Regarding the suicide option

[Cyrano]

Last week, I went for an annual physical exam.

Aside from the physical aspects of the exam, the doctor asked me many questions such as: How are you sleeping? Do you exercise? Are you satisfied with your energy level? ... a few more abstract questions, and then a series of questions that included a few disturbing ones like, ... "Do you get depressed?" "Do you have a gun in the house?" "Do you ever think of suicide?"

"Do you ever think of suicide???" No doctor had ever asked me that before. I paused before answering and then told him: "I consider suicide as a viable alternative every time I see and hear Trump on a TV screen." He chuckled and told me to stop watching TV news.

Hours later, laying in bed reading, I closed my book because his questions wouldn't get out of my head. And I thought about that suicide question.

It didn't take long for me to grasp why he was asking. Bullied teens in school consider suicide. People going through bad divorces consider suicide. Many veterans with (or even without) PTSD consider suicide every day of their lives. Virtually all human beings consider suicide at one time or another for a broad variety of reasons. Reasons that make us ... human.

But here's the bottom line to why I'm posting this: There are many elderly retirees in Southeastern Florida. And I've heard many variations of anger, disillusionment, disappointment and outright disgust regarding the the current state of America. Most of them blame Trump, the Republican Party, and some of their idiot neighbors or relatives who vote for Republicans.

There's a terrible point to all this: I've heard variations of "I'm glad I'm old and won't have to live through this again." Some have said: "I fear for my children and grandchildren. I thought we destroyed this." And a few have said: "You know, suicide may be the only way to escape this horrible world." Even those who haven't considered suicide believe that, (my words), evil, horrilble, mother f***ers will never go away.

So much for the "Golden Years." Trump, his minions and the fascist Republican Party is infecting America with a rot that is injuring our society and will not go away for a long time to come.

[HopeAgain]

1. There is the world and then there is inner peace

I have to work on inner peace regardless of what goes on out there. I have a spiritual practice that helps with that. But the other thing is to take action. Helping others or getting involved helps with the feelings of powerlessness.

I was really, really bummed out to find out that about half the voters in Florida think somehow that Ron DeSantis is a good idea and that Rick Scott represents their best interest. I decided the best way to get over that depression was to get involved in what is going on and I signed up to be a legal observer for the Broward recount. It may not end up the way I like, but I will feel less depressed knowing I did what I could. At least that's how it works for me.

[Cyrano]

2. Go, HopeAgain. You got involved. You are among the best of us.

[No Vested Interest]

5. It helps to have a mission, a personal purpose.

Often the purpose, the mission, usually directed toward others, toward an individual or a group or humanity in general, is unasked for, not of our choosing, but something placed before us.

It may involve someone very close - a spouse, a child- or a larger group or cause.

Regarding suicide - we are not regularly exposed to the extent of its happening.
One never sees suicide mentioned in an obituary, but we are told suicide is quite common among the elderly.

Perhaps the doctor mentioned in the OP is more familiar with suicide than the average person.

[Hekate]

3. Interesting points. Very.

As for the questions coming from your doc, I have seen my own doc's annual patter get added on to over the years. He asks about seatbelt usage, smoking, and driving with a cell phone. He asks about drinking, recreational drug usage, extramarital sex, and -- finally, one year -- whether I was abused as a child. He jokes about whether I'm pregnant (I'm 71, and the joke is getting a little old, but I just quote the Bible at him regarding Sarah's miraculous old-age pregnancy: "She laughed." )

Now I know to expect questions about guns and suicide. I'm glad they ask these screening questions of everyone -- at least I hope all doctors do. It makes people like you and me think, and opens the way for conversations with at-risk patients.

[Cyrano]

11. I'm so glad to see that the medical profession has begun to

pay as much attention to psychological as well as physical health.

Many doctors are finally becoming aware that they are inseparable aspects of human well being.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. "evil, horrilble, mother f***ers will never go away"

And this country and the world at large haven't done much to chase them away.

WWII was the last time.

If we keep trying to reason with the devil, rather than defeat him, we have no chance at all.

[Wounded Bear]

6. As a Vet, I hear those questions every time I visit...

more or less. Granted, vets have a much higher incidence of PTSD than the general public, but I think those are important questions, given the amount of gun violence out there. And remember, the gun humpers actually aren't lying when they quote gun suicide numbers. Yes, they use it as a distraction, but firearms are a big contributor to suicide rates.

Oh, and BTW, I'm not sure I'd pull those kinds of jokes with my PCP.

[Snake Plissken]

7. He's asking because he's aware of the fact that suicide is on the rise in the United States

And as a doctor he's taking proactive measures to see if his patients may be among those at risk.

More doctors should be taking notice of their patients mental health as well as their physical health.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_the_United_States

[jcgoldie]

8. I've been telling high school kids for years...

In my high school classes I tell them they are the ones who have to live with this world, I will be dead. I'm glad I'm getting old before it completely burns up... but now it looks like I lied to them... I'm only 45 and the latest statistics looks like climate change will have profound effects even before my generation is dead. What a mess.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. Suicides ARE up 25% in the last 20 years or so

Especially among middle aged, working class white men. I think we will see more suicides among Baby Boomers as we get older and sicker, because many of us are not going to have comfortable retirements because of wage stagnation and the loss of traditional pensions. I know unless I win the lottery or marry a rich man, I will have to work until I die. If I get so ill that I can't work, I will probably end my life.

"Even more alarmingly, the suicide rate for Americans in mid-life, ages 35-64, increased between 1999 and 2010 by nearly 30 per cent. This is huge."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-everyone-became-depressed/201305/the-increasing-suicide-rate

[central scrutinizer]

10. Grief

Many older people have experienced a significant loss and in the throes of grief often make poor decisions. My grief counselor said, "do not make any major decisions for at least a year". Don't sell your house, etc. After my wife died from cancer last year, I was an exhausted wreck. I had lots of OxyContin and morphine left over. I took all of that and all the ammunition in the house and gave it to the police for disposal.

[Blue_true]

12. I get down sometimes. But I have never considered suicide.

I am a natural optimist that views a setback as an opportunity to change. But, of course, I have never lost a limb, or had PTSD, so my optimism is from not having to deal with really enormous problems continuously.

[Poiuyt]

13. Sometimes people get depressed for no reason at all

It doesn't have to be tied to some event.

[Honeycombe8]

14. I've thought about even when he's no longer President, he'll still be tweeting & in the news...

spouting his evil maxims, insults, doom and gloom sayings. And he'll be followed by his minions. He'll spout insults about the sitting President, the economy, the White House administration, the judges, the Congress, Jeff Bezos. He'll continue to try to ruin careers and lives. He'll still be crapping from the mouth about murderer immigrants and terrorists from sh*thole countries. Neo-nazis will still revere him.

We'll never be rid of him. However...and this may make me a bad person...I get some hope out of the fact that he's old, morbidly obese, and not in the best of health (despite what that fake doctor who looks like he's on LSD said).

[Revanchist]

15. I won't do it until after my parents have passed.

After that, not sure.

[mahannah]

16. Powerful, but journey on.

[hibbing]

17. Interesting post and thread

Times like these are the only times I'm glad I did not have children. The environmental damage alone from this abhorrent administration is going to be horrendous.


Peace

[onethatcares]

18. well hell yeah suicides are up

we are a generation that has no real savings, we've moved from job to job and what 401 and retirement plans most of us have/had are long gone. But we've watched the rich get richer........exceedingly so.

We've watched our parents die, we've watched them in the nursing homes in and in our own homes and know that it sucks big time. How many of us can afford that?

We haven't the wherewithall to check into a facility. Hell, at a start rate of $2500.00 on up a month, who does? Who really does??

we're just one illness/accident away from homelessness. Now toss in not being able to work due to any reason and life isn't so rosy.

Hell, just talking to friends and aqaintances I find that few have enough money to be cremated let alone buried.

I blame the entire system of united states capitalism for this. not just the political parties.

[elmac]

19. I live in a small community and listen to the local police scanner

mostly during the weekends. What surprises me most is the amount of attempted suicide calls they get. It never used to be this bad but now there seems to be a few every night. I blame the tRump fascists and studies have shown that I am right.

[mwooldri]

20. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I have been suicidal in my past. I do have times where I ruminate on the subject. However we do have to be realistic.