Depression and suicide are at epidemic level in Ireland and the problems have carried over to the U.S among Irish immigrants, experts have told the Irish Voice.
With the rate of depression and suicide among Irish people in New York seemingly higher than ever given a rash of recent suicides, various immigration support groups in the city have spoken out in an effort to decrease the stigma of depression and to get people, whether undocumented or not, to come in and ask for help that is both free and confidential.
Laura O’Brien, a licensed clinical social worker at the Emerald Isle Immigration Center and a Columbia University graduate, says that there are a lot of people in deep despair living in New York and wants people to avail of their services.
‘Depression and suicide are an epidemic in Ireland and this has carried over with the newly arrived Irish. Just like there are many organisations doing great work in Ireland, we want people to know that there is help here too. Status is not an obstacle and there is no charge whatsoever. We will not decline anyone.’
‘Sometimes your problems do not leave you at Dublin Airport,’ says Siobhan Dennehy, Executive Director of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, which has offices both in the Bronx and Queens.
‘People feel this pressure when coming to New York that they have to do well and they have to make it but it does not always work out that way. We believe we offer services that are culturally sensitive and we want people to know that we are here to help.’
Orla Kelleher, Executive Director of the Aisling Irish Immigration Center in the Bronx, concurs with this and states that Irish people, particularly Irish men, have a ‘cover up mentality’ when it comes to their mental health. ‘Irish people tend to conceal rather than reveal problems’, she says. ‘They will ring home and will always say that they are fine rather than reveal whatever issues they are dealing with. They feel embarrassment and shame about asking for help and we are constantly trying to figure out a way to reach people who do not want to ask for help but who are suffering. We have two professional social workers on staff and two voluntary social workers in the evening. There is no charge and status is not an issue.’
Siobhan Dennehy agrees with the notion of a cover up mentality and feels that there has never been a more difficult time to be an Irish person living in New York. ‘A lot of Irish people have lost their jobs over here too and just like home there is a shame in it. A shame in not working, an embarrassment in having financial problems and having to ask for help.’
‘All of these issues are exacerbated when the person is undocumented.’ says Orla Kelleher. ‘They may have unemployment issues, relationship and financial issues but it is hard to have the term illegal lumped on top of that. They may also have health issues and not know where to turn because of their status. Because of this, many people have let a health issue fester and there is obviously a great deal of stress that can go along with this.
We can offer help in these situations and offer advice on affordable health care.’
Siobhan Dennehy also addresses the plight of the undocumented person in New York and states that it is becoming more and more stressful to be in that position. ‘Even taking a trip to Boston now can be a big deal as various transport companies are asking for passports and there is now always the constant threat of ICE agents. People can be exploited by employers because of their status. There are also very human circumstances and the stories people hear about people being unable to return home for family funerals are very real. We see it here all the time as people ask about immigration laws and we have to deliver the hard facts. It has to be hard to be told no, no and no all the time. This can lead to an inevitable trapped feeling.’
Laura O’Brien, who has been a clinical social worker for 20 years, wants people to know that any session she has is completely confidential. ‘I think a lot of people, particularly men, are worried in such a small community that it may come out that they are in trouble. That is not the case. We are bound by the HIPAA laws of confidentiality. Nobody would know that you came into us.’
‘I could be reading a file written about my own mother and still not know that is about her,’ says Siobhan Dennehy. ‘We want to strongly emphasise that any help you get from us here is confidential and will not become the gossip of the community.’
Orla Kelleher has also noticed that people are worried about being spotted coming in and stresses that help can come to them. ‘If someone feels uncomfortable coming in, we can come to you. Our social workers can arrange to meet you outside the office. They can come to your home, meet in a coffee shop or whatever.’
Laura O’Brien notes that people will still be hesitant in coming in and asks for family and friends to notice the warning signs and take action. ‘If you think that a friend or loved one is in trouble, come in to us and we can instruct you on the next step to take. If you think that they will be nervous about coming in, feel free to escort them to their session.’
Despite all the help offered by her organisation and by the Aisling Irish Community Center, Siobhan Dennehy states that there are some people who will simply not ask for help. ‘This is why organisations like us are willing to work with anybody in order to find better ways to reach our target audience and get people to ask for help...because you can lead a horse to water but you cannot get him to drink. We want people to know that we will help anybody with anything they are going through. We just want to strongly emphasise to people who may be suffering that we are here, here to help, so please come in if you are in trouble.’
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.lajollajan | Oct 21, 2012, 06:38 PM EDT
Coming from an Irish family and having suicides in the family, I looked for answers. A Dr. Kenneth McAll, a psychiatrist from England had come up with some answers. And he wrote a little book "Healing the Family Tree". He is since deceased but his books can be purchased at Amazon.com. We had Masses said for the deceased in our family and since that time there have been no more suicides. It is a bit more than just that but get the book and you will shake your head, as I did when I first read it over 20 years ago. Suicide, many psychiatric diseases, anorexia nervosa have been healed following Dr. McAll's advice. There is a Priest, Fr. John H. Hampsch, CMF, here in LA, CA, who has written many books on this subject, one in particular is all based on Scripture. Many Priests conduct workshops and Liturgies here in the U.S. Before you poo hoo this, read the little book (published in London by Sheldon Press) less than $10. - a drink you can give up. What do you have to lose? If you have a family member who is troubled and you are worried, it is probably a spiritual problem and He has given us the answers. God bless you lovely Irish, Janice
angrypaddy | Oct 20, 2012, 12:21 AM EDT
A hard days work cure's all,No drink (dole) money here,In Ireland they get 188 euro drink money a week to keep them happy and stupified while they are being robbed blind by the criminals running the country.Just like we did with the native American.give them fire water and they will beat themselves
Happyhippo | Oct 18, 2012, 09:53 AM EDT
As the comments here have stated Alcohol and Drugs have a large bearing on the cause of depression and suicide among emigrants,they don't always leave their problems at the airport when leaving the home country,many years ago i found my self homeless and without any means of support, though i never had any addictions to worry about i made up my mind never to get myself into that situation again and as they say in Ireland i had a good talk with myself, and made up my mind if i was going to continue to live in this world i was going to do my best to make a success of my life,and that's exactly what happened to me, by just taking responsibility for myself and my own actions i was able to turn my life around and now looking back i'm just so glad i did.
butlerreport | Oct 18, 2012, 08:51 AM EDT
The elephant here is the continued ignoring of the role that alcohol has in depression and suicide. Alcohol on it's own is a depressant; combined with pre-existing depression it feeds it like ravenous dog. When drunk we tend to do things we otherwise might not, suicide is one such thing. If we were educated about the fallacy that is the 'craic,' and taught how alcohol is such a catalyst to depression and suicide we would be doing out people a service. Our stereotype is literally killing us.
nite | Oct 18, 2012, 01:52 AM EDT
I went from sad to angry. Angry once reaching the comments that is. No racist "pro law" conservatives this time. Wonder why? And only 11 comments? Without exaggeration that is a mere fraction of thumbs up the most vitriolic user comment receives when an article on this subject involves brown people. Never mind the comments tend to average in the dozens or hundreds. Almost all sympathetic comments here we see. Take note and say something when the lying conservatives post their "pro law" hate about Mexicans and others. Heck look at Arizona where many literally see the dead bodies of would be undocumentedlaborers. Their response has been such that even neo nazis have hailed their elected Republicans.
paddyo | Oct 17, 2012, 09:03 PM EDT
Where you travel, you bring yourself along. Geographical cures never work. Ireland is currently a mess, soon to be like Greece and the USA has high unemployment,much higher than the numbers show. So why would young unslilled and uneducated people come here hoping to join the carpenters or doormans union. We have Mexicans and other S. Americans standing on street corners looking for any kind of work. Go to Home Depot and you will see this. How come the Polish and other nationalities in Ireland seem to find jobs. My wife just got back from Clare, the waiter in her hotel was Italian and the maids were Polish. WHY? Many of these depressed Irishmen are Alcoholics and drug addicts; as was my brother in law who committed suicide 10 years ago. If you have a problem, stay in Ireland, the hospitals and medical system here is going bankrupt, due to illegal aliens.
jetsnoone | Oct 17, 2012, 06:23 PM EDT
Join your local parish and a Gaelic sports club... Happiness is Jesus and good friends...
brendan gillen | Oct 17, 2012, 05:44 PM EDT
Depression is a very serious issue with Irish people. Whe I left Ireland in 61, I lived in London. Thank God for the Irish centre there, because depression hit me like a kick from a mule. It was much the same when I came to Canada, it reared up its ugly head and attacked me again. Thank God, I have learned to deal with it. Fish oil and artificial light helps and councilling helps too. And so do peer groups. And of course a lot of Irish are in the U.S. illegally, which does not help. To those who are in the throes of depression reach out in any way you can. Believe me, things will turn around. But in the meantime....
Dunkelly1 | Oct 17, 2012, 05:18 PM EDT
Felicia, I'll tell you why they are different. Firstly because of their illegal status. You were not illegal when you went through your hard times.Which means you could apply for a legitimate job or occupation, these folks cannot. Secondly, they have no family or relations here which is terribly isolating and adds to the sense of despair. I am an Irish immigrant (illegal at one time, although my grandparents and great grandparents were Americans) who lived in New York years ago and became homeless at the age of 26. You could go to Ireland and take your chances just like these kids do here. No one is asking the Americans to apologize to these Irish. This article is just laying out the sad facts.
feliciamaisey | Oct 17, 2012, 03:50 PM EDT
Why should the illegal unemployed Irish person be any different than the thousands of hungry, near or actual homeless people across the entire United states? I am not disregarding the tragedy of circumstances, but having once been homeless with children, hiding from an abuser set on killing us, I found little or no support and it took me years to crawl back to civilization. Whilst I truly empathize, this is not a culturally specific tragedy, and I am a bit annoyed that the article is written in such a manner as to suggest that the Irish face more shame than anyone else finding themselves in these tragic situations. I have family in Ireland and have strong emotional and familial heritage with Ireland, and it is my want to live there permanently, no jobs and all. However, I find it unacceptable ot do so as an illegal maneuver and I cannot wrap my head around those that think it is okay to work in this country or visit, try to move in and work, and then lose it all. I say this when the Irish rules make it near impossible for an average American to do the same--and they take that standpoint without apology. Should Americans apologize to the Irish few (in the big picture sense) that make the mistake thinking they can better the odds?
Lacy | Oct 17, 2012, 03:29 PM EDT
Abraham Hicks-You Tube
Lacy | Oct 17, 2012, 03:27 PM EDT
Theres a speaker called Abraham Hicks on YouTube its very good. I've never heard a more articulate speaker about things. It is about the law of attraction. I hope people don't scoff at it. I'm not in that type of situation but I think it fascinating. I recommend it to anyone... So
merefalow | Oct 17, 2012, 03:04 PM EDT
I THINK THIS APPLIES TO ALL IMIGRENTS,to leave home and all who love you,to have to find work,and not be able to sometimes,to end up broke and hungry and homeless,with no support system and no money,its very understandable aspecially if you are young and all your dreams and aspirations are illusions,thanks to the greed and exploitation of our banking system and the crooked polititions who never checked and balanced a corrupt system.its still rotten and corrupt.our young people need a safety net.
cillowen | Oct 17, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT
they need to get off their bottle hide aways. Go to libraries instead and email their feelings about the sharks who've ruined their homeland. Blood sucking FF FG Labor etal Being in such a setting they could have access to job finder tools to excite hopes of a future.
Searlit | Oct 17, 2012, 10:55 AM EDT
My heart goes out to all of these people. They are not only fighting the depressing feelings of isolation from home, family and friends, but suffering the feelings associated with unemployment which is a huge identity issue. Then there's also the stereo-types they have to endure. Whether intentional or not the picture accompanying this article helps to reinforce such stereotypes. I hope those unemployed and in such a situation can hold on. The economy is moving in the right direction. Seek help , when needed, you can always return the favor somehow, when you're doing better.<3
JimmyJK | Oct 17, 2012, 10:30 AM EDT
Will genetic studies shed light on depression and mental issues regarding those of Irish descent and those in Ireland? We seem to have some high rates for bi-polar,depression and self medication.... Doesn't anyone know of any such studies?