The
Silent Epidemic: Suicide
More than 40,000 Americans die by suicide every year. This translates to
12.9 deaths per 100,000 population.
National headlines pay little attention to the sobering statistics that
is a scientific measure of progress against the ravages of depression and other
psychiatric disorders.
To be concerned about mental illness and not to
notice the disparity between the number of headlines highlighting deaths from
heroin overdoses (5000 annually) versus from suicide is impossible.
From a psychiatric perspective heroine
fatalities should be included as suicides.
Who would become a heroine addict? Most often someone desperate despairing
and dysfunctional who find some relief in heroine.
Despite common claims of major progress against mental illness our
silent epidemic suggests our progress has not made a big difference in the
lives of many victims of brain disorders.
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