Discussion More Americans died by suicide in 2023 than any year on record

[doublecupj]

Despite widespread promotion of suicide hotlines and therapists, suicide rates are at an all time high. Over 50,000 people just in the US died by suicide in the United States.

It's almost like people are choosing to die over real material conditions like late stage capitalism rather than mental illness.

More than 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023 — more than any year on record

The U.S. surgeon general calls mental health the “defining health crisis of our time.” On a special edition of Meet the Press, Kristen Welker dives into the growing crisis and how to solve it.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[divinemistress36]

I bet it's more than 50,000

 

[Worndown]

It was not an easy year to live through

 

[FutureHanger]

It's almost like people are choosing to die over real material conditions like late stage capitalism rather than mental illness.

They know lmao the ruling class are not stupid. it's just more convenient for them to try keep suicidal people alive so they have more consumers and workers whilst pretending suicide is a personal problem so their system isn't challenged.

 

[FuneralCry]

I envy them, to me they are the true fortunate ones for managing to escape from this cruel and futile existence,

 

[pole]

over the past few decades, including recently with the rise of wellness culture in the west, there's been such a profound emphasis on improving the health system by removing barriers and doing a better job to get more people into the system.

now? despite increased access to mental health services being at an all time high, suicide rates continue to soar. again, more people than ever have access to such services, yet people are killing themselves way more now.

it's almost as if treating mental health and suicidal ideation with these one-size-fits-all solutions doesn't actually do anything. instead of addressing the underlying causes for people's pain and suffering, we're made to believe that putting a bandage over these gaping wounds is better.

we're years away from making any substantial progress on the topic of mental health and suicide. right now, your pain and suffering is seen as a sickness, and you need to be diagnosed, medicated, go to therapy, and then out the door.

instead, the broader society is nowhere close to understanding that how we feel is a rational human response to suffering caused by material conditions in our everyday lives. our pain and suffering is very real and it shouldn't be reduced to simply our minds being sick.

the rethinking of mental health and suicide would require the restructuring of different institutions and addressing just how sick society is as a whole due to various social forces. unfortunately, it's much easier for the higher ups to put a bandaid over it and stick to pushing cheap and easy solutions like traditional mental health services and responsibilizing the individual struggling versus tearing the entire thing apart.

 

[Goku Black]

I bet it's more than 50,000

Definitely could but by how much more is unknown, still 50 000 is a LOT.

 

[Slow_Farewell]

what i would have given to be a part of that statistic.
I'm sure out of that number there was someone who was able to execute it in a way similar to what I wanted.

 

[Goku Black]

Imagine if they all had to come via sasu before being allowed to do that

Yeah, I'm sure some did.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I wonder how many were actually mentally ill. I expect some certainly were. But why do they always just put all suicidal people into the mentally ill bracket? Feeling sad and hopeless is a reaction to a situation. Do they really think it's unreasonable to feel sad and hopeless in this world?!! It just seems too easy to me to blame it all on our perception of the world. To blame it all on mental illness. It makes it sound like it's unreasonable to feel unhappy in this world. That all we need are what? Better coping strategies and drugs made by huge pharmaceuticals- who no doubt have buddies in the government. Thanks but suicide sounds more appealing!

 

[caninecomposer]

With the way things are going, I think 2024 will be an even bigger number. Especially with how many people lost their jobs and still can't get work, and rent rates not going down.

 

[Neverfeltdeader]

Well, perhaps if they had better mental health resources, lower cost of health insurance premiums, therapists who actually gave a fuck, maybe just maybe a quarter of that percentage could be saved? Fuck this country and the way they pretend to care about behavioral health. and FUCK 988!

what i would have given to be a part of that statistic.
I'm sure out of that number there was someone who was able to execute it in a way similar to what I wanted.

Me too.

 

[BlazingBob]

I think the suicide rate might have been higher at some point in the 1930s All I know is that I don't see it going down anytime soon the way things are going. With inflation and the cost of everything increasing, I couldn't live if I wanted to especially as someone who's disabled and sick.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

I wonder how many were actually mentally ill. I expect some certainly were. But why do they always just put all suicidal people into the mentally ill bracket? Feeling sad and hopeless is a reaction to a situation. Do they really think it's unreasonable to feel sad and hopeless in this world?!! It just seems too easy to me to blame it all on our perception of the world. To blame it all on mental illness. It makes it sound like it's unreasonable to feel unhappy in this world. That all we need are what? Better coping strategies and drugs made by huge pharmaceuticals- who no doubt have buddies in the government. Thanks but suicide sounds more appealing!

It's easier to rationalize it as just people being mentally ill rather than put any in the effort in actually listening to people and creating real changes that have a positive impact on the well-being of our society.

 

[MatrixPrisoner]

Society and humanity is getting exponentially worse, so I imagine these numbers will get exponentially worse every year. I'm predicting the graph to go parabolic.

 

[offtoseethewizard]

I reckon Covid the virus has something to do with it. I got all my issues after I got my second booster. A lot of people have committed who have had long Covid, and a small but significant number from rare vaccine side effects like ME, visual snow, tinnitus and respiratory ALS which mimic long Covid symptoms

Though I was smoking dope too. Never had an issue for 10 years though until the vaccine.

I'm sure it's a lot of different issues though

 

[Celerity]

50,000 against the population of the entire USA seems like a drop in the ocean, but that's still almost an entire town of people dead by their own hand every year. It would be a national emergency if a whole town of 50K just went up in flames and killed everyone there.

Really puts into perspective how many people feel the same way. I feel so alone most of the time outside this site. It's why I keep returning here even after I fail to acquire the nerve or lasting desire to finally put an end to my life.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

50,000 against the population of the entire USA seems like a drop in the ocean, but that's still almost an entire town of people dead by their own hand every year. It would be a national emergency if a whole town of 50K just went up in flames and killed everyone there.

Really puts into perspective how many people feel the same way. I feel so alone most of the time outside this site. It's why I keep returning here even after I fail to acquire the nerve or lasting desire to finally put an end to my life.

It's the relentless climb in the rate year after year that is concerning. A difference in 20,000 people over the course of 30 years. All this focus on mental health and nothing seems to stem the increase at all.

Of course, I wouldn't trust the psychological establishment to understand what's going on, either.