Episode 82 - Warning Signs of Depression and Suicide

Transcription

Hi everybody and welcome back to the Alopecia Angel Podcast. I am your host,  Johanna Dahlman and today I wanted to talk about suicide. So just to preempt you a  little bit, if you have sensitive ears or if you're with somebody who has sensitive ears,  then I would say pause this podcast and listen to it at another time. Really, the objective  is to understand the facts and figures about it. Understand mental health just a little bit  more.  

I love facts. I'm a person all about numbers and looking at increasing and how things  can be better in this case, and unfortunately in this article that I'm about to share with  you, suicide is on the rise and it's quite devastating to read these numbers and to see  how it affects everybody, our communities, our families, our friends, our economy, and  so much more. I wanted to also talk about the warning signs and what to look out for,  because I know as someone who does see people who can be and maybe potentially  are in a very delicate state, the thought of ending your life does probably cross at some  point for some, not all. 

For some, and definitely within the alopecia community, we've seen this. And so this is  something that I wanna bring to light because even those who are very strong  personalities, even those who are very courageous and brave and fight through this, as  many say, they also succumb to the bullying, they also succumb to the emotions and  the rollercoaster that going through hair loss has an effect on us and does take us  through those moments of despair and moments of weakness, moments of darkness.  

There is light at the end of the tunnel. We know that we can heal from alopecia and in  this case, this is where I wanted to talk about, the suicide nature within alopecia and  within the alopecia community. However, more importantly, suicide for various reasons,  whether health related or not is on the rise in general. And this is also something that I  wanted to bring about because it's not just about suicide within the alopecia community,  but also in the bigger scale.  

And so whether or not you have loved ones who are, who have alopecia or not, which  probably you do, but at the same time, maybe they're not the one who's suffering from  mental health or depression or anxiety. Maybe it's somebody else within your circle.  Maybe it's somebody else within your network.  

And this is why knowing the signs and understanding could be a lifeline for some and  could be a lifeline for many of those who maybe don't see it. And it reminds me a lot of  this little girl who was 12 years old, she had alopecia universalis, and around two years  ago or so, she committed suicide. 

On the outside everyone saw her, as accepting her alopecia and living life to her best  life, and so on and so forth. And then at the end of it, she committed suicide and  blindsided her whole family. And so her parents were completely shocked. Didn't see it  coming, never saw the signs and this is a tragedy. This is a problem because it could  have been avoided, it could have been eliminated. Had potentially family and friends  saw the signs or potentially had somebody try to help her, to reach her in another way  and, and that's just it.  

This illness is isolating because obviously no one knows what you're feeling because  they've never been through it. Right. Just like all the doctors and dermatologists that I've  seen, they don't know how to help me because they've never really gone through it and  their medical textbooks are to a certain extent, very limited.  

And so this is the issue, is that when people don't understand, when they can't relate,  then you are isolated. You are on an island. And I felt that. I felt the island, I felt  completely alone. And yes, my fiancé at the time, who's now my husband, helped me  emotionally to an extent, but to the other extent I was on, I was on by myself. I had to  pick up myself. I had to pick myself up from those times where I was crying on the  bathroom floor from those times where I couldn't get outta bed. 

It takes a lot of willpower, it does. And this is where if you know someone who's going  through alopecia or just a hard time in general, even with or without the hair loss  component in it, then be the strong rock that they need, be the strong person, therefore  them. One of my best friends deals with depression and she has it, her whole family  actually has it, and her whole family's actually medicated. She's been trying to get off  medications for the longest time and it's been a rollercoaster. I don't understand  because I'm not in her shoes. Just like no one understands you cuz , they're not in your  shoes with going through hair loss. I understand. I've been there, I've done that and I've  come out the other side and I know. Coming out the other side for you is possible. 

In terms of being diagnosed with depression since the day you were born, I don't  understand this. I don't know. I'm an eternal optimist, even through my darkest times,  I'm an eternal optimist and I think that's the only thing that really keeps me going is that I  know there's a way out. 

I always know there is, and I focus on faith and I focus on moving forward. Cuz forward  is the only way. And so, with this article that I wanted to share, that I received from Dr.  Mercola. You can go to his website, drmercola.com and get it there. I received this  article and I wanted to bring it to light for those of you who don't have the chance to read  or don't have the time to go to the website, but I wanted to bring it to you because the  statistics that are shared, the facts and figures are staggering, and it means that people  at a second or third, or even a fourth degree are dealing with this silently and no one  knows.

In many ways it reminds me of alopecia. I was dealing with it silently and no one knew  except for my intimate family, which they knew better not to ask me about at any point.  No one asked me that was it. I was diagnosed, they knew about the diagnosis, and no  one asked me anything else. Because it triggers, it's very triggering. 

And so these are things that I'm sure you can put yourself in this own situation and see,  “Ok, where have I felt anxious?” “Where have I felt depression?” Luckily, I'd never  thought of suicide during my time with alopecia, but that's not to say that I'm immune,  that's not to say that I never thought about suicide at any given point of my life. I  remember times where I was in arguments with my mom when I was a teenager, and  those thoughts lingered in my mind. It never came to fruition, but they ran through.  

So it's that type where it can happen at any point. And so it's a) To be aware b) To be  more cognizant of others as well, even though we all have a lot going on. And then c) To  be the rock, to be a helping hand at any point, at any given time. That may be you see  and know of someone who's dealing with a situation where they can't, they feel  hopeless with. So that's an opportunity for us to do better. And so let me get into this  article and share it with you. 

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the US, affecting more than  16 million Americans and the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.  Disability meaning people who can't go to work, people who can't get out of bed, people  who can't function as normal humans as normal parents. 

Because of the depression between 1999 and 2016, suicide increased by 28% across  most American demographics. In 25 states the suicide rate rose by more than 30%.  Between 2008 and 2015, the number of children hospitalized for either thinking about  suicide or attempting suicide double among girls aged 10 to 19. 

The suicide rate rose by 70% between 2010 and 2016. Those are pre pandemic years.  But yet the suicide rate rose already 70% in the age group of 10 to 19. In 2016, nearly  45,000 Americans committed suicide, making suicide the 10th most common cause of  death that year. Along with drug overdoses and Alzheimer's disease suicide is one of  the leading causes of death that are on the rise.  

Know the common causes of suicide, the warning signs that someone may be  contemplating suicide and how you can help them. Now this article goes into how there  are many factors. That are involved. Of course, they also promote and say that a, a  holistic perspective is best not necessarily taking drugs or taking antidepressants or  taking medications, as many of these have negative side effects. 

Going back to my best friend who is going through depression herself, she's on this new  medication and she's had insomnia. For the last six days. Six days, and she can't sleep.  And so this is a situation that can happen and it's happening to her right now. And she  feels helpless and I feel helpless because I can't help her.

And, you know, it's something that she needs to discuss with her doctor and to see  where they can find a happy medium. But at the same time, this article states that going  the medication route is not necessarily the ideal, and it's not the end all, be all.  

And with alopecia especially, we already know it doesn't work. With depression, I've  heard both sides of the story. Some say it does, some say it doesn't. But what I'd like to  say is that holistic perspective is the best perspective. You know, we gotta do more for  ourselves than just pop pills. We have to do more for ourselves. For our mind, body,  spirit than what doctors are just alluding to, which is just take a prescription.  

So there's much more to it. This article talks about Kate Spade, who is a fashion  designer, the celebrity chef and TV personality, Anthony Bourdain. And I'm gonna go  ahead and add in Robin Williams, who is an actor and comedian who also took his life. 

Those three took their lives and it was a by complete shock by their family and friends.  With Bourdain, he was in France working on upcoming episode with Kate Spade. She  had never discussed any problems or any issues or any struggles and yes, she had  been taking medications and then yet, she took her own life and yet the suicide was a  complete shock. I will say, and I will go on to say that there are some medications out  there that do encourage suicide. One in particular that I can think of, and I only say this  cuz I've taken it myself when I was early in my twenties, is Accutane.  

Accutane is an acne medication. It's for very, very severe cystic acne. And this actually  kind of contributed to my health and wellness journey, was this cystic acne that I had  growing up and it was intense. I was on Accutane five times and not once was I told that  a) It had a black box warning or that it potentially could lead me to committing suicide,  which if you look up Accutane and suicides, you'll see like a lot of young kids did commit  suicide because of being on Accutane. So that was one of the side effects, and I had no  idea. The only other side effect that I knew about was having essentially deformed  fetuses if I were to get pregnant. I wasn't sexually active during this time, and so, that  was never a concern.  

Medications can also cause this attempt for suicide. And so this is also the other. Side of  the story that I'd like to share on a personal note as well, since I had had taken  Accutane five times in my twenties. So going back to the article in 2023, on the heels of  Covid, depression rates reached new highs with 29% of US adults reporting they had  experienced depression at some point in their lives. 

Depression can be a terminal illness of a person continually attempts and eventually is  successful at taking their own life. Tragically. Suicide has risen sharply among children  and teens. This simply must speak to some deeper societal problems at work, although  antidepressants may play a role in. Some of these cases as well. 

So this is essentially saying that some of the medications that are given also backfire,  this is not the first time that we've seen this in history of medications that they tend to  backfire. And with alopecia, they do backfire and they don't work. But this one is talking  specifically about antidepressant.

Many antidepressants are known to increase the risk of suicide in children, teens, and  young adults. Yet, despite such warnings, these drugs are still often prescribed for  younger people. This is a problem. According to statistics, between 1999 and 2016,  suicide increased by 28% across most American demographics. 

In 25 states, the suicide rate rose by more than 30%. Between 2008 and 2015, the  number of children hospitalized for either thinking about suicide or attempting suicide  doubled among young girls, ages 10 to 19. The suicide rate rose 70% between 2010  and 2016, along with drug overdoses and Alzheimer's, suicide is one of the three  leading causes of death that are on the rise. 

So these are the 12 warning signs of suicide and how to help. While some are better at  keeping their depression and any thoughts of suicide well hidden, even from the ones  they love, it's important for everyone to recognize the warning signs and what they can  do to help. 

According to the CDC, which is the center of disease control for the United  States, the 12 warning signs that someone may be contemplating or getting close  to suicide are: 

#1 Feeling like a burden.  

#2 Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.  

#3 Increased anger or rage.  

#4 Sleeping too little or too much.  

#5 Being isolated.  

#6 Increased substance abuse.  

#7 Extreme mood swings.  

#8 Talking or posting about wanting to die. 

#9 Increased anxiety.  

#10 Looking for a way to access lethal means.  

#11 Expressing hopelessness. 

#12 Making plans for suicide. 

If you notice one or more of these signs, take the following five steps to help:  

#1 Ask how they're feeling and if they're considering ending their life, or if they have a  plan to do so. 

#2 Don't let them be alone and do your best to keep them safe.  

#3 Make yourself available to them.  

#4 Reach out to them daily and help them connect to others.  

#5 Follow up. If you live in the US and are having thoughts of suicide, call the National  Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or you can text 741741 for the crisis text  line. And if you are in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts, call 988 for immediate  assistance.  

Depression is not the sole cause of suicide. An important yet overlooked contributor to  depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders is exposure to wifi as noted by Julie  Beck. In her thoughtful article, when will people get better at talking about suicide?  Published in The Atlantic. 

There are other, according to the CDC, contributing factors to suicide in 2015 include  the following: Relationship problems, substance abuse, work or financial problems, loss  of housing, a crisis in the past or upcoming two weeks. A physical health problem,  criminal or legal problem, and the physical health problem has a 22% rate. Relationship  problems are 42% substance abuse, 28% loss of housing, 4% work or financial  problems, 16%  

In 2023 the CDC reports that a range of factors now contribute to suicide risk, including  all of the above reasons, as well as bullying, job loss, lack of access to healthcare,  discrimination and more. 

So those are some ways that we can see and help and understand the signs, the  warning signs, and how to help our loved ones and our friends and families. In regards  to anyone who we may think that potentially is going through a severe depression and a  suicidal attempt. Or maybe is just contemplating it. 

It is a very difficult subject to even talk about. It's a very difficult subject to even think  about. And like most things when it comes to blind spots, this could be a blind spot for  many in terms of not really understanding the full spectrum of it, the full perspective of it,  and even more so if it's.  

Let's say within your child. For parents having a child with alopecia, this can be a bigger  situation because the parent feels the emotions, the child feels the emotions 

Again, the child feels isolated. They do, even though they have the parents there as  support, but they really do feel isolated because no one understands them. No one's 

been in their shoes. And I will say that this is where coaching helps. This is where  coaching helps, and this is where I've seen that coaching does help. 

I've dealt with many young children, with many children from ages, from two to 22 and  when I'm able to speak to them, when I'm able to relieve their concerns and demolish  any of their negative thinking and turn it into a positive light, either with examples from  clients, or with the interviews that I have or from coaching calls or just from experience  really of helping others overcome this obstacle, then they see the light, then they're able  to understand that it's possible for them too. 

Sometimes we understand things better when it comes from a third party and not  necessarily from those closest to us. Coaching works miracles, and I've seen so much  magic happen in our coaching calls, and so this is huge. This also breaks down walls  when we're talking and we're having coaching calls.  

I'm here to help. I'm here to be of service and this is the mission behind Alopecia Angel  is to help and serve and to really reach anyone and everyone who wants to heal and  reverse this because it is possible with this. I look forward to speaking to you next time  in our podcast. All the best. 

Take care.