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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

NZ’s dirty suicide rate


Promise to tackle the killer in our midst
New Zealand's suicide rate has fallen 19 per cent in a decade, but 500 Kiwis still end their own lives each year, and Mr Anderton said the new action plan would include details of every action to help curb the death toll, the timeline and the government department that would be held accountable. "It is a promise. It means someone can be made responsible and accountable."

Well it’s a start I suppose, something our friends on the right hate mentioning is how our suicide rates trebled during the Roger Douglas right wing revolution where economic policy replaced social policy and it’s continuation under National – when you look at the massive resources spent on lowering the road toll, it’s embarrassing to see that the social fallout of suicide is not given the same amount of money to reduce a suicide death toll that is larger than our national road toll. Pushing teenagers onto pills – most of which seem to have less placebo effect than a lolly, and have a tendency of actually creating suicidal thoughts in teenagers, is not a solution, and the time taken to get this policy up and running is another indictment on the way we treat mental illness in this country.

18 Comments:

At 25/3/08 10:24 am, Blogger Blair said...

Oh what bullshit. You never let the facts get in the way of a good story do you Bomber? Yes the suicide rate went up about 25% in the eighties, but to say it tripled and simplistically blame it on Roger Douglas is pulling a lot out of your arse in one go.

 
At 25/3/08 10:37 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If a person feels their life is to miserable to carry on it might be better to end it.

What is the point of a life of isolation and misery.

Bomber is an example, he mouths off and goes to committee but what does he do to include his neighbors in life - not just him most people prefer to exclude others, thats why comittee are so good for them they can pretend to care while keeping a safe distance from those they secretly look down on.

People don't want good works and councelling they want someone to go to a movie with or to invite them to a BBQ.

Money is no answer look around you and try including people for a chance - either that or leave them alone and mind your own superior business.

 
At 25/3/08 11:39 am, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Ahhh, Blair, one of my friends on the right, you never like that stat do you mate?

oh and as for this clown...
Bomber is an example, he mouths off and goes to committee but what does he do to include his neighbors in life - not just him most people prefer to exclude others, thats why comittee are so good for them they can pretend to care while keeping a safe distance from those they secretly look down on.


mate you aren't even making sense with this - goes to committee? What? Are you on your meds? And what do you know about my neighbours? We had a great ole time with them during Easter weekend - what are you on about?

 
At 25/3/08 11:42 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bomber really is a nasty piece of work.

 
At 25/3/08 12:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can we realistically expect the govnt to make teenagers happier?

It can't even teach many of them to read and write properly.

 
At 25/3/08 12:29 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon says ...
Bomber is an example, he mouths off and goes to committee but what does he do to include his neighbors in life - not just him most people prefer to exclude others, thats why comittee are so good for them they can pretend to care while keeping a safe distance from those they secretly look down on.

Bomber says...
Are you on your meds?

Anon responds...
Bomber really is a nasty piece of work.

Answer - yes bomber, Anon is off their meds AND a little titchy about it. If you don't like the mud Anon, don't fling it.

But best comment was the above poster

 
At 25/3/08 2:38 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Couple of points ... firstly, to assume that the medication is unnecessary is rash and undermining those people who need it and the doctors who prescribe it. Sure it doesn't work for some people, but it certainly does for others.

Secondly, the biggest age bracket for suicide in NZ (I believe) is teenagers. The chances of suicide increasing within this age group because of Rogernomics is pretty slim - most kids don't really care about economics until they are saving for or have bought their first house.

NS

 
At 25/3/08 3:33 pm, Blogger Blair said...

You're correct, Bomber, I don't like made-up statistics. I would suggest you stop doing that if you want to be taken seriously, but such a lofty goal might be beyond your reach.

 
At 25/3/08 4:13 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone wants to delegate - its all someone elses fault and responsibility - maybe its yours (and mine).

Unhappiness/loneliness/exclusion/ isolation/rejection/sarcasm/condescension / sanctimony /cruelty/abuse/bullying/ridicule/unkindness etc ….. (whether you are creating it or at the receiving end it) are not mental illness or the government’s fault. They are not behaviours designed to make other people feel better, they are designed to make those who do it feel better, the people who have to put themselves up by putting other people down.

Look at your own behaviours and attitudes, everyday we call all choose to add to peoples misery or do things that are likely to create good feelings in others. People whose raison d'etre it to always prove to everyone how right and superior they enjoy hurting people and adding to their misery.

We can all choose whether we do things to help to make people feel better or worse, problem with people like bomber is its all about him felling better, if only his type could stop worrying about themselves and focus on someone else for a change.

Look at what you are doing to and for the people around you and what you can do to improve things - if you can't be bothered then just keep on being right and blaming the government.

 
At 25/3/08 5:47 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wahts wrong with my spwelling? I am a valueble member of society and can vote!

 
At 25/3/08 9:02 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The factoid that's normally quoted is a trebling of NZ males' youth suicide rate over the 1980s. I haven't done the sums but the graph here http://www.stats.govt.nz/analytical-reports/young-new-zealander/suicide-rate.htm
suggests that's in the right ballpark.

It's fairly uncontroversial that the trigger for this increase was the social dislocation that followed a massive upheaval in New Zealand society - if only because, well, what else could it have been? A glut of cheap handguns on the market, or more carbon monoxide emitting Japanese car imports to help gassers, perhaps - but that's unlikely. Suicides increase when social ties break down, and no-one is arguing that didn't happen in the 1980s, on a huge scale (esp in small town NZ).

To blame Roger Douglas personally is a bit rough, however, and to conclude that the reforms of the 1980s (and 90s) should never have happened, is another matter entirely.

 
At 25/3/08 9:57 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Couple of points ... firstly, to assume that the medication is unnecessary is rash and undermining those people who need it and the doctors who prescribe it. Sure it doesn't work for some people, but it certainly does for others.
The incredibly high level of Drs ready to hand out medication is the issue that needs to be examined, not the claim that the majority of those on these drugs have a placebo effect.

Secondly, the biggest age bracket for suicide in NZ (I believe) is teenagers. The chances of suicide increasing within this age group because of Rogernomics is pretty slim - most kids don't really care about economics until they are saving for or have bought their first house

No it is men in their late 20s, early 30s now, which stays inh line with Bens call above.

You're correct, Bomber, I don't like made-up statistics. I would suggest you stop doing that if you want to be taken seriously, but such a lofty goal might be beyond your reach.
Blair this coming from you is a bit rich.

Ben -singling one person out is rough, you are right Roger, Ruth and the entire Chicago School of Economics are to blame, I'd add Ann Ryand, but I think she was dead.

 
At 26/3/08 1:06 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought the NZ 'cure' was some expensive TV ads and tea with Paul Holmes.

Tell us bomber what is your contribution, - either to the problem or to improving the situation.

If you feel you have nothing to offer as you are now, I suppose one option available to you is to go back to school and become a person with something to offer.

As far as I can tell there is no worldwide shortage of useless, ugly, big mouths but there is a serious shortage of doctors and other qualified processionals.

Maybe if you became useful you would feel better about yourself and wouldn’t need so much hate to cope with your own impotence.

If you can't (or won't) help as least stop spreading hate and abuse and making things worse.

 
At 26/3/08 7:42 am, Blogger Bomber said...

...
I'm on the board of trustees and was a founding board member of the new Youthline Board for almost 4 years, Youthline is one of the largest groups in this sector providing counselling services and many down stream face to face counselling services as well, anything from eating disorders to pregnancy support - we raise money through our huge volunteer base and recieve very little support from the Government in this incredibly important field.

It's always the anonymous posters isn't it?

 
At 26/3/08 8:02 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ouch, that's a burn! No wonder they never post a name, who would have wanted to have walked into that? There was Anon all puffy and posturing, throwing around the word 'Hate' with very little idea of what you do Bomber, and POP, there's the list of things you do. I wonder if they will quietly not post again? I wonder if they'll blush when they read that?

 
At 29/3/08 11:12 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It’s not what about how many committees and feel-good, safe, comfortable, ego boosting, self promoting boards you sit on, its about what you do and achieve - or don’t do and don’t achieve.

Good works are a cop out for people who don't want to get genuinely involved or get their hands dirty, gives you even more to brag and feel superior about though, that’s what its really about isn’t it.

Volunteers are usually being paid what exactly they are worth.

Like those who ‘pray’ for people – it’s all a useless delusion and way of avoiding actually doing anything of real value.

I don't blush I vomit at board member and committee types, they make me sick with their self righteous smugness.

Still at least you are not wasting taxpayers money, if you want to sit on a cosy board and pat each other on the back at least pay for it yourself.

Did you post that yourself Bomber so you would have an excuse to remind us (as if we could ever forget) how wonderful you are.

 
At 31/3/08 4:48 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
GRIN - you have to love it don't you, 'well what do you do bomber' then I tell him, hey I help run the largest youth based counselling service in the country and have done so for the past 4-5 years and what do I get - "I vomit on you" - yucky, what a bitter sad wee chap you are.

 
At 31/3/08 7:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Doing is not achieving, well it achieves - self importance for you but nothing else.

This committee crap is as much use as 12 step programs - no use at all, in fact its an insult to people.

 

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