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Piata Wormald's avatar

I think people are aware and do care because suicide is the number one cause of death in many age categories so it touches everyone.

I just think the problem is too overwhelming for people to process and our whole life, education, health care etc is geared up for production rather than wellbeing.

There’s not enough time to take this care deep enough to address the deep-seated societal issues.

I write about one major reason for this societal crisis in my monthly newsletter.

Last month I wrote about the mental illness model and how we need to move to a trauma-informed approach instead.

This month on 8th April I write about mothering.

Next month I write about parenting and the education system.

Sorry to plug my Substack posts but I do this unashamedly as through both my unenviable lived experience and professional experience I have deep insight. Not by choice but because I have experienced several suicides and dedicate my work to try to prevent more.

Thank you Danielle for caring deeply and writing about this too. Together we can come together as there’s several of us I’ve met on Substack already, to hopefully contribute towards a shift where there’s more awareness of the issues.

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Danielle Donelson, PhD's avatar

You're more than welcome to plug your own substack, Piata. :) There are certainly many social issues to consider that it can be dizzying. I completely agree that capitalism/grind culture (a root from colonialism, I believe) pushes us to focus on labor and profits, over wellbeing and humanity. And I do agree that the problem is indeed overwhelming for many. Though I admire your optimism that many care. Indeed, I am perhaps quite jaded at the moment, as my feelings on this and other social issues are deeply entrenched in our present political situation, where financial support, education, prevention, and advocacy are limited and will be all the more so due to funds, about suicide and mental health as well as many other social issues. Many are deeply entrenched in this mindset of 'at least I'll be okay with the issues that matter to me', and support cutting the funds because of the current stage of late capitalism that we are in. In our deep ceded unhappiness and with the middle class disappearing, it breeds apathy and selfishness in America and amongst Americans.

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Piata Wormald's avatar

Tragically I can see that we are led by leaders who are leading from fear. Their mental capacity to empathise and care for others, impacted by their own unresolved intergenerational trauma. This is obvious to me after learning about the nervous system and neuroscience using the Polyvagal Theory.

Maybe one day behaviours triggered by trauma will be screened out so we are led by leaders with healthier minds. Or maybe there will be more trauma informed awareness and healing available

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