worrying new data FromNational Statistics Office It shows us that more females under the age of 24 die by suicide than since records began. These numbers reflect a whole storm of toxicity for young women, fed by them pandemic And the culture of it Reduces female distress and ask for help. When can we anticipate an assistance package geared to the problems underlying female suicide, which we suicide survivors frequently request? Its absence reflects a complex landscape.
have known for a long time That males are more likely to die by suicide, but females are more likely to feel suicidal and attempt suicide – the gender suicide paradox. male suicide It remains a major concern, and it is imperative that we continue our support for extraordinary organizations such as calm, which targets texts about masculinity that make males feel hopeless and lonely. However, we can and must reserve space to continue this work while being mindful of the plight of female suicide bombers.
What is going to make so many young people Women end their lives? The answer lies in an intoxicating mixture of dangerous metaphors about females and the deterioration of material conditions. S *** – Syndrome of life And insecurity weighs the scales of emptiness, emotions and despair upon us, especially if it is repeated and longevity.
While we are rightly encouraged to believe that the reasons for someone’s suicide are always individual, this can allow us to move away from stresses that we know increase risk, especially if they touch on our collective responsibility to one another.
Social media, for example, is a much more acceptable scapegoat for exacerbating women’s suffering from poverty, untreated chronic mental illness and abuse. Yes, the tendency of females to use social media in a more image-focused manner certainly seems to cause concern, especially if we consider Algorithms That throws at us more than the same thing, even if it is devastating.
However, emphasizing this can depoliticize the work we need to do: from raising the level of opportunity to reducing the extraordinary rise rates From interpersonal violence faced by young women in relationships. We know that these problems are becoming more subscriber, and more severe. While we do nothing about them, we cannot reasonably say we are fighting suicide.
There is missing data here, we must collect data. We don’t collect nearly enough information about suicide in Ethnic minoritiesFor example, neglecting evidence from grassroots organizations that suicide does not necessarily look the same to all of us. Since data and finance are so closely linked in today’s market economy, money is not reaching many people in need.
Nor do coroners think enough about the potential for apparent female suicide female exterminator mask The dynamic in which the abuser repeatedly tells the victim to kill themselves, and they do nothing without them, to the point that they do.
This missing data reinforces an invisible model of suicide in the media as a white male problem: a simplification that probably confuses us all. White men, for example, seem to be particularly susceptible to something called Werther effect The tendency for suicide to be contagious.
Enhancing our idea of what suicide looks like is in all our interests, then. To do this, we have to tackle one of the most dangerous metaphors out there – the idea that young women actively seek attention to a crying wolf.
Psychological health Services should be the only place we can ensure that our expression of pain is taken seriously. The only place where doctors know their research well enough to remember it Previous Attempts Suicide and self-harm are a major risk factor for later suicide. Sometimes the insight, empathy, and care they ought to elicit, are blocked by a misogynistic diagnosis that can enable harmful underestimation.
To keep up with the latest reviews and comments, sign up for our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by click here
this is diagnose Known as borderline personality disorder, it is most commonly given to young women who self-harm and are emotionally “everywhere”. as such Survivors of this diagnosis She told us constantly, not only does he do it Lacks scientific teethBut it enables a therapy that meticulously replicates the often abusive and neglectful tactics behind the breakdown in the first place.
Worse, this diagnosis is given to younger and youngerat a time where Self-harm is on the rise In young women, the cause of a number of deaths Where female autism has been missed Because of the diagnosis overwhelmed.
It is not only doctors who need to be led Grassroots organizations led by survivors Show us what care should look like and what it can look like. We all need to check our assumption that female pain is somehow less serious and come together to ensure distress is always taken seriously.
We can reverse the decline of female mental health together, but to do so we need to integrate female suicide into the picture.
Jay Watts is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and senior lecturer based in London
Jay would like to stress that there are many of us who thought life was unbearable, sometimes for many years, and are very happy to live now. We have strength in numbers. If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organizations for support: innocuous – info@harmless.org.uk; Self injury support (for women and girls); mind; eating disorders; NHS website; Psychological health.
Discussion about this post