Culture Ministry worries of suicidal trend

BANGKOK: -- Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch on Wednesday said that he felt worried about increasing of suicide in Thai society, saying parents should observe their children.

Referring to a suicide by a Burapha university student who jumped to death out of stresses, Teera said, "parents should bring children who are risky of commting suicide to see doctors. Teachers should also cooperate with families to take care of them.

There were offices to help children in troubles such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Rajanagarindra Institute, 02-3548300-1323 Hot Line and www.icamtalk.com.

-- The Nation 2009-05-27

Well, it's rare enough that I would say so, but the Culture Ministry appears to be up to something good finally- though little is said about what the young should do if their parents/schools are the REASON they want to commit suicide.

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist. I'm not a big believer in touchy feely stuff, but I think adolescents benefit more from someone to talk with than dosing with the pills. Too many taboos to overcome I guess.

Shouldn't it be the Finance Ministry as the lack of any real chance of making a good living is driving people over the edge.

All our Thai friends tell us the last 3 or 5 years are not really what Thai people are like.

Well really all the unbelievable events and upheaval is a true reflection of what Thai people and society is like and their wish for people to believe otherwise is just part of the asian ego building exercises we see everywhere everyday.

What people think is more important than what happens - Welcome to a third world country going backwards.

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist.

I'm suprised they aren't prescribing antibiotics for mental health problems, because they give them for everything else.

A lot of youngsters suffering from depression need both medication and therapy. The medication can help alleviate the symptoms long enough for the therapy to begin to help.

Problem with adolescents is that they are terribly impulsive and might do something impulsively.

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist.

I'm suprised they aren't prescribing antibiotics for mental health problems, because they give them for everything else.

Not so sure, if you read the Pattaya Post, it's more infectious than "Mexican" flu.

I remember reading an article on mental illness in Thailand. Given that:

a)people don't like to admit it's in the family and it's traditional associations with black magic & supernatural phenomena (see Thai TV!)

the socio-political cultural pressures of non-expression, non-reaction repression and internalisation of emotions

c)Poverty, lack of opportunity, limited rights and education, alcoholism, institutionalised corruption, lack of empathy outside immediate family/pressures of responsibility to immediate family.

d) Lack of available medication, trained psychotherapists, prevalance of cheap psychotropic drugs (see institutionalised corruption)

d)Can't be arsed to list anymore but you get the general picture. I guess most take the slow whisky and fags route, but a big percentage go for the drain cleaner/railway track/policemans bullet.

e) almost forgot: thinking too-o-o much!!

Edited May 28, 200917 yr by seri thai

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist. I'm not a big believer in touchy feely stuff, but I think adolescents benefit more from someone to talk with than dosing with the pills. Too many taboos to overcome I guess.

Kids need to talk things out,

if teachers and parents are to busy or closed minded,

there MUST be an outlet other than their peers for this

discusion of how to move forward in life and handle it's pressures.

Medication only slows the process in most cases, doesn't resolve it.

Yes there certainly ARE people with organic mental dysfunctions,

and many CAN benifit from medications, but the grand majority of students

too often are not trained properly to deal with the pressures they will face.

Usually a child's depression is from:

not fitting in

not learning fast enough, often compared to parental expectations

not having an aptitude for something the once imagined they wanted

Going to a university and finding yourself grossly under-prepared,

often from a parent making teachers pass a student who shouldn't have passed

yet a bit of tea money saved the family face... till the kid hits the brickwall of university.

Not to mention a

a budding love life and it's misunderstandings

They need SOMEONE competent and discrete to let it all out.

No absolutes here of course: each child is a unique being deserving of unique treatment.

Edited May 28, 200917 yr by animatic

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist. I'm not a big believer in touchy feely stuff, but I think adolescents benefit more from someone to talk with than dosing with the pills. Too many taboos to overcome I guess.

How VERY true! Your "someone to talk with" phrase.

Putting aside, as is now a daily event, the Absolutely Awful English of a once good newspaper, let me tell you a true and tragic tale.

In Lamphun, some 13 years ago, there was a small Anglo-Dutch light engineering company seeking young Thai men who were keen on vehicles and prepared to learn how to weld. The senior Thai partner was told by the Abbot of her local temple that a young novice about to leave (early 20's) could be a good employee.

He was interviewed and seemed ideal. Bright, polite, willing to learn etc etc. His only request was that as soon as he left the temple he wanted to go to Mae Hong Son to see his former girlfriend and try to re-start the relationship. After that he would visit his elder sister in Bangkok, then return to Lamphun to start work.

All this was agreed. Some 2 weeks later, the Thai director received a phone call from the owner of a cheap students' dormitory in Bangkok.

"We've found your name and phone number on the body. He hanged himself in his room last night. What do you want to do about it?"

He had left a note to say that the former girl friend had turned him down, that he had searched Bangkok for a week and failed to find his sister, so he had "nothing left" in life. And apologised for the trouble his death would cause.

Your remark about "taboos" is also correct. It seems to be 'not the done thing' to raise deep personal issues, even with close friends. Is this related to 'greng jai', 'loss of face' etc etc?

Whatever, it's damned tragic. And Thailand's suicide rate is indeed horrendous.

Too bad they didn't comment on the obsession to over medicate with antidepressants on the assumption that poping a pill is easier than access to a qualified therapist.

I'm suprised they aren't prescribing antibiotics for mental health problems, because they give them for everything else.

Not so sure, if you read the Pattaya Post, it's more infectious than "Mexican" flu.

I remember reading an article on mental illness in Thailand. Given that:

a)people don't like to admit it's in the family and it's traditional associations with black magic & supernatural phenomena (see Thai TV!)

the socio-political cultural pressures of non-expression, non-reaction repression and internalisation of emotions

c)Poverty, lack of opportunity, limited rights and education, alcoholism, institutionalised corruption, lack of empathy outside immediate family/pressures of responsibility to immediate family.

d) Lack of available medication, trained psychotherapists, prevalance of cheap psychotropic drugs (see institutionalised corruption)

d)Can't be arsed to list anymore but you get the general picture. I guess most take the slow whisky and fags route, but a big percentage go for the drain cleaner/railway track/policemans bullet.

e) almost forgot: thinking too-o-o much!!

Apparently W.H.O says 60% of mental illness cases in Thailand are diagnosed as schizophrenia, a quick read of the wikipedia article on schizophrenia will give you the experts opinion on causal factors, all are conspicuously prevalant in the land of smiles. Basically social justice and social improvement would reduce that percentage significantly.

Change comes from within........