Startling
I came across a statistic which chocked me today. According to a study done on people suffering from CFS, the average life span is only 55, and suicide is the third most common death. Third.
A quick Google showed that on average, suicide is somewhere around the 10th or 11th most common death among American adults.
I'm shocked... but I also understand it. So frequently the sufferers are given no help, no hope, and often their support group refuses to believe in the disease at all. I wonder how much of that low life expectancy is due to high suicide rate. To me this dramatically underscores the need for better treatment of the condition. If that many people who have it are getting so depressed and hopeless that death is the better option, something needs to be done.
And granted, this is only one study. It's possible other studies would show different results, but I would still wager suicide being high up on the list. When you're out of options and hope, it can look like the best option.
* * * * * * * * *
Since we're already taking a walk through some darkness, let's hang out here for a minute.
Yesterday as I was driving, I realized suddenly I was actually in a good mood, for no obvious reason. My first reaction was to do a mental checklist and see if I had taken any medications recently... because some of them do have side effect of occasional mild euphoria. I quickly realized I hadn't taken anything at all (and my being in the car would have proved it if there were any doubt; I couldn't possibly drive on those meds). I thought it was sad and ironic that my instinctive reaction to a good mood was wonder what chemical was causing it. So, I did a self portrait about it.
I'm Only Happy When I'm High
A quick Google showed that on average, suicide is somewhere around the 10th or 11th most common death among American adults.
I'm shocked... but I also understand it. So frequently the sufferers are given no help, no hope, and often their support group refuses to believe in the disease at all. I wonder how much of that low life expectancy is due to high suicide rate. To me this dramatically underscores the need for better treatment of the condition. If that many people who have it are getting so depressed and hopeless that death is the better option, something needs to be done.
And granted, this is only one study. It's possible other studies would show different results, but I would still wager suicide being high up on the list. When you're out of options and hope, it can look like the best option.
* * * * * * * * *
Since we're already taking a walk through some darkness, let's hang out here for a minute.
Yesterday as I was driving, I realized suddenly I was actually in a good mood, for no obvious reason. My first reaction was to do a mental checklist and see if I had taken any medications recently... because some of them do have side effect of occasional mild euphoria. I quickly realized I hadn't taken anything at all (and my being in the car would have proved it if there were any doubt; I couldn't possibly drive on those meds). I thought it was sad and ironic that my instinctive reaction to a good mood was wonder what chemical was causing it. So, I did a self portrait about it.
I'm Only Happy When I'm High