ABSTRACT
Suicide notes teach us that anxiety is a real problem. This chapter presents a number of suicide notes. Is there a common denominator? The problem of anxiety and depression has exploded across the world, and this increase cannot be explained solely by the fact that things that were once considered healthy have now been medicalised. No matter how we measure it – using standardised questionnaires, in the increased use of psychopharmaceuticals or in terms of psychosomatic issues – the statistics all point in the same direction: People's mental well-being has decreased, and in contrast to the rise of somatic diseases, economic growth does not seem to have done anything to stop it. If anything, the opposite is true. Through research into suicide notes, the reader is introduced to the problem of thoughts: That nagging voice in our head is helpful at times, but why is it so hard to switch off?
