From Discouraged Worker To Suicide Victim

Full disclosure - I know people whose future is poverty, homelessness, & suicide.  I have known people who have committed suicide.

 

click on graph to enlarge

 

Robin Williams suicide by hanging has brought to the fore the fact that suicides of people aged 45 to 64 has increased sharply since 1999 so that this cohort now makes up the largest group of people committing suicide (see above graph). 

 

Thanks to economic illiteracy of the masses & just plain poor (or no) financial planning whatsoever people who have little savings, small pensions, or no family to rely on are very susceptible to this tragic ending so much so that deaths caused by suicide exceeded those caused by auto accidents in 2011 – source the CDC & the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

 

Today people known as discouraged workers know the hopelessness of trying to find employment & when another prominent suicidal trait is added such as depression, loneliness, or chronic pain from a physical condition they become a candidate for suicide.  A discouraged worker is someone who drops out of the labor force because they cannot find work.  They move in with family & live a life of part time under the table jobs if they are lucky, receive a government benefit check or two, & are the cause of spending down their families' wealth.

 

This problem only increases as the baby boomer generation ages & its members become more alone with no savings, pension, or family of any means to help support them. 

 

The oldest of the baby boomers is now 68 – so this generation is well into the age group that is normally considered retirement age which accentuates this problem. 

 

The financial downturn of the past 6 years increases the possibility that workers over 45 with limited skills who have been laid off see the impossibility of finding gainful employment again in their lifetimes.  This does not immediately lead to someone committing suicide but make no mistake – this type of situation is only the fault of the person himself who did not continue to take the responsibility to get the training & experience necessary to make a living for himself & his family.

 

Some of the real long time subscribers to RTE will remember this contribution from 2007 from one of several doctors who subscribe to RTE:

 

"I thought about what we talked the other day. I would like to add the following to what you wrote about depression.  It looks like your friend was an example of burnout in which body and mind are strained, developing emotional and physical fatigue due to high stress. The involved person becomes overwhelmed and depleted of energy. Sadness, anger or indifference can set in.  Since burnout is a physical and psychological response that is connected to feelings about a work situation, it is important to attend to the mind as well as the body.  Burnout, if not treated leads to or reactivates depression.  Some of the other symptoms are: Powerlessness, hopelessness, drained, frustrated, detached from people and things, insecure about one's competence and abilities. The person's relationships fall apart, productivity drops, work deteriorates and the end result is suicide if the condition is not detected and treated."

 

The purpose of this post is to help all of us detect the symptoms of friends or family that can be treated in time.

 

1.  A person dies by suicide every 16 minutes in the U.S.

2.  A suicide attempt is made every minute of every day.

3.  Depression is the leading cause of suicide.

4.  One in twelve teenagers will attempt suicide.

 

Warning Signs:  If you know someone with one of these signs look for another.  If you find a second sign look for help.

 

1.  Depressed mood.

2.  Loss of interest in usual activities.

3.  Change in appetite or weight.

4.  Change in sleeping patterns.

5.  Speaking &/or moving with unusual speed or slowness.

6.  Decreased sex drive.

7.  Fatigue or loss of energy.

8.  Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach or guilt.

9.  Diminished ability to think or concentrate.

10.  Reckless behavior.

11.  Withdrawal from family, friends, & society.

12.  Thoughts of death.

 

Prevent Suicide:

 

1.  Be willing to listen.

2.  Be non-judgmental.

3.  Become available.

4.  Don't be sworn to secrecy.

5.  Get help from local crisis intervention agencies, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline @ 800-273-TALK.

 

Hope that this post can help save someone's life through your awareness & action.  My dear friend who committed suicide had far too many of the above warning signs that none of us recognized as potentially suicidal.