Suicide Is On The Rise!!

There isn't a week that goes by without me hearing about someone killing themselves. Most of the time, the person who has taken their life, it is an Arab suicide bomber, a criminal, who is on the verge of being arrested, or a person, who is distraught over the loss of money or love. This kind of news does not hit close to home. The person was not someone that I can relate to.

The other day, I read about a suicide the did hit close to home. A 19 year old African American man, Abraham Biggs Jr., committed suicide by taking an overdose of RX medications. His death was video broadcast live over the Internet on a site called Justin.tv. This suicide hit home for me. It reminded me that I had a male cousin who committed suicide around the same age late teens-early twenties. I never got any details about it other than he used a handgun to shoot himself in the head.

Suicide deaths are especially devastating to friends and family. People wonder 'what was so bad that this person felt that the best thing to do was to take their own life. What could I have done to help this person find a reason to cherish life.'

If you look at it honestly, you will see that there are many stigmas the the Black community. There are stigmas about being gay, HIV+, drug addiction, and mental illness. The stigma that is associated with mental illness is rarely discussed. According to some sources, the rate of teenage African-America suicide is up more than 100 percent over recent decades. In my opinion, this increase in suicide deaths among teen in our community is due to a lack of real love and support.

The following article by Herndon L. Davis, was copied without permission from
http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/11/black-teens-suicide-highlights-001380.php:

A 19 year old African American son, brother and friend is dead. Abraham Biggs Jr. committed suicide on Nov. 19 by taking an overdose of pills during a live streaming webcast before an internet audience of strangers.

While some viewers logged onto the broadcast and encouraged him to take his life, others pleaded with him not to do it. Hours later after witnessing no movement in his body, viewers contacted the web site providers who notified the police that discovered his body, all of which was captured online.

Abraham's sister, Rosalind Biggs blasts the website, Justin.tv which allows people to broadcast themselves online ""They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours."

But Abraham's mother explained that "My son, Abraham Biggs Jr, was well-loved and cared for. However, the mental illness of bipolarity and depression got the better part of him.''

The Growth of Suicide and Mental Illness in Black Communities

Mental illness among African Americans, once kept in the "closet" of black families is gradually being more openly discussed but not quickly enough as alarming statistics reveal.

In the past several decades, the suicide rate among young black men has increased more than 100 percent. The American Association of Suicidology reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death among black youth, after homicides and accidents.

And Mental Health America reports that most African Americans who have bipolar disorder live their lives both undiagnosed and untreated because of an over-reliance on family and religious communities; a mistrust of healthcare professionals; a lack of access to mental healthcare and cultural barriers dealing with the stigmas of mental health.

Further, an American Psychiatric Association fact sheet explains that for some disorders, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders, there is a high probability of misdiagnosis because of differences in how African Americans express symptoms of emotional distress.

Sadly, a survey conducted by the National Mental Health Association found that 63% of African Americans feel that depression is a "personal weakness," compared to the overall survey average of 54%. And only 31% of African Americans said they believed depression is a "health" problem.

We Need Help Now

It is now time that more African Americans take seriously the state of their mental health and place it as a higher priority for themselves and for their families. Our continuance as a people depends upon it.

We must also recognize that everyone may have instances where they feel emotionally down or drained. However, persistent symptoms of sadness, loss of interest and energy, thoughts of suicide, or even changes in appetite and sleep patterns lasting for weeks, months or even years are characteristics of clinical depression, also called major depressive disorder.

If this is you, then you are not by yourself. It is estimated that between 20-32 million people in the United States alone will experience major depressive disorder or depression within their lifetime.

In addition to physical changes in the body that can trigger depression, there are many external factors that can cause prolonged depression, including societal racism and discrimination and cultural discrimination.

Hence experiencing depression is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw. But the first step to any recovery is admitting you have a problem. If you are not able to admit that you experience prolonged depressed and/or suicidal thoughts, then you likely remain in a lonely dark closet of denial and shame needlessly.

There is help through therapy and medication

Although Abraham Biggs Jr. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was on medication, he sadly slipped through the cracks of communications with his family and mental health professionals. But Abraham's death hopefully will not be in vain. The discussion surrounding mental illness in black communities will hopefully be a crucial derivative of such an unfortunate event.

For those who think they may be suffering from depression or mental illness, most major corporations offer anonymous-based EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) that can help refer you to assistance. If this is not available where you work, then look online for "depression help" in your city to find nearby assistance.

Remember that help is available; you just need to seek it out.

Herndon Davis is a consultant, author, lecturer and TV/radio host in Los Angeles.