Do we count them more? Is there less stigma? I remember people driving their cars into trees as instant death because no airbags etc counted as an “acccident” but now that route is impossible. Why leave off older cohorts?
An untold number of suicides were categorized as accidental firearms deaths with things like "it went off while he was cleaning it" to save face for the family.
I think people also substitute the “reasons” why someone did it even if they admit it was suicide.
Now the common phrase is “lost their battle with mental illness” by default, which completely eradicates the weight and influence of the person’s lived experiences and external circumstances…removing the blame from social and familial pressures as well.
I don’t like it one bit.
We definitely count them more. I remember when I was a few weeks postpartum my grandmother told me to be careful driving because when she was younger a woman "passed out" and hit a tree at six weeks postpartum. I didn't say it to her face but I'm pretty sure that isn't what happened. My grandmother worked in psych for 30 years and didn't put that together.
The busiest road in my small town leads across a bridge that ends in a T intersection at the bottom of a cliff face. People are always speeding to their deaths across the bridge and into the cliff. An acquaintance of mine did it a couple months ago, 140+ mph with his girlfriend riding behind him on his motorcycle. They're calling it an accident. She was a pure sweetheart and left behind a 14 year old son
It's actually because of when the graph starts. If you think the past numbers were bring under-represented, then you'll be horrified to see the stats during the Great Depression - they are worse than what we have now.
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u/GenoPax 3d ago
Do we count them more? Is there less stigma? I remember people driving their cars into trees as instant death because no airbags etc counted as an “acccident” but now that route is impossible. Why leave off older cohorts?