(Independent.ie: photo of Garda outside Greaney family home)
The following article is about the very recent tragedy in Cobh, Co Cork, in which a husband killed his wife, himself, and attempted to murder his daughter, and the fact that this man was heavily indebted. We must from the outset address the possibility that some might perceive this article as in "bad taste, "too soon" or even "opportunistic". For those who consider us "sensationalistic" in publishing so soon after the tragedy, please consider the following.
There have been numerous tragedies over the last number of years in Ireland, tragedies in which an evidently loving parent commits the ultimate obomination by taking the life of one or more loved ones. Do we know their names now? Can we recall past the shock we felt to the causes of those tragedies? If we are honest with ourselves the answer to both questions is most likely "no". They have after months, weeks and even days faded from our common, popular memory, another causeless, senseless tragedy, but hey, nothing could have been done could it? Today's news, tomorrow's chip-wrappers.
We all know however that everything has a cause and when it comes to "senseless" acts of violence we habitually point to the fountain of mental ill-health as though such ill-health just appears and in itself has no cause. It is a well accepted fact that personal debt can not only exacerbate mental health problems, but can also trigger such conditions. Usually, when the subject of the impact of personal debt on mental health is raised, the conditions considered are what might be termed the "common garden variety" such as depression and anxiety. We as a society are, if not comfortable talking about those conditions, then we are at the least more aware of them and their propensity within our communities. Indeed, there is almost a societal expectation that we may suffer anxiety or depression at least once within our lifetime.
There are other mental health conditions that we are less comfortable in talking about publicly, such as "personality disorders"; "Schizophrenia" and the likes, particularly when those conditions may at times produce violent thoughts and behaviour. Of all the mental health conditions it is these we fear most, but they are also the conditions we deem most "senseless", "without cause", even "evil".
We don't know what drove Michael Greaney to kill his wife, himself and attempt to kill his daughter Michelle (23 years old) over the holidays. We do know that he had only recently received a summons from a bank seeking possession of the family home and that he was in litigation with two other banks over debt also. We do know that Mr Greaney himself associated his violent ideation and a previous abduction and attempted murder for which he was referred to a psychiatric unit, on his substantial debts. The Irish Independent newspaper has reported that....
"one family friend said he appeared to become “very stressed” after Christmas Day and once again seemed preoccupied about the family finances.That CMH treatment was ordered after he appeared before the court in 2013 on a charge of false imprisonment and assault against a woman.He was found guilty but insane by a jury after they heard detailed evidence that, following severe financial problems in his business and spiraling debts, he had suffered from depression, insomnia and stress.After the attack on the woman, he had attempted to self harm."
There can be little doubt as to the influence that personal debt had on Mr Greaney and his violent thoughts and actions, as the Irish Independent continued......
In a submission to the court, Mr Greaney said his business had struggled following the Celtic Tiger collapse and had gotten into severe financial difficulties.At one point, he persuaded his wife, Valerie, to put up the deed of the family home to support the business in which they both worked.The threat of losing the family home had caused him terrible emotional turmoil."This broke me physically and mentally," he said."I lost control. I felt so ashamed. It was not me doing this. I let her go...a few seconds ago (she) could have died.""I knew I was a danger and I had to stop it. I grabbed a bread knife to put in my heart but I couldn't. I took a Stanley knife to cut an artery and kill myself".
There has been a veil of silence cast over a principal cause of mental ill-health, particularly over the last few years in Ireland. Acceptable causes without veil or lesser moral implication include demographic variables like age, ethnicity, social status, unemployment and the likes, as well as genetics and childhood histories. This is what students will be taught in college and this is what the media portrays as the sources of mental ill-health. Little is said of personal debt. This may be because today's economic machine is driven by the mantra from the markets, the IMF and ECB that "debt is good", it drives the economy we are told. Nowadays our debt masters are as likely to be government as finance houses. In conditions such as this we cannot openly talk about the personal and social consequences of debt and how it is driving many into mental ill-health and a lifetime of prescription drug abuse, and drives the few to ideas and acts of terrible tragedy.
A basic Google search reveals that Michael Greaney has not been the only man to kill loved ones and to associate the act with something so mundane as personal debt. Below are some cases reported since the onset of the downward economic cycle in 2008.....
- Mail online December 30th 2014 - Mr Andrew Case -"Mr Case, 33, killed two-and-a-half-year-old Phoebe, 18-month-old Nereya, and stabbed to death his 31-year-old wife before hanging himself at their home."
- CNN, April 31st 2009 - Mr Christopher Woods - "A man who shot his wife and three children to death before committing suicide in Middletown, Maryland, last weekend had about $460,000 in mortgage and credit card debt, the local sheriff said Tuesday. Authorities said Wood left individual suicide notes to his wife and each of the three children, expressing his sorrow and love. There was one note left to his mother, father and sister, and one more that was not addressed to anyone in particular but that was more apologetic than the others. In his sixth note, Wood described his "day-to-day stresses," Bailey said. "That one talks about financial problems, how he was going to raise his family, stresses, how he tried a number of medications to control his depression, but felt he had gotten worse over time," Bailey said."
- The Star Online, July 6th 2013 - "A contractor, said to be debt-ridden, is believed to have killed his wife and two children in a case that has shocked this town in Sarawak’s central region."
- NCB LosAngeles, 28th January 2009 - Ervin Lupoe - "Awash in debt, behind on his mortgage and recently fired from his job at a hospital, Ervin Lupoe was planning on leaving California....he shot his five children and wife to death before turning the gun on himself."
- APP.COM, Monmouth County, 21st November 2011 - Kimberly Allen and her husband, Patrick, were more than $600,000 in debt and days away from losing their Middletown home to foreclosure. The couple was planning to go to Wells Fargo Bank that day to try to stave off the foreclosure, Patrick Allen's attorney has claimed.
The cases cited are from only the first page of a Google search that had scores of direct search results. Each case shares certain factors as that of the Greaney case, namely significant debts and the threat of home repossession in some cases, self-stated deep upset and trauma due to personal debt, and finally the murder of loved ones.
Although no further evidence is needed of the links between mental ill-health and personal debt, and more to the point radical acts of destruction of life and personal debt, a relatively recent report published by the Irish Mental Health commission, titled
The Human Cost states that...
The recession affects everyone, to a greater or lesser extent. For people with pre-existing mental health problems the impact of the recession, and factors such as debt and unemployment, is likely to be more pronounced.....A high proportion of people with mental health problems who are in debt choose not to tell creditors because they think creditors won’t understand or will not believe them. Finally, the presence of a mental health problem represents an existing vulnerability and the person may not have the emotional and psychological resources to cope with the extra stress of concerns in relation to debt and unemployment.
So we have the evidence of the negative impact of personal debt on mental health in general, and we know that in some cases depression, anxiety and even suicide may not be the worst outcome, but rather the killing of others. What can be done to prevent another tragedy like that in Cobh, Co Cork last week? Are we really as helpless as our initial reactions to such terrible news suggests, or can we collectively do something about it?
The Human Cost report highlights the need for further research and the recommendations it cites from the UK, and reports and policy initiatives, appear to focus principally on providing more mental health services and funding for services. Prevention of indebtedness is also discussed as a resolution. Meanwhile the elephant in the room, current and existing debt, is ignored, and the suffering of this generation continues unabated. The report writers feel they did their bit, and got well paid for it too no doubt.
In the meantime Mr X, and Mrs Y trudge on through their own personal nightmare induced by their debt, calls and letters from the bank and the threat of losing their home. For most, the outcome will likely be a broken relationship or two, possibly self harm and alcohol/substance abuse, suicidal ideation maybe. For a few, it will be their own death and the death of those closest to them. What a shame that we know the cause of the problem but still we refuse to accept the only real solution, debt forgiveness.
Author - FM
