Suicidal Celebs

[Magere Hein 1,397]

Has the Deathlist ever had a suicide among its picks in its illustrious past?

I can't be arsed to check, but if memory serves: no.

 

I know that DDP has never awarded the suicide bonus and they have many more candidates.

 

As I see it: suicide in celebs is too rare to predict. Oh, and welcome back, Godot.

 

regards,

Hein

[Magere Hein 1,397]

As I see it: suicide in celebs is too rare to predict.

That said.

 

regards,

Hein

[maryportfuncity 9,989]

I agree it's hard to predict but - hell - are we afraid of a l'al bit graft or summat? There has to be the intelligence and experience around here to make the odd good guess. Manic depressive + comedian for example is a recipie for disaster. Depressive + under appreciated jobbing cricketer who might just get an obit is also another promising combination. Bear in mind the point about those like Doherty who commit a kind of half-suicide by pushing reckless behaviour beyond its limits.

 

Can't say I can see a certainty comin' for 2007 but such a spot leading to a good pick would be immensely satisfying compared to picking the old and infirm.

[Slave to the Grave 22]

Well, we can cross Rory McGrath off the celeb suicide-watch list. I passed him in the street today, and he didn't look the slightest bit suicidal. He was, admittedly, barefoot, but I don't think that signifies anything particularly notable.

 

One down...

 

I'm not so sure, don't you think the barefootedness is symptomatic of something not being quite right?

 

As a Cambridge resident for a number of years, I often encountered him walking between the station and Mill Road, he always looked quite unkempt and red in the face but he was always well shod.

[Rebecca de Winter 7]

Death by suicide is marginally more common amongst those in the public eye, especially entertainment related, than the public as a whole. Kurt Cobain, Tony Hancock B S Johnson etc. All depressed, misunderstood and unsatisified even when things went their way. Doesn't make every celeb a likely topper but there's a few contenders. Especially if we get a little inside info.

 

If we put the work in, we'll find 'em. On the fringes we have the wilful reckless endangerment crowd, the likes of Pete Doherty and Gazza. Even if they don't set out one night to die they're stupid enough to damage themselves on a permanent basis, like George Best.

I thought it was GP's and farmers who had the highest suicide rate.

 

 

 

Vets and Hungarians I always thought

 

Air Traffic Contollers.

[CarolAnn 924]

There are pockets of high suicide, including GPs and dentists, NHS ones in particular being likely to end it that way. Farmers don't talk much about problems and often see themselves off in isolation hanging in a barn or similar. The odd thing is that people working around the above, AI men, nurses etc, don't share such suicidal tendencies.

 

Amongst other unlikely suicidal types are cricketers, especially the lesser known ones. There's a book called 'Silence of the Heart' about cricket suicides.

 

Professional sports in general, however, is fairly low on suicide.

 

The American Psychiatric Association did a review of studies that covered suicide by profession in the US and discovered one glaring problem - only about half of the states put the deceased's profession on the death certificate. I have kept a lookout for more data on this (for reasons some will understand) and I haven't seen anything in the US that would indicate there has been any clean data review since.

 

There's lots of urban myths - even one that says dentists have the highest suicide rate, others that say police officers, others that say pilots - but I've never seen one substantiated.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,288]

The very silly death metal singer, Glen Benton, the leader of Deicide always said he would kill himself when he was aged 33. I believe that deadline has passed, but he has still not expired.

[Alphonsin 1]

There are pockets of high suicide, including GPs and dentists, NHS ones in particular being likely to end it that way. Farmers don't talk much about problems and often see themselves off in isolation hanging in a barn or similar. The odd thing is that people working around the above, AI men, nurses etc, don't share such suicidal tendencies.

 

Amongst other unlikely suicidal types are cricketers, especially the lesser known ones. There's a book called 'Silence of the Heart' about cricket suicides.

 

Professional sports in general, however, is fairly low on suicide.

 

Just been reading this thread (backwards) and was going to mention cricketers, too. There's a second book about their disposition to depression (I think it's mentioned in the books thread, but can't be bothered to look).

The thing about farmers and GPs is, I believe, that they're much more likely to be successful in any suicide bid -- GPs know that a Haliborange overdose isn't going to do much and can get hold of more exciting pills etc, and farmers often have access to firearms.

I've just been reminded of a joke (it doesn't really matter why...)

Teacher: You weren't at school yesterday, Johnny, why was that?

Johnny: Well, I couldn't make it because my father, a fireman, got burnt in the morning.

Teacher: Oh dear, Johnny. Was it serious?

Johnny: They don't F**k about at the crematorium, miss!

Hey ho! Things have been fairly busy, hence my low profile, of late. (Yes, yes, I'm sure you missed me ). Likely not to be around a great deal over the next few weeks. Still, with posts like this I'm sure you won't begrudge my absence a while.

[maryportfuncity 9,989]

Yeah but with posts like the ones you make on the contenders for 2007 thread, we will miss ya!

 

Go well.

[The Pooka 24]

Yeah but with posts like the ones you make on the contenders for 2007 thread, we will miss ya!

 

Go well.

At last a topic about which I used to lecture.

 

Suicide is remarkably rare. About half as many die from suicide as from prostate cancer (and women cannot get that). So when you say that its common in any group you can lose sight of the fact that its rare.

 

As a profession vets have the highest rate in the UK (access to both poisons and guns) with a Standard Mortality ratio of 500 (ie 5 times the average). But overall thats a handful of deaths each year.

 

The highest risk group of all are men who are within 6 weeks of having been discharged from a psychiatric hospital (200 times the average). But with suicide being rare, that still means that at most 2% will do it. Amusingly it also suggest that psych hospitals do no more than delay suicide.

 

Best not be a Lithuanian vet, male, recently bereaved, divorced, old, isolated, ill and in pain, with no prospect of things getting any better yet active enough to use either the gun, syringe full of insulin or poisons that are sitting on the table where you are drinking heavily.

 

Lecture over. Any questions.

[maryportfuncity 9,989]

Jim Lea - formerly bass player with Slade - has been in therapy for years. He decided to get his head together but it's the likes of him, without the therapist, we're looking for.

 

Any rumours of hard drinking bitter ex-celebs around your way? They're sometimes worth investigating. I was down south once and someone pointed out this hollow-faced old hippie type in a pub, saying he used to be a rock star and all he did these days was drink and be miserable. Turned out he was Brian Pendleton - one time of the Pretty Things, mind he wasn't bordering pretty by then - a while later he died. Sort of the accumulation of years of behaving like that. Not exactly suicide, but hardly accidental either.

[The Pooka 24]

Jim Lea - formerly bass player with Slade - has been in therapy for years. He decided to get his head together but it's the likes of him, without the therapist, we're looking for.

 

Any rumours of hard drinking bitter ex-celebs around your way? They're sometimes worth investigating. I was down south once and someone pointed out this hollow-faced old hippie type in a pub, saying he used to be a rock star and all he did these days was drink and be miserable. Turned out he was Brian Pendleton - one time of the Pretty Things, mind he wasn't bordering pretty by then - a while later he died. Sort of the accumulation of years of behaving like that. Not exactly suicide, but hardly accidental either.

That's a shame - I liked the Pretty Things (I suppose it would have still been a shame had I NOT liked them).

 

But mental disorder is common (25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration). Suicide is rare (0.01% of population will kill self in any year). So just betting on those treated for or having a mental disorder is no better than backing a 2500-1 against shot.

 

I don't suppose that those odds are any better than betting on any randomly selected 75 year old to die in the next year.

[Cowboy Ronnie 77]

Jim Lea - formerly bass player with Slade - has been in therapy for years. He decided to get his head together but it's the likes of him, without the therapist, we're looking for.

 

Any rumours of hard drinking bitter ex-celebs around your way? They're sometimes worth investigating. I was down south once and someone pointed out this hollow-faced old hippie type in a pub, saying he used to be a rock star and all he did these days was drink and be miserable. Turned out he was Brian Pendleton - one time of the Pretty Things, mind he wasn't bordering pretty by then - a while later he died. Sort of the accumulation of years of behaving like that. Not exactly suicide, but hardly accidental either.

That's a shame - I liked the Pretty Things (I suppose it would have still been a shame had I NOT liked them).

 

But mental disorder is common (25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration). Suicide is rare (0.01% of population will kill self in any year). So just betting on those treated for or having a mental disorder is no better than backing a 2500-1 against shot.

 

I don't suppose that those odds are any better than betting on any randomly selected 75 year old to die in the next year.

 

"25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration". Really, Mr P? If you think we believe that you must be mad

[Magere Hein 1,397]

The highest risk group of all are men who are within 6 weeks of having been discharged from a psychiatric hospital (200 times the average). But with suicide being rare, that still means that at most 2% will do it. Amusingly it also suggest that psych hospitals do no more than delay suicide.

I'm firmly in urban myth territory now, but the story is to good to let pass. A friend of mine is a railway engineer and has collided with suicidals several times. It's a mystery to me how he can cope with that, but that's not the point. He told me that all of his kills were near psychiatric hospitals. What's more, he claims, most Dutch psychiatric hospitals are located next to railway lines.

 

regards,

Hein

[Godot 148]

The highest risk group of all are men who are within 6 weeks of having been discharged from a psychiatric hospital (200 times the average). But with suicide being rare, that still means that at most 2% will do it. Amusingly it also suggest that psych hospitals do no more than delay suicide.

I'm firmly in urban myth territory now, but the story is to good to let pass. A friend of mine is a railway engineer and has collided with suicidals several times. It's a mystery to me how he can cope with that, but that's not the point. He told me that all of his kills were near psychiatric hospitals. What's more, he claims, most Dutch psychiatric hospitals are located next to railway lines.

 

regards,

Hein

Of course you also had Van Gogh who did it a bit at a time. Maybe Tracey Emin or Damien Hirst may be disposed to do the decent thing although just now they seem immune to criticism, indeed almost take inspiration from their lack of talent. In fact Tracey Emin splattered on a pavement beneath a very tall building might be the ultimate in artistic expression. Just a thought.

[maryportfuncity 9,989]

So, celebs in recent or ongoing psychiatric care:

 

Michael Barrymore, Frank Bruno, Caroline Ahern, Seryl Crow, Stephen Fry, Ian Huntley

[Tempus Fugit 212]

So, celebs in recent or ongoing psychiatric care:

 

Michael Barrymore, Frank Bruno, Caroline Ahern, Seryl Crow, Stephen Fry, Ian Huntley

Please don't use the word celeb to describe Ian Huntley. The day he appears in "Hello" magazine, is the day I'll know that civilisation really is doomed.

[Cowboy Ronnie 77]

So, celebs in recent or ongoing psychiatric care:

 

Michael Barrymore, Frank Bruno, Caroline Ahern, Seryl Crow, Stephen Fry, Ian Huntley

 

I read somewhere that Lance Armstrong is banging dating Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka. If true, might that be the final straw for Sheryl C?

[Canadian Paul 93]

Stephen Fry

 

This has nothing to with suicide, but I just thought it was really eerie since last night I had a dream where you and Hugh Laurie teamed up and killed Stephen Fry MPFC... then as this odd coincidence you post a message about him here...

 

Plans for future MPFC?

 

I doubt, by the way, that anything will come of the dream. It gave his year of birth as 1857 and his date of death as January 19, 1919.

[The Pooka 24]

The highest risk group of all are men who are within 6 weeks of having been discharged from a psychiatric hospital (200 times the average). But with suicide being rare, that still means that at most 2% will do it. Amusingly it also suggest that psych hospitals do no more than delay suicide.

I'm firmly in urban myth territory now, but the story is to good to let pass. A friend of mine is a railway engineer and has collided with suicidals several times. It's a mystery to me how he can cope with that, but that's not the point. He told me that all of his kills were near psychiatric hospitals. What's more, he claims, most Dutch psychiatric hospitals are located next to railway lines.

 

regards,

Hein

A survey of suicides on the London Underground found hotspots at certain stations. All of them were near psychiatric hospitals. Not an urban myth though. it was research by a Professor Farmer (that's not an occupation by the way)

[The Pooka 24]

 

 

But mental disorder is common (25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration). Suicide is rare (0.01% of population will kill self in any year). So just betting on those treated for or having a mental disorder is no better than backing a 2500-1 against shot.

 

I don't suppose that those odds are any better than betting on any randomly selected 75 year old to die in the next year.

 

"25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration". Really, Mr P? If you think we believe that you must be mad

 

 

You are right to question me Ronnie although it may just be a contrivance aimed at enabling you to amke a mild joke. There is a slight error caused by me being awash with beer and wine last night.

 

25% of people in the community have a mental disorder of 3/52 duration during any year. Most of this will be mild anxiety and depression. About 230 per 1000 (23%) will visit their Gp with the problem. Of these the GP will identify the mental health problem in about 140 (Men tend to present their psychological symptoms as physical and some GPs just aren't very good). Of these about 20 of the most severe get referred on to a psychiatrist and about 5 or 6 (0.6%) end up admitted to a hospital.

 

 

More suicidal appercus on request. An interesting site was alt.suicide.holiday which published a list of suicide methods and advice on how to maximise your chances of death. The site kind of exists but some of its advice on how best to do it has been removed but can still be found.

 

http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~chuff/holiday.html should take you there. Methods 9, 25 and 35 are particularly interesting.

[Cowboy Ronnie 77]

 

 

But mental disorder is common (25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration). Suicide is rare (0.01% of population will kill self in any year). So just betting on those treated for or having a mental disorder is no better than backing a 2500-1 against shot.

 

I don't suppose that those odds are any better than betting on any randomly selected 75 year old to die in the next year.

 

"25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration". Really, Mr P? If you think we believe that you must be mad

 

 

You are right to question me Ronnie although it may just be a contrivance aimed at enabling you to amke a mild joke. There is a slight error caused by me being awash with beer and wine last night.

 

25% of people in the community have a mental disorder of 3/52 duration during any year. Most of this will be mild anxiety and depression. About 230 per 1000 (23%) will visit their Gp with the problem. Of these the GP will identify the mental health problem in about 140 (Men tend to present their psychological symptoms as physical and some GPs just aren't very good). Of these about 20 of the most severe get referred on to a psychiatrist and about 5 or 6 (0.6%) end up admitted to a hospital.

 

 

More suicidal appercus on request. An interesting site was alt.suicide.holiday which published a list of suicide methods and advice on how to maximise your chances of death. The site kind of exists but some of its advice on how best to do it has been removed but can still be found.

 

http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~chuff/holiday.html should take you there. Methods 9, 25 and 35 are particularly interesting.

 

so 92% of the people who have a mental problem, the majority of whom have only mild anxiety and depression, visit a GP about it?

[The Pooka 24]

 

 

But mental disorder is common (25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration). Suicide is rare (0.01% of population will kill self in any year). So just betting on those treated for or having a mental disorder is no better than backing a 2500-1 against shot.

 

I don't suppose that those odds are any better than betting on any randomly selected 75 year old to die in the next year.

 

"25% of population will visit GP in any one year with a mental health problem of more than 3 weeks duration". Really, Mr P? If you think we believe that you must be mad

 

 

You are right to question me Ronnie although it may just be a contrivance aimed at enabling you to amke a mild joke. There is a slight error caused by me being awash with beer and wine last night.

 

25% of people in the community have a mental disorder of 3/52 duration during any year. Most of this will be mild anxiety and depression. About 230 per 1000 (23%) will visit their Gp with the problem. Of these the GP will identify the mental health problem in about 140 (Men tend to present their psychological symptoms as physical and some GPs just aren't very good). Of these about 20 of the most severe get referred on to a psychiatrist and about 5 or 6 (0.6%) end up admitted to a hospital.

 

 

More suicidal appercus on request. An interesting site was alt.suicide.holiday which published a list of suicide methods and advice on how to maximise your chances of death. The site kind of exists but some of its advice on how best to do it has been removed but can still be found.

 

http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~chuff/holiday.html should take you there. Methods 9, 25 and 35 are particularly interesting.

 

so 92% of the people who have a mental problem, the majority of whom have only mild anxiety and depression, visit a GP about it?

Yes but only those of over three weeks duration. Remember that mild anxiety and depression are subjectively quite unpleasant in a way that serious mental disorder may not be.

[M.Lawrenson 11]

Amongst other unlikely suicidal types are cricketers, especially the lesser known ones. There's a book called 'Silence of the Heart' about cricket suicides.

 

Yes, I bought a biography of Harold Gimblett last week. Sad stuff reading about him downing fistfuls of pills and going for ECT between demolishing county bowling attacks. 2 England captains, A.Shrewsbury and A.E.Stoddart blew their brains out, as did 'mystery spinner' Jack Iverson. The most recent ex-Test cricketer to top himself was David Bairstow, I think

 

Professional sports in general, however, is fairly low on suicide.

 

As far as football goes, I remember Justin Fashanu hanging himself. On my usual topic, the only F1 driver to commit suicide was 'Wild' Willy Mairesse (aged 40 and career in terminal decline) in 1969.

[The Pooka 24]

 

Amongst other unlikely suicidal types are cricketers, especially the lesser known ones. There's a book called 'Silence of the Heart' about cricket suicides.

 

Yes, I bought a biography of Harold Gimblett last week. Sad stuff reading about him downing fistfuls of pills and going for ECT between demolishing county bowling attacks. 2 England captains, A.Shrewsbury and A.E.Stoddart blew their brains out, as did 'mystery spinner' Jack Iverson. The most recent ex-Test cricketer to top himself was David Bairstow, I think

Sad. These guys played cricket for 6 hours a day and 7 days a week for up to 20 years. They were with mates for even longer hours. When they retired many of them had nothing to go to, no source of income and no idea what to do. Simon Hughes in 'A Whole lot of Yakka' described his desolation on being released by Middlesex. At least he was in an era where there was more money - he also had a degree to work with.