Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/368911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 AUGUST 2014 News 11 MAT THEW VELLA THERE'S a brand new social me- dia bandwagon in town, so come on, do the ALS ice bucket chal- lenge. Cynics and those fatigued by the fey ways of social media should find consolation in the massive $60 million that is believed to have been collected for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the lethal neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease – mainly thanks to the daisy chain of celebrities, including that most unpopular of former United States Presidents George W. Bush, who have taken the ice bucket chal- lenge to new heights. Even in Malta, the cold fever is upon us. The drop that finally tipped the ice bucket over the head of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat came from Tarragon chef Marvin Gauci, whose gastronomic sensi- bilities meant that his ice bucket challenge was aided with copious amounts of liquid nitrogen. Muscat obliged, getting the min- ister responsible for water, Kon- rad Mizzi, to do the honours, then nominated MaltaToday editor Sav- iour Balzan and Times of Malta ed- itor Steve Mallia. He left out Pierre Portelli, of Standard Publications (The Malta Independent) and cer- tainly not a fan of Labour (Portelli was formerly a president of the PN administrative council), who took umbrage at the alleged waste of "a bucket of water". Portelli's narky refusal to take the ALS challenge, when he was nomi- nated by someone else, might have little to do with global concern for an increasingly scarce resource, and perhaps reflects the exhaus- tion at watching the umpteenth celebrity outdo peers with more elaborate ways of getting ice water thrown at them. [Digressing, The Malta Independ- ent were keen to point out that Si- mon Busuttil, who forwent the ice bucket nomination to donate €100 to the Puttinu Cares cancer char- ity, nominated his "favourite" jour- nalist Kristina Chetcuti – the Indy took pleasure in finally committing to record that Chetcuti actually dates the Opposition leader.] Social media breeds both cyni- cism and over-saturation to the ex- tent that the ALS ice bucket chal- lenge risks becoming either a wet T-shirt contest (Konrad Mizzi and Silvio Schembri strategically nomi- nated Ira Losco and Kristy Debono MP, respectively) or a truth or dare game for personalities and people in power. But it does reveal the power of social media in bringing to the public awareness of diseases such as ALS, or cystic fibrosis or Huntington's, whose victims all too often are suffering in silence, ignored by a society that finds it too difficult to behold their hor- rifically debilitating effects. Often American disease asso- ciations are at the forefront of lobbying efforts and fund-raising for pharmaceutical research for drugs that, although they do not cure these rare diseases, help de- lay the onset of the conditions. The ALS Foundation received $19.4 million in proceeds in 2013, but thanks to 739,000 new donors, the ALS Association doubled its donations in one month, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Time Maga- zine reported that in one day, the challenge helped the ALS association earn $8.6 million in proceeds. "Increased awareness and unprecedented financial support will enable us to think outside the box," the charity said in a statement. And where only half of Ameri- cans knew about ALS a month ago, the New York Times wrote, now it is hard to find someone who has not been nominated, let alone someone who never heard of it. Little is known about ALS – like cystic fibrosis or HD or ME, there is no cure for it. Families who live with these conditions are very often secretive about it, anxious about the longevity of their relatives when the symptoms finally catch up, anxious about the financial wellbeing of their family when the breadwinner is rendered totally disabled, and in the case of genetically inherited diseases, anxious about the future of their children. It's easy to criticise the ALS ice bucket charitable act. After all, Maltese politicians relish this kind of 'karaoke' because it shows they are game for it: the online comment boards lauded Joseph Muscat, even though in the case of any Labour politician, social media stunts tend to be a matter of 'when' not 'if'. Opposition leader Simon Busut- til was given a hammering for not getting showered. In the Maltese social media ecosystem, machismo is prized; the dignified refusal of an ice cold shower tends to be mis- represented by people who like the show. If the ALS ice bucket challenge could be turned into a real success it would be because of the actual donations going towards diseases like ALS and the support of hos- pice services and NGOs who are counselling and assisting sufferers of these incurable diseases. As we speak, many are on the hunt for Ice Bucket 'patient zero': where did it all start? An ESPN re- port online, suggests that it began with former Boston College base- ball player Pete Frates who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, who then challenged some friends and celebrities to take the ice bucket challenge to "strike out ALS." The real story of how the ice bucket challenge came to dominate Facebook – writes Slate's executive editor Josh Levin – is perhaps not as important. People taking cold plunges, such as the Christmas swims organised annually for char- ity, are regular appointments. The power in the ALS ice bucket chal- lenges lies in the way celebrities can boost charity drives through social media. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Maltese men 11 times more likely to commit suicide than women TIM DIACONO THE statistics are jarring. Men in Malta are 11 times more likely to commit suicide than women. Po- lice figures show that 120 out of the 131 suicide victims (91.6%) between 2009 and 2013 were men. This is hardly a national phenom- enon either. World Health Organi- sation statistics show that China is the only country in the world where women are more likely to commit suicide than men. It also seems as though men are slightly more likely to self-harm than women. National hospital records show that 52.8% of the discharged patients diagnosed with intentional self-harm between 2010 and 2012 were male. Why does this gender gap exist though? "I think men might be more daring and they tend to be at a more de- cided place by the time they decide that they want to end their life," psy- chotherapist Teresa Camilleri Rausi said. "Women are more likely to suf- fer from depression. However, they might find it easier to talk about their problems and feelings than men," Camilleri Rausi said. "Men might not find it easy to open up to family and friends or might feel ashamed to seek professional help. "This is related to what society expects from gender roles. Men are brought up to act like men, to not show emotion and to 'get over it' if they are feeling depressed. They are expected to be strong and capable of facing and dealing with everything," Camilleri Rausi said. "Men might deal with depression by self-medi- cating with alcohol and drugs. This can easily become a cycle, creating other problems. "On the other hand, women are seen as softer and are 'allowed' to feel sad and to express emotion." 22 people committed suicide in Malta in 2013. Seven of them (31.8%) were 50-59 year olds, a larger percentage than any other age group. On the other hand, self-harm appears to be most common among 20-29 year olds with 26.7% of the patients diagnosed with intentional self-harm between 2010 and 2012 falling in that category. Interestingly though, only 10.2% of self-harmers were 50-59 years olds. "It's difficult to generalise what leads people to commit suicide," Camilleri Rausi said. "Some could be battling with an illness, some could have lost their job. Loneliness. The idea of retiring might be too hard to face. Social changes could affect the family and the workplace. Loneli- ness. Some people commit suicide after hearing some very bad news. The first thing that would come to mind is 'I can't handle this'. At that point they cannot think of anything else. They are pulled down by their heavy feelings." On a brighter note, Malta's average suicide rate is lower than the average in the 28 EU member states. Howev- er, while the average suicide rate in Europe points towards a downward trend, Malta's has remained relative- ly stable over the past 20 years. Crisis Resolution Malta helpline: 9933 9966 SAVIOUR BALZAN DOES THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE WATCH IT NOW ON MaltaToday.com.mt AND FIND OUT BALZAN'S NOMINEES MALTATODAY managing editor Saviour Balzan was invited by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to take up the ice bucket challenge. Balzan took the challenge and made a donation to Save The Chil- dren, for their work in Gaza, where since the outbreak of violence be- tween Israel and Gaza in early July, the conflict has intensified and is having a devastating impact on children on both sides of the border. Save the Children says children in Israel have also been affected, as rockets have fallen in many areas there and caused them to feel ex- treme stress and uncertainty. "Until a permanent agreement is reached that ensures both Palestin- ian and Israeli children can live without fear, the numbers of those killed, injured or displaced will keep rising. With 43% of Gaza's ter- ritory affected by evacuation warnings or declared 'no-go zones', the options for shelter for those displaced are limited. Over 100,000 peo- ple are now seeking temporary refuge in emergency shelters in Gaza; the conflict has also destroyed vital infrastructure including schools, medical facilities, and water and sanitary services. You can make a donation now to Save The Children on their website by going to this link http://bit.ly/1tDF92K This cold shower awakens the senses to the hidden diseases around us