Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

evanmrose.tumblr.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 248 posts

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#21

Post by xenophanes »

notastartup wrote: post #11

I would start out by saying there's a stigma around mental illness and that it's not a "real" illness and that it's "all in the head therefore not real". It is exactly this type of attitude we have had since the dark ages that much development of treatment and studies are now only beginning to take more shape. We have to have a much wider awareness of mental illness and how it affects the basic human rights.

How does it affect basic human rights, exactly? Some examples:

People labelled mentally ill can be imprisoned without a trial.

People labelled mentally ill can avoid prison when another person who did the same actions would go to jail.

People labelled mentally ill can be drugged by force.

This is bad for basic human rights, isn't it?

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#23

Post by xenophanes »

seancoleman wrote: post #19
xenophanes wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We must break the stigma against mental illness How? People are labelled mentally ill IFF they do things that have a stigma attached.

I don't believe that's true. There are plenty of mentally ill people (depression, anxiety, bi-polar) that act completely normal like Stephen. They often suffer in silence.

How could he possibly have been, "in a highly-respected treatment program", or labelled mentally ill, if he acted completely normal and suffered in silence?

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#24

Post by Mz »

I get the impression that this is a long, polite way of saying Steve committed suicide.

The last time I was on HN and the topic of suicide came up, I wrote kind of a ranty piece that I am not up to editing it (to remove the rantiness) and reposting. The short version: If you know someone who is suicidal and you care about them, spend time with them. In person. Suicide is almost always committed when one is alone.

My credentials: I attempted suicide at 17 and have been hospitalized once or twice for being suicidal in my teens/twenties. In recent years, when medical issues make me mentally and emotionally unstable, my adult sons "babysit" me (in other words, I am not left alone when I might be genuinely suicidal and not just grumpy about life's stressors). I am 48 and I am okay these days in spite of serious medical problems which have somatopsychic impacts (it's a real word -- look it up). So I know it is a method that works.

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#25

Post by xenophanes »

trvd1707 wrote: post #20

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my son to suicide in 2009. He was brilliant, very sociable, very mature and he too struggled with mental illness. Today I know a lot more about the subject and I'm trying to help preventing more suicides from happening and mental health from being poorly diagnosed and treated. Right now I'm working on a project to develop apps for smart devices that can help people at risk of suicide.…

Have you read Szasz? Have you refuted his arguments? If you have not considered arguments which say what you're doing is actively bad, but you're going ahead anyway, isn't that irresponsible? If you have considered them, could you tell or link me the answer?

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#26

Post by EMRo »

Mz wrote: post #24

I get the impression that this is a long, polite way of saying Steve committed suicide. The last time I was on HN and the topic of suicide came up, I wrote kind of a ranty piece that I am not up to editing it (to remove the rantiness) and reposting. The short version: If you know someone who is suicidal and you care about them, spend time with them. In person. Suicide is almost always committed when one is alone. My…

He did. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish I had been there for him when he needed me like your sons can be there for you.

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#27

Post by md224 »

xenophanes wrote: post #23
seancoleman wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe that's true. There are plenty of mentally ill people (depression, anxiety, bi-polar) that act completely normal like Stephen. They often suffer in silence.

How could he possibly have been, "in a highly-respected treatment program", or labelled mentally ill, if he acted completely normal and suffered in silence?

The parent comment was merely questioning the validity of your weird assertion that "People are labelled mentally ill IFF they do things that have a stigma attached". Perhaps you meant "people who do not self-identify as mentally ill but have that designation imposed on them." Maybe you'd have a case there. But the fact remains that many people suffer from mental illness, and it isn't always just a case of society rejecting them for being "different."

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#28

Post by Mz »

EMRo wrote: post #26
Mz wrote: post #24

I get the impression that this is a long, polite way of saying Steve committed suicide. The last time I was on HN and the topic of suicide came up, I wrote kind of a ranty piece that I am not up to editing it (to remove the rantiness) and reposting. The short version: If you know someone who is suicidal and you care about them, spend time with them. In person. Suicide is almost always committed when one is alone. My…

He did. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish I had been there for him when he needed me like your sons can be there for you.

((HUGS))

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#29

Post by xenophanes »

Mz wrote: post #24

I get the impression that this is a long, polite way of saying Steve committed suicide. The last time I was on HN and the topic of suicide came up, I wrote kind of a ranty piece that I am not up to editing it (to remove the rantiness) and reposting. The short version: If you know someone who is suicidal and you care about them, spend time with them. In person. Suicide is almost always committed when one is alone. My…

So your credentials consist of personal anecdotes? Maybe it's time to start taking the issue more seriously. I think it's a serious issue deserving a more serious approach.

For example, you might try reading literature with multiple different perspectives on the issue. Then try to figure out which ideas are right and why. (If you've already done this, forgive me, and please please inform me why Szasz is mistaken, I would love to learn something.)

Re: Tell HN: My Brother Died Last Week. His Death Will Not Be In Vain

#30

Post by EMRo »

xenophanes wrote: post #23
seancoleman wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe that's true. There are plenty of mentally ill people (depression, anxiety, bi-polar) that act completely normal like Stephen. They often suffer in silence.

How could he possibly have been, "in a highly-respected treatment program", or labelled mentally ill, if he acted completely normal and suffered in silence?

He was what doctors call 'high functioning.' He was able to operate in society and shroud his pain though it was incredibly painful to do so for him. He wasn't 'completely normal'. He was in a very well respected program in Boston and working through his issues to have the life he wanted.
Post reply on HN