Weekly News Roundup Jan 15-21, 2022
Mom Says Son Who Died of Suicide Suffered from ‘Guilt’ Over Dad’s COVID Death – People
January 20, 2022
Anthony Reyes, Jr., 17, died by suicide last year. Reyes’ mother, Stephanie Reyes, says he struggled with mental health issues throughout the pandemic, and in an essay he wrote for one of his classes in August 2020, Reyes said, “The whole coronavirus affected me in many ways, and the way the pandemic affected me the most was through my mental state. With everything being closed, it was becoming increasingly harder to stay home with my depression.” In September, Reyes’ father Anthony Reyes, Sr., died within days of contracting COVID-19. Stephanie Reyes said Anthony Jr. “felt guilty. He felt like he was the one who got us sick. He felt like he was the reason why his dad was gone and we talked to him all the time, and told him, ‘It wasn’t your fault.'”
Survey of Americans Who Attempted Suicide Finds Many Aren’t Getting Care – New York Times
January 19, 2022
A new study has traced an increase in suicide attempts in the US from 2008 to 2019. The study finds that the largest increase in suicide attempts was among women, young adults, unmarried people, people with “less education,” and people who regularly use substances. Adults 50 to 64 saw a significant decrease in suicide attempts. The study looked at survey results and found that many said the cost of mental health care was prohibitive and others said they didn’t know where to go for help or didn’t have transportation. Speaking to the significant advancements and promising interventions in cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment-based family therapy, and dialectical behavioural therapy, Dr. Christine Moutier, the chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said, “One would argue, why haven’t the rates been going down? Until 2018, it’s very clear that those have yet to be made accessible to the general population.”
Running through extreme grief – Running Magazine
January 19, 2022
Lynn Keane lost son Daniel to suicide 13 years ago. Keane was an avid runner and used the activity to cope with her grief. A few days after her son died, she decided to go for a run. Keane says, “I needed to do something normal, and putting one foot in front of the other was so familiar. It was also so healing because I could be alone, I could be outdoors and just scream at the sun, the moon — whatever. I could just be me and cry.” Keane sees movement as a healing act: “I think because you make a commitment to yourself, which requires discipline, and that’s when grit happens. Whether you’re depending on yourself, or your run crew is depending on you to show up, there are all these little habits that come from being a regular runner that builds dependence on oneself.”
Sia Reveals ‘I Was Suicidal’ and ‘Went to Rehab’ After Backlash to Controversial ‘Music’ Film – Variety
January 19, 2022
Artist Sia said that she “was suicidal” following the debut of her first film, “Music,” and the backlash it received. Sia cast a neurotypical actor in the role of an autistic person, which garnered criticism. Following this incident, Sia said, “I was suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab.” She said she was inspired by comedian Kathy Griffin who was open about her own mental health struggles following public criticism. Sia connected with Griffin, and said of Griffin that “She saved my life.”
MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker’s Loved Ones Call to Destigmatize Suicide After His Death – Inside Edition
January 17, 2022
**Method warning** Jeffrey Parker, 56, died by suicide earlier this month. Parker was the CEO of Atlanta, Georgia’s public transportation system. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said, “[Parker’s] family is sharing the news with the public as a way to counter the stigma attached to suicide.”
B.C. woman calls for accountability after TikTok humiliations almost drove her to suicide – CTV News
January 14, 2022
Sharan Preet uses the social app TikTok to express herself and her Indian heritage. Recently, she became a victim of video manipulation, when some of her videos were stolen and the original audio replaced with “incredibly offensive songs.” The videos were reposted with a tag that ensured Preet would see them. She said that “My heart, totally damaged” and explained that the videos made her feel embarrassed and humiliated. Following this incident, she attempted suicide and has since recovered. Sandy Chatha works in law enforcement and regularly uses TikTok. She said she’s heard from 48 women all over the world who have had their videos stolen and manipulated. “We’ve tried to report the accounts, tried to report the videos themselves for multiple things – harassment, bullying, pornographic content – and everything comes back as no violation,” Chatha said.