Internet suicide in Japan

[Ma Cherie]

Some of you may know already about the trend that's going in Japan lately. There has been a large number of cases of interenet suicide pacts.

Police figures showed 34 internet-arranged suicide pacts were recorded last year. Of the 91 people who died, 54 were men and 37 were women, with most being in their twenties or thirties.

But the number of cases may now be falling. Twenty of the 34 cases took place in the first three months of last year, before internet service providers started working with the authorities to tackle the problem.
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Web suicide pacts surge in Japan

There have been several other cases of internet suicide in other countries, but it seems more common in Japan. I think part of the reason for this trend is the lack of support groups in the country. But are there any other reasons why it's happening?

Glad to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

[misa.j]

There have been several other cases of internet suicide in other countries, but it seems more common in Japan. I think part of the reason for this trend is the lack of support groups in the country. But are there any other reasons why it's happening?

Japan is underdeveloped in mental health; there are hot-lines, counselors or psychiatric hospitals/clinics, but they are looked somewhat as a dark spot and not used practically by people thus they are not very effective.

I wonder though, if there are some threatning words or messages in those emails they exchange.

 

[atg]

I think the education system in Japan is partly to blame.

I wonder whether schools teach the students to appreciate other human beings and ownselves. Maybe the teachers are just too busy teaching exam subjects.

School bully is a big problem in Japan. now internet bully ?

 

[anjinsan]

I think it's relevant to consider the historical Japanese view toward suicide--quite unlike many Western cultures which view suicide as despair, as giving up, as selfish, and always the worst choice.

While the public facade in Japan, too, condemns suicide (as do certainly the train lines, which levy a fine upon any suicide's family if the trains are delayed due to someone's flinging themselves upon the tracks) one must consider how it is characterized by tradition, literature, and even popular media: Namely, romanticized, even at times noble.

This is a country which eats up with a spoon narratives such as Romeo and Juliet, Tristan und Isolde, or any number of other foreign products dealing with the topic sympathetically.

I'd agree, too, that Japan is probably lacking in its mental health services (an understatement, actually.)

Does anyone remember the woman a few years ago who set up a table somewhere in Tokyo with a lot of foot traffic--just to talk to people about their problems?

She was inundated with "clients" every day she set up the table.

 

[leonmarino]

Suicide is no good. Just say no kids.

 

[Crazy Russian]

ﾂ'Japan is underdeveloped in mental health'

What exactly do you mean:

ﾂ'Japan is underdeveloped in mental health (i.e. the Japanese are underdeveloped in mental health)'

or

ﾂ'Japan is underdeveloped in mental health services'?

It would be great to find out your comment on this, my dear Misa.J.

ﾂ'This is a country which eats up with a spoon narratives such as Romeo and Juliet, Tristan und Isolde, or any number of other foreign products dealing with the topic sympathetically.'

How about ﾂ'Trainspotting' by Irvine Welsh? The book, by the way, is prohibited in Russia by the state drug interdiction organisation (or something like that).

I wonder, what is worse: suicide or heroin addiction?

 

[retrodisease]

in a society where everything has evolved around honour, suicide may secretly be acceptable.
here in america, we get put in jail when we try to commit suicide. we looked at as crazy when we really may only be hurting.
nobody seems to see the real factors in suicide. society says that if you are suicidal then you are a threat to society as a whole.
when people do seek help; then they either get it, get diagnosed with some cracked out illness, heavily sedated so you can screw up even more and/or not be able to think for your self because yiou are under some body elses control.
japan may lack mental health services, but is that always harmful.
our reliance on someone else to think for us and come up with the answers, has fluctuated on great masses.
my 10 year old sister is in the hospital because some "doctor" diagnosed her with schizophrenia, just so they don't have to deal with her. she is on all sorts of meth-based medications, adderol for instance for ADHD.
iher body will become dependent, her mind will shut down or go haywire if she doesn't have it pumping in to her esphogus every day. she will become a junkie.
i don't trust doctors or medicines. they teach us how to rely on others instead of thinking for ourselves and prospering. they stick us with their day-before diagnosis and put us away on their shelves....

crazy russian: so i also wonder what is worse... suicide or herione addiction. either way we will be condemned for our choices.

*phew, glad that is over*

 

[Kinsao]

Does anyone remember the woman a few years ago who set up a table somewhere in Tokyo with a lot of foot traffic--just to talk to people about their problems?
She was inundated with "clients" every day she set up the table.

That seems like a very strong indication that Japan needs better mental health services. ☝

 

[Crazy Russian]

My school friend has committed suicide. My cousin has attempted suicide twice.

My aunt became a heroin addict when she was a student. The following 20 years she spent in lunatic asylum. She attempted suicide several times. She has schizophrenia.

So-called ﾂ'normal' Christian society doesn't like to acknowledge its mistakes. It is able only to blame and call a man stupid and dangerous if he is not like the others.




ﾂ'The ward door opened, and the black boys wheeled in this Gurney with a chart at the bottom that said in heavy black letters, MCMURPHY, RANDLE P. POST-OPERATIVE. And below this was written in ink, LOBOTOMY... it as an example of what can happen if you buck the system.'

ﾂ'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesey.

Exactly...

 

[Seon-a Kim]

I always used to think that suicide was a rare thing in Japan and that numbers of people killing themselves where pretty low and definitely when you look at how big the population is and compare to a country like America.

 

[retrodisease]

point balnk...if somebody wants to rid themselves form this world then so be it. there is no reason to stop one who is completly adamant about it

call that defeatist if you want, but the more strain you put on somebody of that nature, the more they are going to wanna fly out. i don't blame them, anybody who wants to commit suicide.
i'd rather die than be considered one of societies failed experiment

 

[TwistedMac]

But the number of cases may now be falling.

Well obviously. The "offenders" are not likely to be return offenders.
Once they've done it once, they stop.

 

[misa.j]

Hey Mac, nice to see you around! I was wondering where the h**l you've been.

What exactly do you mean:
遷apan is underdeveloped in mental health (i.e. the Japanese are underdeveloped in mental health)・
or 遷apan is underdeveloped in mental health services・
It would be great to find out your comment on this, my dear Misa.J.

Right. I'm sorry, I should have clarified the word better. What I meant was that the latter in your examples.
In Japan, compared to the Western society particularly America, research and study in mental illnesses are still somewhat premature, and not a lot of information is available for people who need help.

Also families of those with illnesses sometimes look over the problems; due to their lack of ability to demonstrate parental role because they are ill as well; some try to sweep under the rug to avoid attention from surroundings.

 

[Tyshepp]

Suicide by a young person is definately a mental health issue. I'm not so sure when it comes to mid-age or older peeps. They at least have a better idea of what they are doing.

IMHO, any young person that talks about or exhibits suicidal tendencies needs help, and needs it quickly.