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May is mental health month and last week we found out that Adrian Robinson a 25 year old NFL player committed suicide by hanging himself. He leaves behind a daughter that is less than a year old. I don’t know what was going on with him that he felt that he couldn’t live anymore. I do know that the Center for Disease Control reported that between 1999 and 2004, young African-American males had the highest rate of suicide.
Suicide is more common among Black men aged 25-29 yrs old, and among Black women 15-19 years old, than it is among Whites in the same age brackets. The suicide rate for Blacks aged 15-34 years old, is now higher than it has been in more than fifty years. As women, it’s not a bad idea to remind our men to go to the doctor. We are also going to have to make sure that they do not feel any less of a man because they feel that they need to seek therapy to keep their mental health in check.
Here are some common signs of someone who may be suicidal. Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased and if it seems related to a painful event, loss or change.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself.
- Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun.
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
- Talking about being a burden to others.
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
- Sleeping too little or too much.
- Withdrawn or feeling isolated.
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
- Displaying extreme mood swings.
- Preoccupation with death.
- Suddenly happier, calmer.
- Loss of interest in things one cares about.
- Visiting or calling people to say goodbye.
- Making arrangements; setting one’s affairs in order.
- Giving things away, such as prized possessions.
A suicidal person urgently needs to see a doctor or mental health professional.
In an emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Suicide rates in the White community have historically been higher than in the Black community. In recent years more and more people in our community are committing suicide. With stories like the deaths of Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Freddie Gray, dominating the news cycle, there are so many men in our community that do not believe they have a future. And unfortunately society has made them think that they are second class citizens. I think that it is important that we talk to our men and make certain that they are not allowing the thoughts that others have about them to permeate their mind. Perhaps they need to seek someone to talk about their feelings from all of the crimes that have happened to unarmed Black men and boys.
We know in the last few years several high profile Black women have committed suicide mainly due to some form of depression. Karyn Washington of the For Brown Girls blog was 22-years-old when she committed suicide. Karyn’s mother had died and she could not get past the grief, is what one of her friends offered as an explanation. In December, Titi Branch of Miss Jessie’s committed suicide and it has recently been revealed, according to her sister, that she might have been driven to this drastic action by her boyfriend.
This is a conversation that needs more than a month. Mental illness is real. We have been talking about #BlackLivesMatter well I totally agree and we are losing too many of our people to suicide. Please, if you notice your loved one not being their usual self please talk to them and see if you can help them to get help. If someone tells you they are feeling depressed or have been sad for several weeks please do not dismiss their feelings but get them help. If you have any questions Ask Dr. Renee.
Source: Ask Dr. Renee
Dr. Renee Matthews has appeared on WGN’s “People to People” where she discussed different health topics. She started her media career with her own radio show on ReachMD, a programming source for health professionals. In addition, Dr. Renee has been a featured medical correspondent on Sirius XM’s “Sway in the Morning.”
Twitter: @AskDrRenee
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