Love Island Mike

[Nearlythere1]

Is anybody else sickened by the number of celebs piggy-backing on his tragic death? They're all out in force, posting videos of themselves crying and of course each one of them, as soon as the necessary condolences are out the way, launches into a story about themselves and their own problems. To the best of my knowledge, his "ex" who he was with for all of two minutes on the show, was one of the first posting about it, before his family had even made a statement. I do not think it was her place. Now Sheridan Smith has been getting her tuppenceworth in.

[adultcat]

I'd like to think they're using their position / platform to speak about mental health. They have lots of young fans that look up to them. If them speaking out saves just one person then I'm all for it.

[WantRapunzelLocks]

Ordinary people do this when people die too. Of course it's for attention. Genuine grieving people don't paste it on their social media.

[ThePlaceToVent]

The whole thing is sad and I don’t know if it’s a self perpetuating cycle.

Biggest killer of men under 50, it’s tragic, also Louis Tomlinson’s sister who apparently was fanatical about exercise and has died of a heart attack aged 18.

I don’t really know who they are but hound people or anyone dying needlessly is distressing.

But yeah YANBU.

[ThePlaceToVent]

*young people sorry

[Cazastrophe]

I think it normalisés talking about mental health to be honest. Greatly needed and the NHS are failing people. My niece is in a MH hospital and they want to send her home even though she shows no signs of any improvement and it’s only been 4 wks. She’s 16 and has attempted overdose twice.

[Nearlythere1]

Well, that brings me to a related point. None of them ever stop talking about mental health as it is, and I think there is something to be said for the ingraining of mental health issues as all-pervasive and consuming as a factor in the rise of suicide and the like. It's a question of how people are being taught to understand themselves.

[trebless]

There's been a lot of them speaking about mental health though. I think what happened to mike is absolutely tragic. And probably one of the most shocking celebrity deaths recently - because it looked like he had it all. So if anything, I think the more it's talked about the better. A lot of young men especially will be massively shocked by his death. Hopefully it may encourage more people to open up.

That aside - I do see what you're saying. It's like they all compete with who can say the sincerest things/who knew him best etc etc.

But then again, it is a massive shock. I only knew him from watching celebs go dating and I couldn't help but get emotional when I heard it.

[Nearlythere1]

But has nobody noticed the more people talk about it the more it is happening? It's hardly a taboo when you can't open a paper without the words mental health somewhere near the front page every day. I think the constant reinforcement of the problem, the idea that "nobody is safe" from mental health issues, is actually encouraging people to understand themselves in terms of being vulnerable and flawed, and it is also presenting resources such as suicide as a wholly understandable solution. Note i said "presenting", not "deliberately encouraging". It's about how we understand ourselves and the resources we are presented with as a result of that understanding. I think, by telling people constantly that mental health issues are the norm, that they are indeed being adopted as such,

[ThePlaceToVent]

@Nearlythere1

I think you have a point and I think that this is what has happened with explosion of people self harming.

[Nearlythere1]

@ThePlaceToVent I completely agree and that probably would have been one of my next points!

[Merryoldgoat]

I think there is something to be said for the ingraining of mental health issues as all-pervasive and consuming as a factor in the rise of suicide and the like. It's a question of how people are being taught to understand themselves.

I have literally no idea what this means...

[ThePlaceToVent]

I used to run a support service for teenagers and wherever there was a storyline in a soap or something featuring self harm “raising awareness” we would see a rise in self harm.

[WantRapunzelLocks]

I think it's glamorising suicide

[Nearlythere1]

That's the perverse truth of the matter @PlacetoVent.

[TheDarkPassenger]

@ThePlaceToVent

Do you not just think it made people think it was okay to seek support?

When I was a teenager I self harmed constantly and never told a sole because in them days it would have been seriously frowned upon. Took me too bloody long to seek help and when I finally had a breakdown I got diagnosed as bipolar, which includes brain scans, so definitely not environmental!

[HostaFireAndIce]

I must admit to being a little perplexed by the number of things you see saying that nobody talks about mental health. I don't seem able to move for people talking about mental health. Not that that's a bad thing, but I agree that it's rather simplistic to argue that 'talking about mental health' isn't a cure-all.

[ThePlaceToVent]

@TheDarkPassenger

I think initially it does but it also kind of highlights self harm ( and I only say that as an example) as a coping mechanism and it is a little bit glamourised now.

I don’t know when you were at school but when I was in the late 80s I never heard of anyone self harming but now it’s probably every other child in secondary school.

[Siameasy]

Yes OP I understand what you mean I think it is called Social Contagian (sp)
Anyone remember when Ritchie from the Manics sliced his arms up? A few of the girls in my year copied. One ended up taking it quite far.

Same thing happens with anorexia and trans gender.

[HelenaDove]

Not the first early death of someone who took part in reality TV though.

IMO the discussion that needs to take place is how toxic the whole genre is..



graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/cheska-hull-made-in-chelsea-depression-anxiety-reality-tv-interview-2/

[HostaFireAndIce]

*is a cure-all

[user1457017537]

WantRepunzelLocks I completely agree. Suicidal ideation is completely normalised by health care professionals.

[RJnomore1]

You know what, a beautiful young man who should have had the world at his feet felt so bad about himself he chose to end his life. That’s tragic. I don’t know if you can talk too much about it, if it helps one other person realise there is a place to go for help when you feel like that it and that you can get through it and feel better, it can’t be a bad thing surely?

[HarrysOwl]

But has nobody noticed the more people talk about it the more it is happening

You have a point. At my old uni a young girl sadly committed suicide and it wasn't reported by the uni as there were worries of 'copycat' behaviour, as awful as that sounds there are cases where that has happened, so uni policy is to report 'sudden death' and not suicide.

[user1457017537]

Beautiful young man who had his whole life in front of him. That whole celebrity/reality show genre is so shallow and the girls only seem interested in what can be bought for them and how they should be treated like “Princesses”.

[TheDarkPassenger]

@ThePlaceToVent

Absolutely nobody at school or even my closest friends knew what I was doing. As an adult whenever I’ve been I’ll nd self harmed I’ve always hidden it well too (not a slasher as an adult, I hit my head on things and have knocked myself out before)

I don’t disagree with you at all, I know exactly what you mean about it sort of being glamourised, I’ve had people look at me with a strange sort of envy in their eyes when they’re asking about my bipolar. I’d give it up in a bloody heartbeat but people think it’s some sort of free pass to do stupid things or have a wild weekend 😣