A Legacy of Madness is in the top 20 list of books on suicide

A Legacy of Madness is in the top 20 list of books on suicide.

Given every that is happening with the National Football League, and the recent suicide of NFL star Junior Seau, this book is completely relevant and should be considered a reference for people who are suffering.

Best Books on Suicide

Amazon has rated what some believe are the best books on suicide. A Legacy of Madness is at the top of the list.

The book is performing well on the Amazon best-seller lists, rising to number 50 on the list of books that deal with anxiety disorders, and number 10 on the list of books that deal with suicide.

Here is the link: Best Books on Suicide.

A Legacy of Madness is on best-seller list books that deal with suicide

A Legacy of Madness has become a resource for those in need, who are desperate, and who think that a book may be a resource.

On Friday, the book that serves as a memoir of my family hit number 15 on the Amazon best-seller list for books that deal with suicide.

A son's lesson

When I first heard about Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman whose suicide has drawn anger and sorrow, I felt that - as a society - we were going nowhere.

But it was my son who made me feel differently. He could somehow relate to what happened, because he knows there are bullies out there. A long time ago, kids may have feared the bullies, and ignored the victim.

Bullies are bullies, and they come in every color, gender and sexual orientation. When a 12-year-old can connect to the tormented soul of an 18-year-old gay man, and show disdain for those who tormented him, I feel like it's safe to have hope - even as we mourn Tyler's death.

For nearly all my life, the lesbian and gay community have been treated like second-class citizens. Their lifestyles are routinely mocked and ridiculed. Many are still forced into the closet, even as society seems to have reached a sobering understanding and respect for what homosexuality is.

Clementi's death reminded me that so many more are still tormented, even as they stay safely in the shadows, keeping their private lives protected. Even at my college, my alma mater, and where I work as an adjunct professor, I thought they had a chance because of the diverse population.

But at my college, Tyler was filmed by another student while he was having a sexual encounter. For a small group of students, it was a funny thing, an anti-manly thing straight out of a 1962 joke book.

When my son needed to think of his current-event project for school, it was the first thing he thought about. I won't say what he said, but he felt like he needed to say something.

We warned him that he could be ridiculed, too. Maybe people would even make fun of him for showing an understanding of a lifestyle that many still don't understand.

But my son felt like he should do it, because Tyler and his family needed to know that he's on their side. My guess is that he wanted to take a stand, because somebody should.

Winning, losing and then sorrow

I've looked at pictures of Erica Blasberg over the past few months, and I couldn't help but fall into that black hole of stereotypes that define the culture of mental illness.

I asked myself, "How could a woman who looks like that commit suicide?"

When I read the news reports now, I ask, "How could we not see this?"

Nearly four months after the LPGA golfer was found dead in her home, officials declared her death a suicide on Tuesday.

The coroner's office of Clark County, Nevada said Blasberg died of suicide due to asphyxia, coupled with the presence of toxic levels of prescription medication in her system, including prescription headache, cough, pain and anti-anxiety medications, according to news reports.

Erica was a 25-year-old golfer who made more headlines for her looks than her wins. She was a number-one amateur performer whose modeling masked the lack of success she had as a professional.

But it's obvious now that it was her career that mattered more. She never lived up to the sky-high expectations that were set for her. She never fit that role of perfection that was created for her.

Most importantly, she may not have had the people around her that she needed, the kind of people who could have guided her through the disappointments and the troubles that plagued her, and blocked the path to success that eluded her.

Her suffering parents even acknowledged that she recently appeared to turn things around, even as they acknowledged that she had had a year filled with trouble and heartache.

Perhaps it was those troubles that ultimately caused her to wrap a plastic bag around her head, and cause her to suffocate? It's tough to say, and no coroner's report in the world could ever make sense of that.

Perhaps Chris Baldwin, from the Culture Map website that's based in Houston, was the most qualified observer of them all. In his Tuesday column, he was able to point out the signs that few others were able to see, only because he is not only a fan of sports but also an observer of life.

Chris Baldwin, as his bio tells, worked at traditional newspapers and online publications, covering everything from the World Series to New York City politicians to Justin Timberlake. CultureMap, he says, is a daily digital magazine that presents an "intelligent, provocative, needed voice" on culture.

It was from this place that he crossed paths with Blasberg, at an LPGA event in 2007, when he was able to identify the signs that are too often taken for granted whenever anyone is suffering silently from mental illness.

The first line in his post said it all:

The last time I saw Erica Blasberg, she was in tears on a golf course — and her putter was flying through the air.

War goes on, and the soldiers go home; but the suicides keep going up

The war at home can be worse than it is in the battlefield.

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rage on, tens of thousands of soldiers are still struggling to find their way once their duty is done.

In April, there there were ten potential suicides in the Army: one has been confirmed as suicide, and nine remain under investigation.

For March, the Army reported 13 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of the report, four have been confirmed as suicides and nine remain under investigation.

During April 2010 - among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty - there were five potential suicides. For March, among that same group, there were nine total suicides. Of those, three were confirmed as suicides and seven are pending determination of the manner of death.

"So far for 2010 we are noticing an upward trend in the number of non-active duty suicides. There are some indications that our reservists are being doubly affected with additional stress by the challenging job market, recovering economy and uncertainty" said Col. Chris Philbrick, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force.

Philbrick said the Army is continuing "engagement efforts" with many veteran and military service organizations, government agencies and concerned citizens "to develop innovative and comprehensive strategies to help both our active and non-active duty soldiers."

"Given the complex nature of suicide, and the different environments our soldiers serve in, and are returning to, we welcome the opportunity to develop relationships and common approaches to this national challenge. Our soldiers are representatives of our nation." he said.

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 1-800-342-9647; the website address is http://www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.

The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp.

Suicide prevention training resources for Army Families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).

The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at http://Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.

Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf.

The address for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is: http://www.afsp.org. The Suicide Prevention Resource Council is at: http://www.sprc.org/index.asp.

Paradise revisited, then lost (the story of my grandfather, part I))

Outside Dick Winans’ cottage, the ocean waves splashed on the soft sand, washing up to the tourists’ bicycle tires as they peddled along the Bay Head, N.J. waterline. Along the beach, men dressed in suits, hats and ties as they spread out their blankets and pulled food from picnic baskets. Some would arrive at sunrise, enjoying the orange glow that wrapped around the Bay Head horizon every morning.

In 1933, Dick spent his summer weekends there, jumping into the waves and swimming out so far that the lifeguards had to whistle him in. He often walked door-to-door carrying buckets of fish he bought at a nearby wholesaler, and then selling them to the tourists who rented the six-bedroom mansions and the small, three-room cottages that lined the beachfront. Some politely declined; others pitied him and obliged.

Dick, then 20, dreamed of attending Princeton University, even though he knew his family couldn’t afford it. He wanted to be a successful businessman, even as his father suffered through the worst effects of the Great Depression, losing thousands of dollars in the stock market crash and struggling to keep his insurance-broker business afloat.

But the shore was Dick’s refuge, a weekend escape from a life that he often described as unsettled and uneasy. It would be his one constant, the place that offered few surprises as his family moved three times during the early 1930s, eventually settling in the small, but busy community of Hightstown, N.J. that was 50 miles north of Bay Head.

In Dick’s life, the beach would be an enduring symbol, serving as a resting place for his mother, Grace, as she recovered from the effects of a stroke. Its elegance would remind him of what his family once was: A prominent, successful colonial family who were among the first settlers in Elizabeth, N.J. Ultimately, the shore would become his life’s saving grace, helping Dick move past tragedy that forced him to put his ambitions on hold and move once again.

On July 12, 1933, a month after his high school graduation, Dick departed Bay Head and left behind his ailing mother so he could be with his father, Edward. Earlier in the week, his father gave simple, but short instructions: Arrive at the South Main Street house at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. No reason was given; no plan was offered. Just come home, Dick was told.

Once there, Dick discovered what his father had planned: Edward was sitting on a chair that was close to a gas range, his arms folded and his head tilted over, but still wearing his eyeglasses. Cotton batting and paper had been stuffed into the home’s cracks and the keyholes, blocking anything from seeping out.

Edward Winans, 62, had been dead for 24 hours.

Five years earlier, his mother and brother died the same way, suffocating when gas burners were left on.

Unlike them, Edward’s would be labeled a suicide, a victim of financial troubles brought on by the Great Depression. He would be among the 17 for every 100,000 Americans who killed themselves during the 1930s. Like so many others, he chose to kill himself rather than get rid the car, the beach cottage, the private school and the stylish clothes that made the Winans family feel whole.

Once, the Winans were symbols of consistency and stability. The family settled in Elizabeth, N.J. during the 17th century, and stayed in the same South Street neighborhood – just blocks away from City Hall and the library – for nearly 200 years. Dick’s grandfather, Elias, fought for the Union in the Civil War before he was married and raised a family of four children, beginning in the late 1800s. Dick often told others that Stephen Crane, the author, was a cousin. Both the Winans and the Cranes were among the original founders of Elizabethtown back in the 1600s.

After Elias died of heart disease in 1903, at the age of 62, Dick’s grandmother, Lydia, moved with her son, Frederick, into a small South Street shingle house in Elizabeth that was divided into two, three-room apartments. The quiet pair lived there for 25 years, maintaining a polite but rarely social relationship with those who lived in the long row of neighboring apartment buildings that were rising up in Elizabeth’s busy downtown.

On Oct. 5, 1928, a neighbor detected a gas odor coming from Lydia’s apartment. He called police, who quickly arrived with an ambulance and a doctor. Forcing their way in, they opened the door to the kitchen and adjoining bedroom.

There, they found Lydia on the couch, and Frederick on the floor. Their dog, who had been heard barking a day earlier, was lying in the center of the room, lifeless. All three had been dead for several hours, their bodies heavy and rigid.

In the kitchen, gas was flowing from a burner, and its smell filled the kitchen and the bedroom. No note was left. No motive was found. The police ruled it accidental, even as neighbors wondered: Why did they die in the daylight with the door shut?

At the time, Edward was 57, living with his family at the Stacy Trent Motel in Trenton, a 10-story high-rise in city’s downtown. He had been struggling for years to make his insurance business profitable, hoping to find the success that would finally anchor his life.

Right: Dick Winans, my grandfather

Edward was raised in Elizabeth, and he and Grace settled there before moving to Asbury Park, where Dick was born in 1913. At one point, Edward left the family and worked on a cattle ranch as a cowboy in Wyoming, hoping to raise extra money so he could come back to New Jersey, and find a permanent home that his family could afford. But he departed Wyoming after only a year, returning once he realized that he wasn’t cut out for ranching and branding.

Edward was an anxious man who was never satisfied with the money he had, the family he cared for or the job he worked. With Dick, he was distant, allowing his son to develop a much closer relationship with his mother, Grace. She kept him out of school until he was 7, choosing to tutor him while the family moved from town-to-town. Grace also taught Dick how to cook; his “specialty,” he liked to say, was pineapple upside-down cake.

But as Dick grew older, Edward became concerned. His son had little interest in sports. He joined no clubs at Peddie, an exclusive private high school in Hightstown where Dick enrolled before his sophomore year. He had few, if any friends. Edward worried, in particular, about Dick’s masculinity. He sent him to boxing lessons, hoping the experience would toughen him up and win him some friends.

But Dick still chose to keep to himself while at school, and continue cooking with his mother at home. In his high school yearbook, when each student was asked to describe themselves, Dick wrote: “An innocent, retiring floweret.”

During the Great Depression, Edward found himself working constantly, hoping to replenish the money he lost. Despite their financial worries, the Winans family sought to fit in, buying clothing for Dick that would match what the Bay Head wealthy were wearing – as well what was popular among the high-achieving, high-income-level study body at Peddie, from which Dick graduated in June 1933.

Edward chose Peddie for Dick, impressed with its demanding curriculum, as well as its brick-and-stone buildings and ornate rooftops that gave the campus a Princeton-like aura. He compelled Dick to wear shirts with high collars, silk ties and knickers, giving him a classic look that rivaled any of the shirts, shoes and socks worn by his fellow students.

Sending Dick to Peddie was also a move toward stability. Yet, while Dick was there, his family moved twice, relocating from Trenton to Lawrenceville before settling on a Victorian house on South Main Street, across the South Main Street from Peddie. There, the Peddie classroom building was only a two-minute walk away. The family’s home was part of a string of Victorian-era houses that had five or more bedrooms, nearly all of them built in the mid-19th century.

As the family struggled with illness and financial problems, Dick showed up for class photos looking sullen, unsmiling yet determined. In the school’s yearbooks, other students offered several lines of observations and aspirations about their time at Peddie, quoting Plato and Aristotle. Dick wrote only of his one goal: Princeton.

During the summers, Dick often drove his mother to Bay Head, hoping the warm sea air would somehow help her recovery. There, Grace was conscious and alert, though she slowly lost her ability to walk. At the cottage, Dick would often pick her up and carry her to bed.

As the Great Depression lingered, the people of Bay Head still wore their expensive knickers and wide-brimmed hats as they walked or rode bicycles along the shoreline. To Dick, the atmosphere made him feel elegant and wealthy. He often went for long walks along the Boardwalk that extended into Point Pleasant Beach, adoring the sunrises that glistened on the water. The area was surrounded by an ocean, bay and canal, magnifying the orange glow that came from the sunlight.

By 1933, however, Bay Head became a place that Edward could no longer afford. His money was virtually gone; yet he kept the car Dick used to drive his mother to the shore. Edward refused to buy a home, worried that he never knew where he was going live next. With his insurance business nearly bankrupt, he didn’t want to get wrapped up in a long-term mortgage that couldn’t pay off. Still, he continued to pay the rent at the cottage, believing that it stabilized his family better than any job could.

He also kept Dick in Peddie School, where tuition was more than $250 a year, even as other private schools – particularly Catholic schools – charged less than half the price.

When Dick’s father summoned him home, on July 12, 1933, he didn’t say why. Dick often argued when the reason he got, from his point-of-view, was insufficient. Others called Dick stubborn and unwilling to accept contradiction or change. This time, however, no reason was apparently given. This time, Dick couldn’t argue what he didn’t know.

That day, the sky was cloudy, but the 70-degree temperatures made the air feel cooler-than-usual. Despite the threat of rain, not a drop fell as Dick made the hour-long car trip back to Hightstown, passing by the row of small shops and markets on North Main Street that catered to the local farming community. Had Dick stayed in Bay Head, he may have enjoyed a sea breeze that broke a recent hot spell, when temperatures approached 90 degrees. Instead, he was in Hightstown, where the air was still, smelling gas as he stood a few feet from the door of his house.

He turned around and hustled across the street, heading toward the Peddie classroom building where he found the assistant headmaster, Ralph Harmon, and asked him to help investigate.

Dick often relied on the Peddie faculty for help. He could trust them, and some of the faculty acted as surrogate fathers to students who lived on campus and felt homesick. Getting them to help was logical, he believed, and never impulsive. In this case, Harmon was a natural find – he was a trusted math teacher to whom the Class of 1932 dedicated its yearbook. On July 12, 1933, Harmon readily left his place and followed Dick to his front door.

They opened it, and followed the odor the kitchen. There, they found Edward.

Weeks later, his Princeton plans on hold, Dick did the one thing his father could never bring himself to do: He sold everything off, dumping the Bay Head cottage, the Hightstown house and all the furniture inside.

He then moved with his mother to Florida, enrolled at the University of Miami and gave his mother a gift as her health continued to decline: beach sand, warm air and sunrises on the water.

A little bit of suicide awareness can go a long way

Reducing the risk of suicide means eliminate the stigma of mental illness and improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of individuals at risk.

Now national and state experts across the country are working to educate individuals on the need for increased access to mental health treatment and services to reduce the risk of suicide.

Now that National Suicide Prevention Week has just passed, professionals say it's particularly important to bring awareness to suicide prevention this year

Statistics show that suicide rates in America for males and females aged 10-24 climbed 8 percent in 2007, the largest single one-year rise in 15 years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

In addition, this is an extremely important time to bring awareness and education to military personnel, retired veterans and their loved ones because of the alarming rise in the suicide rate among veterans returning from war, professionals say.

According to national statistics, a young person commits suicide every two hours, making it the third leading cause of death for those under the age of 24. Every two hours, a teenager takes his own life.

In 2005, more than 6,250 U.S. veterans committed suicide and the rate at which veterans took their own lives was double that of the non-veteran population, with the youngest veterans returning from occupied Iraq and Afghanistan the most likely to commit suicide.

“While we must not romanticize suicide, we also must not ignore it. If we do so out of fear or shame, we lose the opportunity to take steps to prevent future tragedies,” said Debra L. Wentz, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies (NJAMHA), which represents 125 nonprofit community mental health care providers.

“We should all be alert to the signs and symptoms and be aware of available resources in case we believe a friend or a loved one is at risk. And we must ensure that there is timely access to treatment when an individual is in need,” said Wentz.

She said many of these tragedies could be prevented through "timely, effective mental health treatment and services."

"With appropriate treatment, individuals with mental illnesses can lead full, successful lives,” she said.

NJAMHA advocates to state legislators and policymakers, urging that the New Jersey and federal budgets allocate sufficient funding to ensure continued provision of services to consumers already in treatment programs, as well as many more who can wait as long as five months for an appointment.

Wentz said that the risk of suicide can increase while individuals endure long waits for services and their mental health deteriorates.

“Mental illnesses are very real illnesses, just like any physical disease, and must not be treated differently," she said. "Such awareness and understanding should lead to the elimination of discrimination in funding and insurance coverage and the stigma that hampers individuals from seeking the help they need."

Britney and Heath needed more help, and less pain

By ANDY BEHRMAN
Featured Blogger

There's been so much in the media lately about two celebrities - Britney Spears and Heath Ledger - and about their mental health conditions.

I'm not a psychiatrist or a mental health care professional, so I'm not qualified to say whether Britney has bipolar disorder, or if Heath's death was a suicide. I was encouraged to hear that Ms. Spears was seeking treatment by qualified psychiatrists at one of the best mental health care facilities in Los Angeles. But now that she's been released, who knows what will happen to her?

Perhaps the most horrifying piece of Ms. Spears's story (not to minimize her own suffering) is how the media has turned her erratic and often risky behavior into a joke and her psychological problems into a circus event. If she is diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, she - like any one else - deserves our best wishes, because she will struggle with this invisible and insidious disease for the rest of her life.

At the least, we can be hopeful that perhaps she will eventually get the help that she so clearly needs. And today, there is so much support available to people with mood disorders and their families. If you visit "About Bipolar Disorder" on my website, www.electroboy.com, you'll find some helpful information.

With more than 6 million people suffering from bipolar disorder in this country, it's finally time to take mental illness seriously. It's not a laughing matter, regardless of how famous you may be or how much the media spins the story of this "crazy" pop culture figure.

More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that mental illness is so rampant because of cases involving celebrities - but this particular case increases the stigma of the illness as one which is defined by the media with terms like "crazy" and "lunatic." I even was shocked to read that someone couldn't believe that "someone with all of the resources of Ms. Spears couldn't just control herself." If it was only that easy.

Heath Ledger's death, according to the medical examiner, was caused by a combination of six prescription drugs - two sleep medications, two anti-anxiety drugs and two narcotic painkillers. Hopefully, we're waking up to the fact that the abuse of prescription medication is a huge problem in this country. Coincidentally, tomorrow is the first anniversary of Anna Nicole Smith's death.

The real tragedy of all of these stories is that people are still ashamed of mental illness and addiction and would prefer to sweep them under the carpet by saying that all three of these celebrities were unfortunate victims of being in the spotlight. Mental illness and addiction doesn't discriminate, and perhaps their being in the spotlight is a blessing in disguise.

Andy is a mental health writer whose autobiographical book, "Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania," has been translated into six foreign languages. His articles have been featured in The New York Times Magazine, and he was recently featured on CNN's "360" with Anderson Cooper. He currently lives mania-free in Los Angeles with his wife and daughters.

New data on youth suicide rates underscore need for mental health care

Recent news of increased rates of suicide among individuals between 10 and 24 years of age illustrate the need for and value of mental health care, mental health professionals say.

In just one year, the number of suicides in this age group increased by 8 percent (from 4,232 in 2003 to 4,599 in 2004), which is the greatest increase in more than 15 years. In addition, the most pronounced increases were evident among adolescent girls: a 76 percent increase among girls aged 10 to 14 years and a 32 percent increase among girls aged 15 to 19 years.

Mental health treatment — both pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic — has been proven to be highly effective in reducing depressive and other symptoms, thereby reducing the risk of suicide.

Debate continues about whether the increase in suicides resulted from physicians’ reluctance to prescribe antidepressants to youth in response to “black box” warnings of suicide risk associated with these medications, as the Food and Drug Administration has required since late 2004.

Other possible reasons for the higher suicide rates are increased prevalence of mental illness and greater use of alcohol and other drugs. However, research indicates that the risk of suicide is commonly highest just before treatment begins and that this risk declines once therapy is under way.

“Treatments for mental illness have been proven effective and can help individuals achieve a fulfilling life of recovery. However, there are many barriers, including inadequate funding and stigma, that prevent children and adults from receiving the therapy and other support services they need,” said Debra L. Wentz, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc.

Dr. Wentz said it is critical that family members and friends be alert to the signs and symptoms of mental illness and the warning signs that individuals may be considering suicide (see lists of signs following

With this critical knowledge, a family member or friend will have a greater opportunity to encourage loved ones to seek assistance.

“Recognizing signs and symptoms is a critical first step. In addition, we must erase the stigma that presents a tremendous barrier for these individuals to obtaining the care they need,” said Dr. Wentz. “It is time for us all to recognize that mental illness should be treated as any other disease.”

What to do if there is a concern that someone might try to commit suicide?

▪ Take it seriously: 75 percent of individuals considering suicide give a warning to a friend or family member.

▪ Be willing to listen: Ask the person what is bothering him. Persist to overcome reluctance to talk about it. Ask if the person is considering suicide, but do not attempt to argue him out of suicide. Rather, show that you care and understand, and say that depression can be treated and problems can be solved.

▪ Seek professional help: Be actively involved in encouraging the person to locate and go to a physician or mental health professional. A complete listing of local community mental health agencies throughout New Jersey may be found by visiting NJAMHA’s website.

▪ In an acute crisis: Take the person at risk to an emergency room or walk-in clinic at a psychiatric hospital. Stay with him until help is available. If these options are unavailable, call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

▪ Follow-up on treatment: By continuing to show support, you can increase the likelihood that your friend or loved one will continue with treatment.