The Revolutionary Ketamine. Suicide. Why Ketamine?
Chapter One excerpt
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SUICIDE. WHY KETAMINE?
“All it takes is one small change on the earth to make a world of difference.”
—Anonymous
Suicide is a tragedy usually preceded by plenty of pain and drama; every suicide touches hundreds of lives; this number is even higher if the victim is a school-aged child. “Every suicide ends one life – but rolls a grenade into the lives of many others,” says Gavin de Becker, best-selling author of the Gift of Fear. He experienced that firsthand when his mother ended her life after a long struggle with heroin addiction, and he’s experienced it every day since, despite 50 years having passed.
I was only seven years old when my grandfather died by suicide. Upon learning that he would require home oxygen for life, he put a shotgun to his chest, pulled the trigger, taking his own life. Just like that, he was gone in a single moment. I vividly remember my grandmother, father, and his eight siblings crying as I had never experienced before. Why would someone want to take their own life, I thought to myself. This was certainly too much for a 7-year-old to process. I have thought about my grandfather’s suicide many times since; it truly was a grenade rolled into the middle of the family and blowing it apart.
Thomas Insel MD, the leading voice of the psychiatric establishment in America and former director of the Mental National Institutes of Health explained,
“Modern medicine has been successful at bending the curve, or decreasing deaths, in almost every disease known to man - cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, malaria, and others. But suicides have never decreased in over thirty years, despite increasing awareness and numerous medications for suicide and depression.” (Insel - PC).
Suicide occurs worldwide, more people die from suicide than in all wars and homicides combined. It affects all individuals, every nation, race, culture, religion, and gender. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global suicide rate for nearly all ages has been increasing for 30 years. The rate rises and falls with pandemics and financial crises. In the US, it has been increasing over the last twenty years, and today, suicide is the third leading cause of death in young adults 15-24, behind injuries and homicide; in adults 35-44, it is the 4th leading cause of death, behind injuries, cardiac death, and cancer. Depending on the pandemic, it hovers among the top ten leading causes of death in the US (Ahmad).
We define suicide as death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with the intent to die. Perhaps strangely, humans are the only animals that ever commit suicide (preti); nearly a million people do so annually. Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about, considering, or planning on suicide; about 1.2 million Americans do this each year; according to the US Data (chalabi), firearms are the most common method of suicide, followed by suffocation and poisoning. Suicide is a public health crisis that nobody is discussing. Yet, when asked, nearly one hundred percent of adults believe suicide is preventable.
Globally, the WHO estimates that 800,000 people die from suicide yearly. Still, the actual number is likely higher, representing a global suicide rate of one death every 40 seconds, and estimates project that this rate will shift to one every 20 seconds. Surprisingly, the highest suicide rates occur in Lithuania, Guyana, and South Korea. In the US, suicide is a grave problem, taking the lives of over 46,000 people in 2020 and over 48,000 in 2021, comparable to the number of deaths from automobile accidents. Surprisingly, there are twice as many suicides as homicides in the United States and that more Americans have died from suicide than during all wars since Vietnam (Garnett). Even worse, if we were to erect a memorial for all who have died from suicide, it would be miles long.
Undeniably, the lockdowns during the pandemic has contributed to many of these suicides as well as drug-induced overdose deaths. Have we adequately considered the long-term unintended consequences? We are not discussing medical complications like respiratory, cardiac, or kidney diseases—instead, the deluge of mental health problems like depression, suicide, and drug overdoses. Of course, depression, suicide, and drug overdoses were problems long before the recent pandemic. Lockdowns and war have fueled a litany of tragedies in addition to suicides: heightened crime, starvation, financial ruin, and much more. Isolation, alienation, alcohol and drugs, depression, and hopelessness – are the four horsemen of the personal apocalypse stampeding through our society right now. Even in those pockets where actual suicides have not increased, depression, drug abuse, and suicidal ideation have - dramatically. At a low point in our society, when people need connection, companionship, and community, many government plans call for stay at home, isolate, separate, distance, cover your face, and touch no one (Schippers). Millions have lost their jobs, while gun, drug, and alcohol sales continue to rise.
UNICEF predicts millions of people will die of hunger and postponed medical treatments, a potential outcome that, unfortunately, has developed less notice (Sidhu). Many traditional mental-health resources have been removed as if rubbing salt in the wound. Death from suicide is an inconvenient truth, and the mental-health consequences will persist long afterward. (Tiaden).
Despite what you’ve just read, it is rare to hear about suicides, even though one happens about every minute. Adolescent and adult mental illnesses have skyrocketed, and the tsunami of post-traumatic stress, depression, and suicides will follow. In 2020, eighteen Las Vegas students, all children, took their lives; more police officers died by suicide using their firearms than in the line of duty; four police officers who responded to the January 6th attack on the US. Capitol died of suicide. It is also hard to believe that more firefighters die of suicide than in burning buildings. Frontline healthcare professionals have a much higher risk of having depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress. Rarely do these suicides draw media attention.
Why does one decide to die by suicide? No one can fully answer that question, but biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and environmental factors influence depression and suicide. For about 130 people per day, it’s the last worldly decision they’ll ever make. Recent unfortunate suicides include beloved NFL superstar Junior Seau, actor Robin Williams, television personality Anthony Bourdain, and fashion designer Kate Spade. What contributing factors need to coalesce to bring someone to this life-ending decision? To most, the thought is terrifying and comprehension impossible. For others, attempting suicide is the only answer remaining to squelch their anguish.
Fear, self-isolation, and social distancing exacerbate the detrimental effects on those with and without mental illness. Our life experiences, traumas, emotional conflicts, and stories sculpt our psyche. A dark, self-loathing psychological perspective is required to bring a person to extreme measures. If someone is ready for suicide, their thought processes have hit a cul-de-sac, which is sardonically French for “dead-end.” Suicide is subtle, and the decision to take one’s own life is often impulsive. Rigid thought patterns inhibit people with suicidal ideations from reaching out for help. Our daily environment, habits, stressors, and relationships are strong influences. Consider what social distancing does to someone already practicing isolative and self-deprecating behaviors. The spiritual elements of life include questions like – what’s the point of all this? Why are we here? What happens after we pass? There are no correct answers here. Those who have misaligned their spiritual truths find it harder to discover a sense of peace and empowerment. Life lacks significance for those without purpose, appreciation, or a sense of enjoyment. When a loved one takes her own life, they leave many unanswered questions; constant thoughts of “what” and “why” permeate the minds of those left behind.