40 years ago, I made an attempt,which did not succeed-obviously-but having been troubled by recurrent bouts of depression since my teens, I can identify with any lost soul who loses all hope and takes the way out.
My view is that the lockdowns were a scandalous, ill conceived disaster,driven by a confluence of 'experts', dodgy modelling, profiteering on the part of various pharmaceutical concerns, opportunistic politicians, nudging and officious public figures seduced by power: the podium appearances,the dreadful adverts, the management by decree which superseded good governance made my blood boil.
Not all suicides can be attributed to the lockdown lunacy, but I'm convinced that many of those whose lives were ruined fell into unbearable despair.
In the early days -2020-I read of the loss of livelihoods, mounting indebtedness, marital breakdown and loss of access to essential public health services which led many sufferers to end it all.
Correlation is not causation but nonetheless, I think we can be sure that lockdowns contributed.
Whilst I agree that lockdown and the economic situation has indeed contributed to isolation and separation, both of which can trigger old wounds, the increase in issuing of prescription drugs, in particular SSRIs, to people who need to grieve and feel a loss, is, in my experience as a counsellor, out of all proportion. GPs are issuing them to patients like sweets. SSRIs are psychoactive and have serious side effects, one of which is suicidal ideation. Anti depressant depression is also a state I witness often. A cocktail of these drugs and alcohol, also a psychoactive drug, can have devastating and final consequences. Also, more and more psychiatrists, like Professor Joanna Moncrieff and Dr Georgia Ede, are offering important alternative insights that speak to the rise in deaths by suicide. To me, Dr Edes work around how diet affects the mind is critical to address many physical and mental health challenges without pharmaceutical meds and by changes in diet to support brain energy and health.
Thanks Laura as ever. We can hope that those surviving suicide attempts and suicide bereavement are 'positively disintegrated' as can happen (both happened for me) to become physically and emotionally strong; fearless, calm, resilient, and peaceful in our heads, amidst the carnage, so as to lead and help create the new harmonious free humanity emerging from the chaos. See https://PositiveDisintegration.com. Nutrition is the key - especially avoiding addictive toxic ultra-processed foods and drinks, carbs, sugars, pharma and what dehydrates us - and also physical exercise (just daily walking is enough to reset our limbic systems and manage stresses). We are in a spiritual war; a biowar on many fronts including mind-control. We need to maintain our physical emotional and spiritual strength, and bring those responsible for the genocides to justice. Love wins.
I'm no expert, so purely my observation, it appears to me that everything newsworthy is turned into a crisis. For example, be it naming weather storms, issuing weather warnings for strong winds or one inch of snow. Society, particularly the MSM, catastrophise any event let alone an issue such as climate change. The MSM is accusatory and preaches at viewers, many individuals feel guilty for being unable to react to something beyond their control. This nurtures the feelings of helplessness and nihilism. Perhaps that's the intention, to make people feel helpless. No wonder young people suffer so much from anxiety and depression, they are being programmed to believe that there is no future, it's hopeless. Whether you are convinced of an issue such as climate change or not, I think that we should approach this and any other issues by recognising that humans are very capable of adapting and solving problems without resort to panic; all such things can be addressed in a logical, calm manner without wrecking economies and pushing people into poverty.
This is incredibly sad and I'm concerned not just about this but the potential for agoraphobic and hypochondriac conditions people have. I have a hard time believing that this didn't go up as a result of everything that was done.
"The ONS figures need to be interpreted with some caution because there is a delay in coronial inquests, meaning that only 39.3% of the deaths registered in 2024 had a date of death in the same year, and some of the deaths occurred in 2022 and 2021."
I see a rise in suicides like this as an exemplifying of the loss of hope and faith in the general community. If you belong to a community of faith and know that this is not all there is then you have hope. The media deals out hopelessness and nihilism. The narratives are that we have to destroy our way of life to ‘save’ the planet as if it all depends on us.
We told that we are a hopeless bunch who cannot be trusted to know what is best for our families.
Then there is the state sponsored assault on the family.
With the rise in divorce rates many older women are left alone and in need. The loss of putting the other first and the growth of narcissism doesn’t help.
This is Both Tragic & Disastrous. I guess, Politicians Are Indifferent About it, Perhaps even thankful for it... WHY? What di they do in 2020/2021 & Continue to do...
Due to the nature of my work, I am sadly familiar with suicide. From my experience I’d like to add something to this conversation which I feel needs consideration here too:
In the recent past suicide was deemed to be a sin by some organised religions, and as far as I know, it is still prohibited in Islam. It is my belief that an uptick also needs to also take into account changing societal altitudes. Perhaps some suicides are no longer kept secret? Thanks Laura.
In his 2021-22 annual report there is no mention of suicide or vaccines and the only mention of lockdown is in respect of their ability to deliver the coroners service.
40 years ago, I made an attempt,which did not succeed-obviously-but having been troubled by recurrent bouts of depression since my teens, I can identify with any lost soul who loses all hope and takes the way out.
My view is that the lockdowns were a scandalous, ill conceived disaster,driven by a confluence of 'experts', dodgy modelling, profiteering on the part of various pharmaceutical concerns, opportunistic politicians, nudging and officious public figures seduced by power: the podium appearances,the dreadful adverts, the management by decree which superseded good governance made my blood boil.
Not all suicides can be attributed to the lockdown lunacy, but I'm convinced that many of those whose lives were ruined fell into unbearable despair.
In the early days -2020-I read of the loss of livelihoods, mounting indebtedness, marital breakdown and loss of access to essential public health services which led many sufferers to end it all.
Correlation is not causation but nonetheless, I think we can be sure that lockdowns contributed.
I know of 3 suicides which were all, without doubt, due to lockdown.
Whilst I agree that lockdown and the economic situation has indeed contributed to isolation and separation, both of which can trigger old wounds, the increase in issuing of prescription drugs, in particular SSRIs, to people who need to grieve and feel a loss, is, in my experience as a counsellor, out of all proportion. GPs are issuing them to patients like sweets. SSRIs are psychoactive and have serious side effects, one of which is suicidal ideation. Anti depressant depression is also a state I witness often. A cocktail of these drugs and alcohol, also a psychoactive drug, can have devastating and final consequences. Also, more and more psychiatrists, like Professor Joanna Moncrieff and Dr Georgia Ede, are offering important alternative insights that speak to the rise in deaths by suicide. To me, Dr Edes work around how diet affects the mind is critical to address many physical and mental health challenges without pharmaceutical meds and by changes in diet to support brain energy and health.
Thanks Laura as ever. We can hope that those surviving suicide attempts and suicide bereavement are 'positively disintegrated' as can happen (both happened for me) to become physically and emotionally strong; fearless, calm, resilient, and peaceful in our heads, amidst the carnage, so as to lead and help create the new harmonious free humanity emerging from the chaos. See https://PositiveDisintegration.com. Nutrition is the key - especially avoiding addictive toxic ultra-processed foods and drinks, carbs, sugars, pharma and what dehydrates us - and also physical exercise (just daily walking is enough to reset our limbic systems and manage stresses). We are in a spiritual war; a biowar on many fronts including mind-control. We need to maintain our physical emotional and spiritual strength, and bring those responsible for the genocides to justice. Love wins.
I'm no expert, so purely my observation, it appears to me that everything newsworthy is turned into a crisis. For example, be it naming weather storms, issuing weather warnings for strong winds or one inch of snow. Society, particularly the MSM, catastrophise any event let alone an issue such as climate change. The MSM is accusatory and preaches at viewers, many individuals feel guilty for being unable to react to something beyond their control. This nurtures the feelings of helplessness and nihilism. Perhaps that's the intention, to make people feel helpless. No wonder young people suffer so much from anxiety and depression, they are being programmed to believe that there is no future, it's hopeless. Whether you are convinced of an issue such as climate change or not, I think that we should approach this and any other issues by recognising that humans are very capable of adapting and solving problems without resort to panic; all such things can be addressed in a logical, calm manner without wrecking economies and pushing people into poverty.
Interesting essay. I know nothing about either Appleby or Easthope other than what I've read here so my comment is a tentative one:
* Appleby comes across as a natural confirmation bias type... not a tendency you want in a researcher.
* Easthope: "an authority on disaster recovery"....is there any such thing?
(But maybe I've become jaundiced by my own recent essay on 'experts': https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/p/take-me-to-your-experts
This is incredibly sad and I'm concerned not just about this but the potential for agoraphobic and hypochondriac conditions people have. I have a hard time believing that this didn't go up as a result of everything that was done.
"The ONS figures need to be interpreted with some caution because there is a delay in coronial inquests, meaning that only 39.3% of the deaths registered in 2024 had a date of death in the same year, and some of the deaths occurred in 2022 and 2021."
Did you mean 2023?
I see a rise in suicides like this as an exemplifying of the loss of hope and faith in the general community. If you belong to a community of faith and know that this is not all there is then you have hope. The media deals out hopelessness and nihilism. The narratives are that we have to destroy our way of life to ‘save’ the planet as if it all depends on us.
We told that we are a hopeless bunch who cannot be trusted to know what is best for our families.
Then there is the state sponsored assault on the family.
With the rise in divorce rates many older women are left alone and in need. The loss of putting the other first and the growth of narcissism doesn’t help.
Lockdowns and masks definitely are a factor too.
This is Both Tragic & Disastrous. I guess, Politicians Are Indifferent About it, Perhaps even thankful for it... WHY? What di they do in 2020/2021 & Continue to do...
Due to the nature of my work, I am sadly familiar with suicide. From my experience I’d like to add something to this conversation which I feel needs consideration here too:
In the recent past suicide was deemed to be a sin by some organised religions, and as far as I know, it is still prohibited in Islam. It is my belief that an uptick also needs to also take into account changing societal altitudes. Perhaps some suicides are no longer kept secret? Thanks Laura.
The chief coroner is just one of many public servants who have failed in their civic responsibility since 2020.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f06627133c220019cd38a9/chief-coroner-report-2021-2022.pdf
In his 2021-22 annual report there is no mention of suicide or vaccines and the only mention of lockdown is in respect of their ability to deliver the coroners service.