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Michael Blosil, Alexander McQueen Suicides: Cost of Depression?

by Rhonda J Mangus | March 8, 2010 at 04:17 am

1212 views | 16 Recommendations | 7 comments

On Friday February 26th 2010, Marie Osmond's 18-year-old son Michael Blosil committed suicide by jumping to his death from the 8th floor of his apartment building. Blosil reportedly left a suicide note, which referred to a lifelong battle with depression.

Blosil is the second public figure to commit suicide during the last month. On February 11th, fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London apartment. McQueen reportedly committed suicide after his mother, Joyce, died.

Sadness, depression, loneliness. These are common feeling shared by those that attempt suicide and, frankly, not unfamiliar calls from many LGBT people. In fact, LGBT kids are up to 8 times more likely to report having attempted suicide. And, for every completed suicide by a young person, it is estimated that 100 to 200 attempts are made.

Coming Out Does Not Have to be Lonely

Far too many LGBT people continue to suffer in silence, sometimes without words to express their pains. Have we come to accept, if only to the smallest degree, sadness and loneliness as residuals of our gay lives? As if the payment for our openness is the uncertainty of our place in this world. The beauty of the new relationship we develop with ourselves can too easily be thwarted by the lack of closeness elsewhere. But the deal doesn't have to come at such high cost.

Trevor Project and HopeLine

If you feel sad, lonely, depressed or are having thoughts of suicide, there's help available at Trevor Project, the Suicide Hotline (1-800-784-2433/ 1-800-273-8255) or Hopeline.

Michael Blosil's Funeral to be Held Today, Monday March 8th. Michael's friends and family say he was not gay.

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Uwe Paschen

at 05:41 on March 8th, 2010

I do not know the latest stats, but I believe that suicide is high in every sector and still rising, even seniors are now part of the statistics to a point that it becomes noticeable.

The suicide hot line for Tokyo Japan is,

Hotline: +81 (0) 3 5286 9090.

Good post Rhonda. Thank you.

hidflect

at 08:00 on March 8th, 2010

That's right. It's just not news when "ordinary" people kill themselves. It takes more than a couple of celebrities to indicate a real trend.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 14:26 on March 8th, 2010

Thank you! You are very welcome, Uwe! Thank you, too, for the suicide hotline for Tokyo.

Rory Cripps

at 06:26 on March 8th, 2010

"Sadness, depression, loneliness. These are common feeling shared by those that attempt suicide . . . ."

I'd rather have root canal performed without anesthesia.

What a horrible and helpless feeling. I knew three kids that committed suicide and many others that killed themselves slowly throughout the years. One was gay and only 16 at the time. He hanged himself one night from a tall oak tree. He had no one that he felt comfortable sharing his feelings with. It was a tragedy and I'll never forget it.

Hugh Askew

at 08:28 on March 8th, 2010

Glad the information came from nice, unbiased sources. Anecdotes are hardly data.

Barbara Roach (not verified)

at 21:26 on March 8th, 2010

You don't have to be gay to be depressed when your a teenager. When I was a teenager I was always depressed and always thought of ending my life. I had no friends. I was akward and I felt ugly and was sometimes tortured in school. I hated my life at home and out of home and that was 30 years ago. I can't tell you how tough it was. I can't help but feel for any of these kids. But I survived - I actually but my faith in God and trusted in Him to help me and it helped and now I'm 46 years old and have kids of my own. But trust me some of you need to stop with this gay stuff. You truly can feel unwelcome or not at peace or totally horribly depressed and not be gay. It has nothing to do with homosexuality