Has the flashy sports car long associated with a mid life
crisis given way to the ubiquitous mid-life suicide? While
the Seattle area is know for higher rates of depression,
due in part to SAD, we are left to wonder in the case of
Ric Weiland if there weren’t other spiritual forces at work?
While Ric Weiland was very philanthropic during his lifetime,
his death has resulted in an influx of 65 million dollars to
HIV programs and other organizations that advocate for
gay rights, including gay-marriage.
What I find interesting is that many blogs suggest that the
increase in suicide among middle age men is the direct result
of President Bush’s economic policies. However, Weiland’s
suicide is more typical of middle age men who are financially
secure, but still commit suicide. According to the world’s
standards, Weiland had everything that should of made him
happy, he had wealth and influence, another gay man to be
his life partner. Weiland was also a very private person, so
the world may never know exactly what events led to his
slide into depression. News reports suggest that Weiland’s
suicide was the result of a long running battle with depression.
The question may not be what happened in 1999 that caused
suicide rates to spike, but what events happened perhaps
several decades earlier, that changed the way people view
life. According to the media mythology, 1999 was a great
time to be an American. Bill & Hillary were in the White
House, and the economy was doing fine. Which of course
doesn’t explain why there was a spike in the suicide rate
of middle age men, since everything was going so well?
In the 1980’s there was a sudden rash of high profile child
abuse cases. Several decades and millions of dollars later,
researchers have concluded that exploding divorce rates,
are the primary cause of children being abused. In spite of
growing evidence that shows the long term consequences
on the fabric of society, there is a deliberate effort to
discredit the damage caused by divorce, and to redefine
the meaning of marriage and family, and to force that
definition upon society at large.
Has the preverbal mid-life crisis given way to the mid-life
suicide? I am left to speculate that perhaps the spike in
suicide rates among middle age men, goes deeper than just
the present social and economic conditions, and reflects
deeper spiritual problems.
Read more articles by David Ullman or search for articles on the same topic or others.
I think it's the gas prices.
It used to be, the terribly
abused, horribly harrassed
husband could just drive across town to see his mistress; but, with Bush in the White House - chumming it
up all his rich oil buddies - what's a poor guy to do?
Tsk. Tsk.
