Have you or do you know anyone who self harms? Or perhaps you knew somebody who committed suicide. Although it is a terrible thing to talk about, put yourself in that persons position. What drove that person to harm them self, or end their life? Suicide and self harm is more serious than any other addiction. So what is suicide? Suicide is where someone takes their own life intentionally. Every year more than 30,000 people in America of all races, cultures, and ages take their life. Among young people, more than 5,000 people kill themselves a year. (Kuehn, 6). The most common methods for committing suicide are: firearms, hanging, and drug overdose. (“Understanding Suicide And Self Harm”). Often suicide acts are under the influence of drugs and/ or alcohol, therefore affecting ones thoughts and actions. Though many suicidal people do not show signs, there are some that do. If you think someone you know may be suicidal, watch for these signs: increasing drug or alcohol use, exhibiting rage or anger, talking about wanting to die or kill oneself, isolating or withdrawing oneself, behaving recklessly, and mood swings (“Understanding Suicide And Self Harm”). If you think someone is contemplating suicide you should trust your instincts. Talk to the person about your concerns and make sure to really listen to them. Ask them questions, but do not judge them. You should seek professional help and make sure they are never alone (“Suicide”). There are many factors that can contribute to suicide. However, we may never know the real reason someone committed suicide. Even the very few people that do leave suicide notes may not be telling the truth (Kuehn, 5). Mental illnesses are a big cause of suicide. Depression being the leading cause. ... ... middle of paper ... ...ss (“Dancing In The Darkness, Self Injury”). Anybody can self harm, no matter where you’re from, what you look like, or what you do. Anybody could be a self harmer. Depression is a condition that affects one in every 10 people sometime during their lifetime. Over 80% of those people do not receive treatment or medication. Many people with depression have factors like obesity, sleep disorders, and lack of education. Individuals that are unemployed, or divorced are more likely to have depression. Studies show that women are twice as likely to have depression as men of the same age (“Depression Statistics”). So as you can see suicide and self harm are two slightly different things. However both are very serious. One can lead to the other and both should be taken seriously. Suicide is more than just another death. Self harm is more than just any other addiction.
Self-harm, or self-mutilation, is the intentional action of harming oneself, generally without the intent to kill. It is estimated that over two million people self-harm in the United States alone (Pomere). When involved with depression, self-harm is generally used as a method of coping with stress and various feelings that they may be having. If depression manifests with feelings of inadequacies, one could feel like they deserve to be injured (Bartha). Over time, the act of self-injury could become an addiction. It could become an obsession (Pomere).
Self-harming has always been a sensitive and harbored topic for the people worldwide. They see the concept of self-injury from text books, media, novels, and celebrities. Cheryl Rainfield, the author of the book Scars, has delivered a significant and strong message about self-wounding through the main character, Kendra, and her story. With the use of imagery and the alternation of Kendra’s past and present, Cheryl Rainfield has revealed the struggles that lead to Kendra’s way of living such life. Not only in fictional books, there are people in everyday life fighting to live by abusing themselves. Demi Lovato, an US-UK famous singer who is known for her strong, warm voice, an optimistic spirit and a bright smile that always appears on her face, is a victim of self-harm. Demi had eating disorder and cuts on her body as the evidence of all the hardship that happened to her. Even though she had finally found help and gotten over her fear, it is still a heart breaking surprise to everyone that knows and loves her. As stated above, self-harming is a sensitive subject that is defaulted as a wrong and crazy action. It does not matter how life goes or how worst things are, nothing would ever be bad enough for a person to hurt and harm themselves, because it is a sin. However, all people have is a misunderstanding, and such misconception has made people indifferent and the situation get worse for the victims.
It is estimated that about two million people in the U.S. self harm. Most teenagers or young adults with women outnumbering the men. They are of all races. In recent study, over 4000 self-harming adults are hospitalized per year. 80% of those hospitalized had overdosed and 15% were hospitalized for cutting.
Suicide is the eleventh most common cause of death in the United States. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a person takes their own life once every fourteen minutes in the United States (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP], 2011). Still, with suicide rates so high, suicide is a taboo topic in our society. Though suicide is intended to end one person’s pain, it causes an immeasurable amount of pain and suffering to loved ones close to the deceased.
To get down to a serious level, self-harm isn’t something people should be doing. And for people who don’t, don’t look down upon people who do. For those of you who think cutting is a way to try to get attention, open your eyes. Think about how many people you personally know have talked about how they were cutting themselves the other night. Not very many I can imagine. That’s because people do, do it as a release from the pain that they are dealing with in life. They feel that the pain other people put them through is worse than self-inflicted pain. Isn’t that a terrible thought? They try to hide it from friends and family to not be a bother or attract attention to themselves. So, next time you see someone putting another person down, don’t ignore it and step in. You never know that you may be saving someone’s life.
Some ways of self harm are pinching, cutting, starving, carving, scratching, pulling, and hitting oneself (young minds). Most people that don’t really understand say that it is from attention but to be honest teens self harm to take the pain from their hearts. Some teens may self harm because it is something they have control over (young minds). Some teens self harm to make sense of the pain that is happing in their lives (self harm).
Over 90 percent who take their own life have a documented mental illness with depression being the main one. Untreated suicide is a major cause in suicides because the person is not getting the proper treatment they need to help them. Depression can be caused for a traumatic experience or events that happen in someone’s life. For example, someone who is overweight could get bullied in school for their appearance and it could tear them down mentally and can lead to depression. Depression can also be triggered by divorce, death of a loved one, terminal illness, etc. Depression is a very serious thing and should be properly diagnosed and treated so they can conquer their illness and not fall victim to suicide for not addressing the
Depression is one of the main three reasons people commit suicide. Depression can happen following the passing of a loved one. It can be very hard and traumatic on anyone. Most people don’t know how to handle the pain. Eventually, the suffering becomes too much and they slip into depression. Some people can develop despair worse than others. Also, over ninety percent of suicides happen because of a mental illness. The
It can often be used as a distraction from emotional distress and a way to release feelings the person has help in for so long. They often feel relief and a sense of calmness after performing the act. This is known as cutting or self-mutilation. Some forms of self-mutilation are cutting, burning, hair-pulling, pinching, scratching, picking at scars, and head-banging. People who self-mutilate often have a history of abuse, whether it be sexual, emotional, or physical. Self-mutilation often piggy backs onto other mental health problems such as eating disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and many other mental illnesses. Most people who self-harm often have low self-esteem and are perfectionists. They are often very impulsive and have poor problem-solving
Let us look into basic and generalized knowledge of self injury. Self injury (self harm or S.I.) is the act of harming yourself as a way of coping with emotional pain, frustration, and anger. Some view it as a suicide attempt or a precursor to a suicide attempt, but it is not a suicide attempt at all. Rather, it is a serious cry for help. When an individual turns to self injury, they look for an emotional release which gives them momentary calmness. “While self-injury may bring a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension, it's usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions” (Self Injury 1). Self injury can also result in serious or even fatal injuries (1).
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems. Each year over 17 million Americans experience a period of clinical depression. Thus, depression affects nearly everyone through personal experiences or through depression in a family member or friend.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, scientific evidence has shown that almost all people who take their own lives have a diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, and the majority have more than one disorder. In other words, the feelings that often lead to suicide are highly treatable. That’s why it is imperative that we better understand the symptoms of the disorders and the behaviors that often accompany thoughts of suicide. With more knowledge, we can often prevent the devastation of losing a loved one.
Many live due to the fear of death, many die due to the fear of living. Suicide is the act of ending one’s own life as a result of emotional and spiritual problems. Suicide, to some, is seen as a permanent escape. The Church itself argues against suicide. Life is borrowed and is not for one to just give away, God is the only one who can judge life. Suicide should not be committed because it infringes our relationship with others and ultimately God. Suicide is a selfish act all on its own.
Suicide is one of the most common death around the world. Life is just taking away very easy by someone or yourself. We have study the causes of someone killing themselves, but our human behavior can easy change and eventually make that deciduous. The causes and effects of suicide are depression, the past meaning your life before, and feeling unloved or lonely. The effects are the people that loved you are going to be depress, never reach those goals that you set for yourself, and people that loved you will feel the guilt.