The only time of year my job wears me down... (depressing)

[MystyGlyttyr]

The holiday season, dealing in death.

It wouldn't bother me, actually, if not for the fact that the "Christmas Curve" goes into effect during Thanksgiving and keeps up until halfway through January, sometimes even into Valentine's Day.

The Christmas Curve is what we refer to when our average obituary count rises by an average of about 20 people a week during the holiday season...an effect I've confirmed with a lot of careful math and figures.

The reason is because of the increase of young people dying. Mostly 20 and 30-year-olds. Today I've had five...our average is about one a day. Yesterday I had seven. If I include 40-year-olds, who are still relatively young, I'd have eight today.

The increase is because, well...suicides. Sadly enough, we've already had a lot of high profile ones, people doing themselves in in public places—parks, police stations, etc. Most of the rest of them kill themselves in their own home, which doesn't get a story in the paper without some really bizarre circumstances attached. One of them was the father of a girl I went to school with...he got a front page because of the things he did.

I was able to sort of put two and two together and figure this out for myself, and had it confirmed with funeral homes, police reports, whatnot, only because I was really curious about what the hell was going on. The new clerk, though, is still questioning me about it, mentioning how sad it is that all these young folks (people our age and younger) are suddenly dying.

I don't quite have the heart to just out-and-out tell her "They're killing themselves," because she's younger than me, and a lot more cheerful and happy and not worn down by humanity and all that. I would really rather she not know if at all possible, and so far she hasn't shown the interest in finding out that I did so probably she won't figure it out.

Just, ugh. Christmastime in the obituary department, not necessarily the place to be.

[BlaqueKatt]

in my call center we also have a life insurance company contract-death claims is on the other side of the wall-currently their call volume has doubled-and most of them are on overtime-kinda sad-but they're making more money to have nice holidays-I just wish I didn't hear the calls all day.

[Knightmare]

Suicides have always risen during the holiday season, for various reasons. Sad, but true.

[GingerBiscuit]

I studied it in psychology, it's very sad. It's hard to tell people who are quite positive why the sudden rise in young deaths, but she'll find out soon. Maybe it would be better if you told her in a sensitive way then she comes across someone with limited tact and gallows humour, who will not introduce the idea in the most sensitive way.

[gunsage]

"Suicides?" I would've found that to be a factor, but would not have guessed it as number one. Honestly, I would've thought that various accidents from rushing around and not really paying attention would've been number one. That and being trampled for that one last rare Pokemon.

[Foxglove8778]

Honestly, I would've thought that various accidents from rushing around and not really paying attention would've been number one. That and being trampled for that one last rare Pokemon.

and setting the house on fire with the Christmas tree...
and hurting oneself while putting insane amounts of decorations on the roof....

[gunsage]

And overdosing on hard egg nogs...

[Bank Lady]

On the other end of the spectrum is the increased death of seniors right after the holidays. Apparently many elderly people hold on just through the holidays, using all their energy to spend one last Christmas/Hannukah/etc with the family. In particular nursing homes have an increase in deaths.

Although not as tragic as suicides I thought it deserved a mention. There's an incredible amount of pressure associated with the holidays for many people.

[Greenday]

The thing that bothers me the most about suicides is how easily they could have been prevented, or at least deterred, if someone took the time to ask the person how they are doing, and call out their BS when they say they are well.

Stuff like being lonely gets multiplied by a lot during the holiday seasons, especially if you have no family to look forward to seeing.

[Cyphr]

I've never been a suicidal type persons but your right sometimes when your all by yourself it gets pretty lonely. I don't know what to say about old people its somewhere between commendable and pitiable

[Primer]

Sometimes there are no definitive reasons for people committing suicide (or trying to) except a chemical imbalance in the brain that has not yet been diagnosed. Been there, tried to do that. I am now on antidepressants, but it's still a tough row to hoe everyday, and not just during the holidays.

[cinema guy]

Primer, me too. I'm off the anti-depressants now, and it is still tough sometimes. It gets better, slowly, a little bit at a time.

It was never the holidays that got me, it was the seemingly unending drudgery of the rest of the year.

[LizaMarie]

The thing that bothers me the most about suicides is how easily they could have been prevented, or at least deterred, if someone took the time to ask the person how they are doing, and call out their BS when they say they are well.

Stuff like being lonely gets multiplied by a lot during the holiday seasons, especially if you have no family to look forward to seeing.

I'm sorry, but that is just wrong. Maybe you've never known anyone who's committed suicide, but when someone is that desperate and so convinced that nothing is going to go right again asking them how they're doing is not going to help. Even people with tremendous support networks kill themselves. It's a disease, not an attitude problem.

Again, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bitch about it, but one of my good friends killed herself in high school and to say it could have been prevented by a simple "how you doing?" is bull.

[cinema guy]

Liza Marie, that is spot on. I was always at my most upbeat when around other people and at my lowest ebb when alone. And truthfully I didn't realise I needed help, I just felt tired, run down and fed up. My first suicide attempt was a suprise to everybody who knew me.