Posted on 05/24/2020 9:07:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Trauma doctors at a northern California medical center say the hospital has seen a huge spike in suicide attempts amid the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdowns.
Dr. Mike deBoisblanc, head of the trauma at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek near San Francisco, said the loss of more than 37 million jobs across the country amid state shutdowns of businesses deemed “nonessential” and lengthy lockdowns have affected mental health.
“We’ve never seen numbers like this, in such a short period of time,” he said. “I mean we’ve seen a year’s worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks,” deBoisblanc told ABC-7.
Kacey Hansen has worked as a trauma nurse at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for almost 33 years. She is worried because not only are they seeing more suicide attempts, she says they are not able to save as many patients as usual.
“What I have seen recently, I have never seen before,” Hansen said. “I have never seen so much intentional injury.”
DeBoisblanc said the lockdowns and quarantines must end.
“Personally I think it’s time,” deBoisblanc said. “I think, originally, this [shelter-in-place order] was put in place to flatten the curve and to make sure hospitals have the resources to take care of COVID patients. We have the current resources to do that and our other community health is suffering.”
Executive Director Tom Tamura said that people who are struggling need to seek help. “With help comes hope. I think that there are people and organizations out there that you can contact that can get you the information you need and resources you need to get you through this tough time.”
“Generally speaking the vast majority of people say they feel better after they call and get the resources they need,” he said.
Tamura said it’s understandable that people are having a difficult time during the lockdowns.
“I think people have found themselves disconnected from the normal supportive networks that they have, churches and schools and book clubs, you name it,” Tamura said. “And that, coupled with the closure of some counseling services, people were maybe in a little bit of shock.They were trying to weather the storm a bit but as that isolation has grown people have come to realize this isn’t a sprint it is marathon.”
The death toll from COVID-19 is approaching 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins. But the lockdowns could cause 77,000 deaths from suicides and drug overdoses, New York physician Dr. Nicole Saphier told DailyMailTV.
Dr. Saphier pointed to stark warnings from cities across the country showing rocketing overdose death rates, while a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that each 1% increase in unemployment led to a 3.3% spike in drug overdoses and 1% increase in suicides.
‘The economy should be considered a public health emergency,’ Dr. Saphier told DailyMailTV. ‘The indirect consequences of the pandemic may far outweigh those of the direct virulence of the virus.’
‘Suicide, drug use, alcoholism, domestic violence have all been shown to increase during periods of strife and increased unemployment. This as depression and anxiety sets in with the uncertainty of the economic future of individuals and the country as a whole.’
Those deaths were foreseen and therefore intended, as a necessary consequence of putting 40 million people out of work and scuttling the best economy this country has had in 60 years.
I know as conservatives we believe that personal responsibility is huge and to blame other factors for one’s shortcomings is too often a copout.
But too many kids are stuck in with God knows what kind of parents.
God has not been brought into a lot of their lives so they don’t turn to him.
And to be perfectly frank, I think i’m fairly tough. Ex boxer even though I wasn’t that good :)
but the past several days my depression was worse than it has been in 30 years.
It got me a little nervous but I have a good family and I talked to them.
And I have Free Republic where I can converse with God loving, conservative thinking folks that are even up in the middle of the night :)
and I feel fine today.
I pray others find important venues to turn to.
These dems are murderers and nothing else
Some have nowhere to turn.
“Democrats Are STRANGLING Small Business On Purpose, Ignoring Science, Birx SHOCKED Lockdown Failing. Fauci has said its time to reopen and every state has begun to do so yet still many Democrats insist on extended citywide or even statewide lockdowns. Now Dr Birx is asking the CDC to investigate why it is that cities still under lockdown are seeing covid cases remain steady. It seems that not only is the lockdown not helping it may have even backfired.”
-Tim Pool
Trust me, folks. Suicides are a feature not a bug of these shutdowns. Leftist democrats want to kill as many people as possible while also consolidating as much political power as possible.
JoMa
I guessed that this was happening because of the increase in mental health warnings I have been getting in my email. Why all of a sudden is everyone giving hot line numbers to call and so on?
I think people have found themselves disconnected from the normal supportive networks that they have, churches and schools and book clubs, you name it, Tamura said. And that, coupled with the closure of some counseling services, people were maybe in a little bit of shock.They were trying to weather the storm a bit but as that isolation has grown people have come to realize this isnt a sprint it is marathon.
You can’t Zoom or FaceTime a hug, or a hand to wipe away the tears.
When I saw the original article about this I reflected on it. I realized that I but one instance, to console a friend who lost her dog, that I hadnt hugged another person in almost 3 months.
I have had a couple of rough days where being at my office would have helped, being able to walk to the library or to meet a friend for coffee Outside of the house would have helped.
I thank God daily that I have a stable job and can work remotely.
I have no forthcoming invites to showers, weddings, birthday or graduation parties. Yes I am saving money, but I love finding great gifts and cards and wrapping them up. I look forward to these events. At least I can participate in mass now.
I have also broken a couple of social distancing rules to ensure my mental health has stayed intact.
Isolation is depressing and exhausting and the continual pushing back dates is wearing. I have good supports and people genuinely concerned about my wellbeing. Some only had the employer that let them go.
But before CA can decide to reopen in order to reduce the number of suicides, Gov Gruesome first wants to find out if those people registered as republicans or democrats.
I will add you to my prayer list. You are not alone my FRiend.
Newsome is high fiving his staff.
My pastor is giving a great message for what you are going through. He will be starting at 10 and 12 Pacific time:
Your state. Your governor.
Economic devastation tends to cause that.
Hey, it’s California. And (if they vote) nearly all the suicides are probably of Democrat voters. So, if it works, don’t fix it!
But, of course, I’m the one who advocates each prison cell be equipped with a rope and a step-stool, so criminals can have a CHOICE.
Besides, suicide is a CHOICE. Choice is a Holy Grail to the left! Unless it's choice of schools, armed self-defense, etc.
Imagine what its like to suddenly lose your job or business with little hope of recovering it. They tell us we now have a chance to enjoy our families and do interesting things like learn pottery or learn how to code. What they dont tell you is what it feels like to lose the ability to feed your family. They dont tell you what it feels like to lose your car. They dont tell you what feels like to lose your home. They dont tell you what it feels like to slowly become to believe you are worthless. But its ok because youre non-essential. Multiply this by the 37 Million who have lost their jobs not because of the virus but because of the lockdown.
In the long run Safer at Home is toxic. It had a purpose in the beginning, like a strategic retreat, to get grip on what was happening. Now its time, past time actually, for it to go away.
Something Judge Jeanine said in her “open” last night was a bit chilling to me. She was rattling off a list of life-threatening issues resulting from the lockdown. One was that battered women have been locked inside with their abusers for three months. I worked with abused women years ago, and this really hit home with me.
I think it backfired by forced isolating one COVID case among others unexposed so that all would be guaranteed to get it.
But has it really backfired or was it planned that way!
Did I even need to ask the question?
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