Dear readers, it is with a measured composure that I recount the chapters of my early life in Britain, not as a lament, but as a testament to the unyielding spirit that has propelled me forward. Born amidst the vibrant hues of Colombia, my existence was irrevocably altered when my then stepfather, under the guise of benevolence, orchestrated my horror. As I write this, it is 3rd November, 2025. It’s 22:50 and I am filling a form to access my medical records from the NHS. I am being asked to provide my full list of addresses where I have lived, and I had to Google the postcodes as I did not recall these. I came across the farm business the man who once adopted me owns, and I felt that I had to write about those times between 2006-2007 to finally let go and heal.
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Gabi is an English professional based in Plymouth, UK who immerses herself in different languages and cultures, experiencing different ways of existing and travelling whenever possible. She is also deeply passionate about investigating and exploring visual art and the means of expression and narrative it contains.
In recent years, the issue of suicide among white males in Plymouth has become a growing concern. According to statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the suicide rate among white males in the UK has been on the rise, with Plymouth being one of the areas most affected by this trend.
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There are a number of factors that may contribute to the higher rates of suicide among white males in Plymouth. One possible explanation is the social and economic pressures that many white males face in today’s society. With the rise of automation and globalisation, traditional industries that once provided stable employment for white males have been in decline, leading to job insecurity and financial stress.
In addition, white males in Plymouth may also be facing mental health issues that go untreated due to stigma surrounding mental illness. Many men are socialised to “tough it out” and not seek help for their mental health struggles, leading to feelings of isolation and hopelessness.
Another contributing factor to the high rates of suicide among white males in Plymouth may be the lack of available mental health resources in the area. With long waiting lists for therapy and limited access to mental health professionals, many men may not be able to get the help they need in a timely manner.
It is crucial that we address the root causes of suicide among white males in Plymouth and work towards providing better support and resources for those at risk. This includes breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, improving access to mental health services, and creating more opportunities for white males to seek help and support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help. You are not alone, and there are people who care about you and want to help. You can call the Samaritans 116 123 for confidential support, or speak to your GP about accessing mental health services in your area.
Let’s work together to support and protect the mental health of white males in Plymouth, and prevent further tragedies from occurring. Your mental health is important, and it’s okay to seek help when you need it.
We have heard the advice, but how can we interpret the information? Why follow the lockdown protocols? This article will clarify the coronavirus’ status quo.
What’s the difference between the coronavirus and COVID-19?
The coronavirus is what people catch, and the COVID-19 is the respiratory disease that can develop. A good analogy for understanding the differences between the two terms is HIV and AIDS. Whilst not all people who test positive for HIV develop AIDS, those who do develop it become severely ill. Similarly, not everyone testing positive for the coronavirus develops COVID-19, but those who do develop it are hospitalised and become severely ill. This is why preventing catching the coronavirus is just as important as preventing catching HIV.
What is the likelihood of catching the coronavirus?
As of the date of this writing, and according to Worldometers (2020a), there have been 47,806 confirmed cases in the UK, which has a population of 67,802,457 (Worldometers, 2020b). This means that the total number of hospital admissions per 1 million population is approximately 704, and the number of deaths per 1 million population is 73. Furthermore, Plymouth (the city where I live) had a population of 264,200 as of February (World Population Review, 2020), and as of the date of this writing it has had a total of 102 hospital admissions (GOV.UK, 2020b), out of which 13 (approximately 12.8%) patients have died (O’Leary, 2020); which means that even though there is a low risk of catching the virus, those who do catch it and develop COVID-19 are at high risk of dying.
Why should I stay at home?
Because you do not know whether you are infected or not, and if you are coronavirus positive but you have not developed COVID-19; you could still pass the virus onto other people who might be more vulnerable than you and who might develop COVID-19. Alternatively, you could catch the virus and in the worst case scenario die.
How is staying at home protecting the NHS?
When you prevent catching the coronavirus, you also prevent spreading it around. This means that you are doing everything you can to make sure that the NHS does not become overwhelmed with patients.
What preventive action can be taken?
You could self-educate on the topic in order to feel confident that you know what’s going on, and how to survive the crisis.
You could stay home in order to prevent becoming a patient, or spreading the virus (creating patients). This means that the NHS will have more supplies to deal with the overwhelming number of cases, and those severely ill will have a higher chance of getting the medical attention and equipment that they need.
You could share the information with your friends and family.
What reliable advice is available?
The World Health Organization (WHO; 2020a) has a section dedicated to the coronavirus pandemic with all available scientific information.
The NHS.UK (2020) has a section also dedicated to the disease.
The GOV.UK (2020a) also has a section dedicated to the lockdown in relation to the pandemic.
How is the virus transmitted?
According the World Health Organization (WHO; 2020b) “COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes […] transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur by direct contact with infected people and indirect contact with surfaces in the immediate environment or with objects used on the infected person […] Airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission […]can remain in the air for long periods of time and be transmitted to others over distances greater than 1 m”.
References
GOV.UK (2020a) ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do’ [Online]. Available at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus (Accessed 5 April 2020).
This work of art is called "technoculture". It was created with GIMP in Linux. It illustrates the emerging digital archives of knowledge and history. The word technoculture is part of the overall process. Technological culture is global culture.
