| Oct 6 @ 8:25 PM |
Suicides in Vegas
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starchild888
Posts: 232
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I find it very disturbing and tragic that Las Vegas leads the nation in the number of people that commit suicide...most notably, men. Seems the main reason the guys do it so prevalently is 1) outliving their usefulness 2) isolated -- no family 3) no sense of purpose....
I'd be interested to hear from some of the men from Nevada about this subject...especially the baby boomer guys....?
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| Oct 6 @ 10:41 PM |
Suicides in Vegas |
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Gary51hwd
Posts: 26
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Yes, I saw this stat somewhere too. Sad. I suspect that those without a strong sense of self are attracted to the city, only to find a neon hellhole in the middle of the desert. I love it here, but I can see where some might find it lonely and hopeless, especially gamblers and alcoholics. Vegas also leads the nation in the number of churches per capita, odd for a place that bills itself as Sin City.
I have a daughter in Miami that I live for and love, so I need to be around for her as she grows older. I also have my music and a zest for life that gets me through, come hell or high water. I love to hike and explore, so this area is a real treat for me. When I get tired of this I'll go fishin' back home in the Blue Ridge mountains and forget it all.....
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| Oct 8 @ 7:49 AM |
Suicides in Vegas
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ToucherinSparks
Posts: 6,701
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Don't know about L.V., but I do know about Reno, and I suspect it's the same reason. A lot of guys show up here newly divorced and looking for excitement. They gamble away all their money, sell their car and whatever else they have for more gambling money, and maybe they win for a while, but in the end, we know all long term gamblers lose and end up broke.
So, broke and with nothing to look forward to, and no one to love them, they kill themselves.
Places like Reno and Las Vegas are the last stop on a lonely painful road for many people.
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| Oct 18 @ 3:38 PM |
Suicides in Vegas |
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Niteflower
Posts: 15
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Just a thought, but it couldn't possibly be because they come here looking for the unreal life? After all, you can see all those flashing lights and you can feel the possibility of getting rich and all the females who live here are either hookers or show girls..........or both. Isn't that the American Dream? How much better could life be?
I hear it time after time when I'm asked if I'm a showgirl (yeah, right), if I live on the strip (whoaaaaaaa) or if I'd like to shall we say 'meet up' with some married guy from middle America who's here for a few days attending a convention of some sort.
Vegas has pink grass (rocks) and plastic people, but there are plenty of real ones too. I may be an old broad and have no family here, but in no way have I outlived myself.
Flower
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| Oct 24 @ 1:00 AM |
Suicides in Vegas
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SunBabe
Posts: 12,251
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Heck, I didn't even have to die to have committed (social/cultural) suicide by moving to...Fallon. 
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| Oct 24 @ 4:20 AM |
Suicides in Vegas |
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Solitaire
Posts: 1,140
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Nevada tends to rank up near the top for all sorts of social ills: teen pregnancy, suicide, alcohol related injury, illness or death, problem gambling, etc. I think alot of it has to do the type of social environment that makes up Nevada. Nevada is a state of extremes. You have Las Vegas with a population of over a million, and Esmerlda county with somewhere around 800 people total. Alot of the smaller communities are relatively isolated with limited options. I've heard alot of people complain that the cities are just as socially isolating because "locals" are standoffish, unwilling to get overly involved with those they see as transients. Although there really are other businesses than gambling in Nevada, such as agriculture, mining and light industry, it's not what we're known for best. Nevada's reputation is made on gambling, quickie marriges, quickie divorces, prostitution, casinos and free drinks, party all night, sleep all day. I know, this isn't how it is every where or all the time, but just a sterotype of Nevada. We cater to impulse, and a lot of those impulses are fueled by alcohol and drugs. Suicide is often an act of impulse, and also often fueled by alcohol and drugs. Add in boredom and stress from weird work hours which make it difficult to socialize outside of the clubs, and you increase the sense of disconnection and lonliness many feel.
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