42 years ago on Wednesday (May 18, 2022), Joy Division singer Ian Curtis took his own life. To mark the occasion, his former bandmates Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris discussed mental health and suicide prevention with politicians and experts in the British Parliament on Wednesday. Among other things, it was about the medical and social situation in Great Britain, the stigmatization of suicide and the problems that people with mental health problems are confronted with. The “NME” reported about this.
“Didn’t think he had a mental problem”
Bernard Sumner opened the discussion on behalf of the band. So he spoke about the last years of Ian Curtis – and with it about the difficulty to recognize the first symptoms of depression. “Originally we didn’t think he had a mental health issue — we thought he had an epilepsy issue,” he said. In the last photos, taken two weeks before his death, Ian Curtis often held his head with his hands. Sumner described the singer as basically a “normal” and “happy” guy. He continued, “His lyrics were a bit somber, to say the least, but when Ian was with us on a day-to-day basis and at rehearsals, he was very funny.”
Referring to the statistic that, on average, each suicide directly affects 135 friends, family members and co-workers, Sumner said, “I want to say that not only the person who takes their own life, but also the people within their Environment will be destroyed.” So the family, the self-help group and the friends also need support, according to the musician: “If someone has mental problems, the doctors often don’t talk to the family. I think that’s wrong because the family can’t take care of the person if they don’t know what the problem is.”
“Don’t think we could have done anything”
However, Sumner found that at least the collective consciousness has been heightened since Curtis’ death: “They said back then that[attempted suicide]was a cry for help, but that’s not really the case,” he said, adding, “It’s damned seriously and should be taken seriously.” In the case of his bandmate, however, it was very difficult to help: “He had a plan that he didn’t want to discuss with us. It happened and I don’t think there’s anything we could have done.”
The event was organized by the mental health charity CALM. According to them, 75 per cent of all suicides are male – making suicide the leading cause of death in the UK for men under the age of 45. Looking at those statistics, Stephen Morris said, “The problem with Ian and with young men with depression is that they become isolated and don’t know who to talk to.” “didn’t bother anyone and just got on with it.”
Strong criticism of waiting times and the education system
Above all, Bernard Sumner criticized the long waiting times for therapy places: “You hear stories about 18-month waiting lists. You can’t get put on a waiting list if you’re going to kill yourself. That’s grotesque.” In order to create more acceptance, individuality and creativity, attitudes in schools would also have to improve, says Sumner – according to him, music and art can also be a form of “therapy” and “meditation”.
Stephen Morris also criticized the British school system: “The education system is designed to divide students into two groups. One bunch: ‘You’re fine, you passed all your tests, you’re going to college, we as a society will hug you and take care of you’. The other pile is, ‘Sorry, go away.'” Sumner agreed: “We have this kind of world where everything works, everybody gets a job, everybody gets a house, a car and kids — but this does not suit everyone. There are outsiders who are excluded. Maybe these outsiders become musicians because they don’t feel they belong,” said the 56-year-old.
Punk as an escape
Regarding the history of Joy Division, the musician said: “We were born out of punk music. Punk rebellion aside, it was an escape from normality. Normalcy is very scary for some young people. Teenagers are raised to have fun and then suddenly they’re told, ‘That’s it – the party’s over. Get a job, get a house, buy a car, have kids and live a normal life’”. However, not everyone would suddenly want to make friends: “Some of us want to keep having fun. You join a band so you can be a 30-year-old teenager.”
Originally, the event entitled “Breaking the silence” was supposed to take place in 2020 – but it had to be postponed twice due to the corona pandemic. Labor MP Kerry McCarthy moderated the debate in the Speaker’s House. The guest list also included prominent politicians such as Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker of Parliament), Keir Starmer (Leader of the Labor Party) and Gillian Keegan (Secretary for Mental Health).
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