Southern Miss and Some News!
Speaking at the University of Southern Mississippi was a blast. We had a great turnout and a lot of people were thankful for the presentation. It is always interesting to me to see people so relieved to hear this message delivered in a positive way rather than a negative scary way. I am glad I could help out Southern Miss’s Suicide Awareness Week. I also had a great time eating BBQ. If you’re ever in Hattiesburg you absolutely have to eat at Leatha’s!
It seems in the midst of speaking at Southern Miss I missed out on some news. In literally a day’s time there was a report released that the suicide rate in young people went up in 2004 by about 250 deaths. To go with the report was a massive media launch that said the solely black box warning on anti-depressants was to blame.
In my efforts as a mental health advocate I think it’s vital to be as objective as possible, especially in areas that trigger such extreme views. It seems in the mental health world a lot of people are either totally for medication or totally against it. There are charged arguments on both sides and a lot of personal stories to back them up. I know a lot of people who have been saved by medication and I know a lot of people who are doing very well off of it. The truth is people need to find what works best for them as there are a lot of treatments out there, so what bothers me when I hear a spin like it’s all the black box warning is that it’s not that simple.
Let’s examine some other factors. First the black box warning wasn’t issued until October 15, 2004, so if it was just that warning then we’re talking about a significant increase in 10 weeks. Another factor is that the stigma of reporting suicide has gone down a little due to awesome advocacy efforts. In the past suicides have gone massively under reported and it’s possible we are getting more accurate reports. Also we don’t know if everyone who took their own life had a mental illness and needed medication (it’s estimated that about 80-90% of people who take their lives have a mental illness) nor do we know if the people who did take their own lives were on other medications and not anti-depressants. So my point is it’s too complicated to be an either or in this situation.
My fear is that if you’re a family member and you see this report then you could see it as an either or situation. The best thing any family member can do is consult with a mental health professional to determine what works best and not rush to judgement. But more importantly if you know someone in treatment monitor them and become a mini expert on their diagnosis so you can help them.
Posts
