Simone Back Died On Facebook Because Mental Illness Is Mocked
SIMONE Back, 42 and living in Brighton, posted on her Facebook Wall a Christmas Day message:
“Took all my pills be dead soon so bye bye every one.”
She had 1,048 friends. None of them called the authorities. Did they do this because modern life is about watching without engagement?
She took the pills. Simone Back died. Her body was found when her mother, Jennifer Langridge, heard of the message and called the police. That was 17 hours the original post.
But Simone Back’s grandstanding / cry for help / simple statement of fact did solicit 48 comments.
One noted:
“She ODs all the time and she lies.”
Another wrote:
“Did you catch the part about Simone taking pills?? .. the ‘bye bye’ part?? Did anyone go by personally and check on Simone.. or call 999?? what’s wrong with you people??”
Her mother tell the press:
“Normally when she takes an overdoses I get help for her.”
So. Should her threats have been taken seriously? Yes. But she was not helped.
This is not because Facebook is some other world, a sink for mankind where we just look and do not engage. It is because mental health is not well enough understood. It is scary. It is mocked. Had Simone Back fallen and said she was bleeding, perhaps with a photo of an injury, would a “friend” have called for help?
A woman has died. And only now do we notice her suffering…
Posted: 7th, January 2011 | In: Key Posts, Technology Comments (14) | TrackBack | Permalink
