Styles Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5297916.stm Worrying stuff. I know quite a few men who have committed suicide. Why do you think the level is so high here? Most I knew who committed suicide depression was a factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabiaTerra Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Most I knew who committed suicide depression was a factor. Eh... Duh! It might be due to the utterly useless mental health system we have up here.I have been off work with depression for a number of years now, and for the first few of those I was simply told to "keep taking the pills". After three or four years (You tend to lose track) I was finally offered Cognitive therapy, which might have worked if I had been offered it right away, but after years it just put me in a tailspin and set me back to the horrors. I don't think we even have a resident Psychiatrist in Shetland since Dr Shaw left and I only ever saw him once. Most treatment is carried out by Psychiatric nurses or voluntary councellors, who, IMO, are fine as support staff for the doctors but are not capable of handling the whole Shetland Mental Health thing themselves. It makes me cry sometimes. And at other times it leaves me screaming with anger and frustration. But then, that's Depression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVRTENNENTS Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Most I knew who committed suicide depression was a factor. Eh... Duh! It might be due to the utterly useless mental health system we have up here.I have been off work with depression for a number of years now, and for the first few of those I was simply told to "keep taking the pills". After three or four years (You tend to lose track) I was finally offered Cognitive therapy, which might have worked if I had been offered it right away, but after years it just put me in a tailspin and set me back to the horrors. I don't think we even have a resident Psychiatrist in Shetland since Dr Shaw left and I only ever saw him once. Most treatment is carried out by Psychiatric nurses or voluntary councellors, who, IMO, are fine as support staff for the doctors but are not capable of handling the whole Shetland Mental Health thing themselves. It makes me cry sometimes. And at other times it leaves me screaming with anger and frustration. But then, that's Depression. I widna say the mental health system is useless up hear infact I found it very helpfull and I really don`t think I could have got through my depression without them. I think the main factor is still the stigma that goes along with mental health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Depression may have cut in in the latter stages that took them the final step to suicide, but in the case of virtually everyone I have known who've committed suicide (and unfortunately that's quite a few), there were other far stronger underlying reasons. Depression was merely a symptom of the underlying reasons, rather than a significant contributory factor in and of itself. The reason(s) for doing so, have, in my experience been unique to each individual, I can't think of any common denominator amongst the people I've know. If Shetland has the highest suicide rate in Scotland, the only reason behind it that I can see is our small size and remoteness. You can't really move on and make any kind of fresh start whilst remaining in Shetland, like you could most places elsewhere in U.K. there is too much that is in common from Skaw to Sumburgh Head. You can't just jump in a car or train here for an hour or so and be in a vastly different place like you can elsewhere, and until the very recent past at least, making a permanent move out of Shetland wasn't something that could be done particularly quickly, and was essentially a leap in to the unknown. Even with the improved transport links of today, and far higher numbers of people travelling to, and staying both short and longer term elsewhere in the UK, it is still very much a leap in to the unknown for a large number of people. I would imagine it to be a leap anyone already facing difficult issues in their life, would find extremely difficult at best, therefore there is probably a far higher percentage of people in Shetland, who are somewhat "trapped" to face their issues on an ongoing basis, that people elsewhere can move away from and come in to contact with new people, new experiences and new circumstances helping them move on again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 yes the goldfish bowl situation is one that many people up here can unfortunately find themselves in . and they sadly cant find away out, abuse of drink and drugs quite often go hand in hand with this situation and usually speeds up the downward spiral. well its been the case we the few folk i knew who topped themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 I don't think we even have a resident Psychiatrist in Shetland since Dr Shaw left and I only ever saw him once. Most treatment is carried out by Psychiatric nurses or voluntary councellors, who, IMO, are fine as support staff for the doctors but are not capable of handling the whole Shetland Mental Health thing themselves. It makes me cry sometimes. And at other times it leaves me screaming with anger and frustration. But then, that's Depression. After Simon Shaw left he was replaced. As far as I know the incumbent is still in post. There are a team of NHS counsellors that you can be put in contact with across the isles. You can self-refer if you need to. I agree with those that mention the stigma associated with mental health, but there are a lot of people who run campaigns about the stigma that merely pay lip service to this ideal. It is already being done by the NHS so my thoughts are that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Sometimes a break away from the place might help the person, or make them more mobile or finance an interest or social interaction for them. It is these changes that MIGHT improve a person's life beyond all recognition, and might stop them taking their life. A friend of mine was a manic depressive and I had guessed that she was going to try to take her life. I pleaded with her not to. I asked her to contact me if she felt like she wanted to, any time of day or night. She didn't. Instead she tried to die. She was caught in time and taken to hospital. They saved her life. I was upset and angry, but she said that when she got that low she didn't want to be saved. Look after your neighbour. If you can't say a good word about someone then say nothing. Take care of yourself and those around you. If we lived by these principles the suicide rate might be lower. People commit suicide because they feel that no-one cares or their situation cannot change amongst many other reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaming Mo Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Maybe there is a correlation between the high suicide rate and the poor architecute/lack of housing colour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheesht Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Some mental health body in Scotland, and I think the local health board, are playing down Shetland's place in this "league table" because a very few cases can vastly distort the percentage rate over the period of on year. While I would say that we have a issue, and I would never play down the fact, and I know one is to many, is it any worse than many other places? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little hitchcock Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Some mental health body in Scotland, and I think the local health board, are playing down Shetland's place in this "league table" because a very few cases can vastly distort the percentage rate over the period of on year. While I would say that we have a issue, and I would never play down the fact, and I know one is to many, is it any worse than many other places? I totally agree with you - it is dreadful to say that the high number of suicides is only a statistical anomaly. We get that answer each time the Shetland results are worse than the mianland. If it was a statistical anomaly, then we should be better as often as we are worse. We should have great results in the outcome of some diseases some years? But we dont. Until everybody faces the truth that Shetland can be a very difficult place to live and that a lot of people suffer from depression and addictions, there is no way something can be done about it. We need to accept we have a problem, we need to try and find the causes and treat the problem. Just sweeeping it away as a statistical anomaly is a disgrace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 I guess it could be argued that lack of sunlight (in winter), the feeling of isolation, the weather, the drinking culture, boredom, the ratio of roughly 3 guys to each girl and the myriad of factors (many beyond your control) that can affect your social standing, aren't exactly helpful in the development of a young man's confidence and personal outlook. While I now appreciate Shetland and look forward to my trips home, i can recall darker times during adolecence when i wanted nothing more than to escape. It's not difficualt to see how those feelings can develop into more serious mental health issues if they were to continue through to your 20s and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evian2 Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 I am not surprised by the figures, and agree with Ally and other posts made to this nature. Shetland is a great place, but its also (like many) proud (and rightly so) but sometimes we must face the facts that are causing these alarming, but not altogether surprising figures - in particular with relation to young men, while not forgetting women at all, a high % of the figures are males. That feeling of being trapped and isolated is certainly true of island communites many people would agree. I recall driving round lerwick week nights, lerwick largely deserted, and that whole feeling of cabin fever/cut off from the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evian2 Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Until everybody faces the truth that Shetland can be a very difficult place to live and that a lot of people suffer from depression and addictions, there is no way something can be done about it. We need to accept we have a problem, we need to try and find the causes and treat the problem. Just sweeeping it away as a statistical anomaly is a disgrace. that somes it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evian2 Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Daily Record - LIFE'S ISLES BETTER ON SHETLAND The Shetland News - Shetland is simply the best The Scotsman - Shetland Islands the place to go for those searching for a better quality of life Ironic when you see the suicide report figures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 You can see why many of them do it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJtaNCozglk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 How unfortunate the young fools managed to capture their faces/car/speed all on tape. Should be an easy job that one to "wrap up" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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