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Anthony Bourdain has died

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Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kelly Brogan is an anti vaxxer and a HIV/AIDS denialist. It's very sad to see her getting linked here.

I’m also wary of accepting controversial opinions at face value, and fully support your skepticism here. She’s not my favorite messenger, either. I don’t think ad-hominem attacks are fair, though. The article is full of references to evidence outlining her position. Do you have any critique of her arguments you can share?

Calling out why a doctor is a quack is not an ad hominem when questioning their qualifications as a medical reference.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the OP, but higher availability of guns is correlated with higher suicide rates (most notoriously in US mountains states like Wyoming), because it makes it easier to act on impulse when people hit their lowest points, rather than muddling through because they don't have easy means. However, I don't see any reporting on how Bourdain died, only that he was found in a hotel room. So unless it comes to light that gun…

>Not the OP, but higher availability of guns is correlated with higher suicide rates (most notoriously in US mountains states like Wyoming), because it makes it easier to act on impulse when people hit their lowest points, rather than muddling through because they don't have easy means. Or you know, there might be a third variable there... Something about declining rural areas possibly.

There is that third variable, but there are also studies that control for geography and even study a stable population of depressed patients.

There's also a lot of theory to back up the idea that guns increase suicide rates.

First, if people have to take time to prep for suicide, they have time to think and sometimes change their minds. With a gun, the time between thought and action is so small, they don't have this chance.

Second, guns have a much higher success rate than most other methods. This is why women attempt suicide at higher rates, but succeed far less often -- they usually don't use guns.

There are studies that look at a stable population, and they find that the same person is much more likely to succeed at suicide after they become a gun owner.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#183
this really hurt me, I'm usually not as affected by "high-profile suicides."

There's some terrible correlations beginning to surface, in my mind, with the psychiatric drugs taken by Robin Williams, Kate Spade, Chester Bennington, and Tim Bergling for example that seem to be the final push-over-the-edge for these folks - whose lives are full of options and [appear] far from hopeless. Surely we can't judge how things really are, but can they truly be SO desperate? I've seen people in terrible shape- unable to work, loss of body part(s), loss of wealth, loss of friends, loss of family, etc. and still carry on.

It seems, to me, mental illness is created as a result of these Big Pharma medicines. I don't believe sadness or unhappiness day to day are unhealthy, most people deal with not being 100% successful in life. There's always another day to work at it and try again to win.

When things become inexplicable is when there's some strange substance playing with the mind - in my opinion. School shootings being in this category as well.

I'd love to see a study investigate the prescription medications used in all of these "high profile suicide" cases, results protected by First Amendment.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#184
post #20

The CNN article about his death had this: >Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey Thursday showing suicide rates increased by 25% across the United States over nearly two decades ending in 2016. I remember a while back that the general public's tone on suicide was a lot less sober. More of a "man up" sort of attitude. With a growing list…

> I remember a while back that the general public's tone on suicide was a lot less sober. More of a "man up" sort of attitude.

You say after quoting it is getting worse.

This might be the problem, we are infantilizing the population.

Have we swung too far past the place we need to be?

This is a common thread atm amongst most movements, they start out valid, reach their objective, but then what do the zealots which are often very useful to begin with have to do then?

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? There is a very strong relationship between suicide and mental illness. If someone decides to end their own life, it is overwhelmingly likely that they are suffering from some form of mental illness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701661 >Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Most people who survive a suicide attemp…

> strong relationship between suicide and mental illness You're not wrong, but do note that the first paper you cited was from 2003. The CDC results published recently [1] indicate a strong rise in suicide since 1999. And more than half of the people didn't have a known mental health condition. It looks like things are changing. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html

"Known mental health condition" is the key sticking point. The CDC's data relies on reports from coroners, medical examiners and law enforcement agencies. The study I cited was based on psychological autopsies, which includes interviews with family members and health care personnel. It is highly likely that many of the people that the CDC identify as having no known mental health condition were either undiagnosed or had kept their diagnosis private. Much of the growth in the suicide rate has come from older working-class men, who are far less likely to seek treatment for mental health problems or to talk to their families about mental health.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#186
post #60

>, I can only hope that people as a whole start seeing it as a complex issue and the stigma of mental issues and stress can lessen so that people can get help Possibly inappropriate - but why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Am I not the master of my own existence and do I not have the right to make a decision on it without…

> why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? There is a very strong relationship between suicide and mental illness. If someone decides to end their own life, it is overwhelmingly likely that they are suffering from some form of mental illness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701661 >Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Most people who survive a suicide attemp…

agreed! Is mental illness a cause or a result of treatment for "depression?" Being sad and unhappy is natural... does medication create the illness?

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#187

I remember watching Robin Williams perform ~2009. He was hilarious and positive on stage at Cobb. After the show he hung out with us and Bing Gordon (his friend). His entire demeanor changed. Unable to smile, look people in the eyes, and holding back tears. People thought he would be funny off stage but he just was extremely anxious and wanted to leave asap. Anyhow, I feel like people (esp. famous people) hide the th…

The above link shows more than just half - 2/3 gun deaths in US are suicide - approx 20,000 out of 30,000 Fairly horrifying but does impact the whole gun control debate IMO.

It does not. And controlling guns tightly doesn’t mean you magically save 20,000 people from suicide. Give it a rest before we’re dancing with downvotes.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#188
post #49

I struggled with mental health issues my entire adult life. Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Biploar, Anxiety, Suicidal Depression, Panic Attacks. It wasn’t until I changed my relationship to all emotions and then sought out a variety of support to safely go deeply into my experience that I was able to find relief. 1 session of MDMA therapy lifted a decade of suicidal thoughts; session 2 a year later largely freed me of anx…

This is playing out with someone I know, so it's validating to see it as a good path or outcome. How do you get access to MDMA treatments?

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#189
post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually that is the statistic I was thinking of (I read an article from a formerly-suicidal female doctor). I assumed that the trend applied to males too but now I am quite curious as to why it does not apply. Regional statistics would be helpful too- some have thought that Finns and Russians carry a genetic marker for suicidal tendencies.

Males die of suicide more often because they use more successful methods. It makes sense that a female doctor would be much more successful than the average female due to her education. Most women use pills, men use guns.

Agreed. Randomly and anecdotally, I am reminded of Iris Chang, who was a famous author responsible for our knowledge of the Rape of Nanking.

Her cause of death was brutal, and she was going through immense pressure during her last research project. A self-influcted gunshot to the mouth sounds like a horrible way to go.

Re: Anthony Bourdain has died

#190
post #161

My mother committed suicide 8 years ago, and this is something I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about and trying to understand (in part to ensure I never suffer the same fate). For anyone who has struggled with depression or severe anxiety, if you haven’t read the book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, I encourage you to read it as soon as possible — it’s one of the best, most approacha…

As someone who's currently going through a wave serious depression, I'm curious about this book. Thanks for sharing.

Hey, I don't know you and you don't know me, but I'm here if you'd like to chat. Hit me up.
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