaigns to push this subject into the centre of
Parliament. Even something as small as sharing a petition on social media can
make a difference. We cannot let this epidemic spread, we cannot stand by and
watch our friends, brothers, fathers, mothers, daughters and sons lose their
lives in this horrendous way. Now is the time to start the conversation.
Sign this petition to help stop cuts to
local authorities: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-government-cuts-to-local-authority-budgets
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