Surviving Suicide: Isolated by Social Stigmas 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. In 1972, Albert Cain laid the ground work for the psychology of those coping with suicide in his work Survivors of Suicide. Up to that time, there had been almost no research of the topic of suicide survivors. (McIntosh, 2003). The classification “Survivors of Suicide” (SoS), attributed to Cain in his 1972 book Survivors of Suicide, refers to friends and family left behind in the aftermath of a loved one’s self-inflicted death (McIntosh, 2003). In his foreword to the book, Edwin Shneidman, the founder of the American Association of Suicidology and cofounder of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, referred to the “survivors of suicide, as the largest mental health casualty area related to suicide” (McIntosh, 2003). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates six survivors for every suicide. According to their statistics, over 36,000 Americans die from suicide every year (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP], 2011). This leaves over 216,000 Americans to cope in the aftermath of suicide in addition to those still coping from previous years. For decades after the release of Cain’s book Survivors of Suicide, little research was conducted on suicide survivors; howeve... ... middle of paper ... ... & McIntosh, J. L. (2011). Grief after suicide, understanding the consequences and caring for the survivors. (pp. 24-33). Routledge. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) (2011). Facts and figures, international statistics. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from http://www.afsp.org/. John L McIntosh. (2003) . Handbook of Death and Dying. Volume 1: The Presence of Death. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference. Aguirre, R. P., & Slater, H. (2010). Suicide Postvention as Suicide Prevention: Improvement and Expansion in the United States. Death Studies, 34(6), 529-540. doi:10.1080/07481181003761336 World health Organization (WHO) (2011). Facts and figures, Suicide. Retrieved November 2, 2011 from http://www.WHO.int Cvinar, J. G. (2005). Do Suicide Survivors Suffer Social Stigma: A Review of the Literature. Perspectives In Psychiatric Care, 41(1), 14-21.
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Show MoreSakinofsky, I. (2007). The Aftermath of Suicide: Managing Survivors' Bereavement. Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 52129S-136S.
Suicide is like a natural disaster; an earthquake, a tornado, a hurricane, a meteorite. Abrupt, jolting, devastating the lives of all those it impacts. It’s a life changing catastrophic crevice that rips apart the lives of the survivors who are left behind to navigate the grief left behind by the loss of their loved one. These loved ones spend years working through the reverberations; the anger, the guilt, confusion and regret. They search and search for the answer to the endless questions…. Why? What if? If only… I know this. I’ve been there.
The subject of suicide is taboo in our society. Despite this fact and the efforts of society in general trying to minimize the reality of suicide, there are still people who are intrigued by the act. This intrigue could be due to the large number of people who die by suicide. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-24 and the 9th leading cause of death overall (Timmermans 311). The intrigue and minimization of suicide in our society contrast. When suicide is not being romanticized or hidden, there is shame and stigma surrounding it. Ignoring, romanticizing, and shaming the act of suicide is problematic because suicide is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed openly, accurately, and without judgment.
Even when life seems wonderful and smooth, someone could be in a dark place of despair. Someone’s mental health is not always reflected in their words or actions. Mental battles of life and death occur everyday. Most people don’t realize the amount of people affected by depression and suicidal thoughts. My good friend, Evelyn, who I have been best friends for almost a year now, recently lost her grandmother to suicide. Not only does suicide affect the person who commits it, but their entire family and friends. For Evelyn, it almost led to her losing her life too.
"Some Facts About Suicide and Depression." American Association of Suicidology. American Association of Suicidology, 29 June 2010. Web. 27 July 2011. .
This report is separated into six sections: Theoretical clarifications of suicide, New Zealand Suicide current insights, Suicidal patterns and cross sectional Comparison, Different causative components for suicide, Analyze of suicide counteractive action strategies and conclusion.
Blumental, Susan and Kupfer, Davis. Suicide Across the Life Cycle. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1990.
In the year 2016, a federal data analysis uncovered the tragic truth. Suicide rates had been in an all time high. Depression, had hit hard that year, resulting in an high increase (to 63%) in middle aged [women] suicide and three times as many teen [girl] suicides as there had been in 2014. With this information, one can see that there has been many tragic deaths in the past years. These deaths have left families torn and many dreams left behind.
“Suicide and it’s Prevention” Depression. Twenty First Century Books Medical Library. Millbrook Press. Inc. 2001. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. 6pp.
Suicide before the age of 15 is uncommon. Most of suicide among children and adolescents occur late in adolescence period. According to published data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2009, the suicide rate for children ages 10 to 14 was 1.3 per 100,000, adolescents ages 15 to 19 was 7.75, per 100,000, and for young adults ages 20 to 24 was 12.5 per 100,000. There is no doubt that the suicide rate are increasing day by day. According to a survey suicide is the second leading cause of death in Canadians and 27 other European Union countries aged 15 to 24 years. and it is the 10 leading cause of death globally. In 2009, The age-adjusted suicide rate those 10–19 years old in the USA was 4.50 per 100 000 (7). and the suicide rate in boys is higher than in girls. numerous explanation has been proposed for th...
There is an unknown epidemic that kills thousands of people every year. This quiet killer is not cancer, car accidents or disease, but is inflicted by the victim’s own hand, suicide. An unknown source confidently stated, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem” (10 Powerful Suicide Prevention Quotes & Sayings 15). While there are many causes of suicide, the leading cause is untreated depression. A highly publicized suicide occurred in August of 2014, when famous comedian and actor Robin Williams took his own life. In fact, “there are over 800,000 suicides worldwide every year” recently stated by SAVE (Suicide Facts 30). In the United States, one person commits suicide about every 16 minutes. Of those, young women account
It can hit very close to home for some people, but to help the problem, suicide must be studied, spoken about, and dealt with. A recent study taken among students at Coleman High School resulted as such: out of 30 people asked, 28 personally knew or were somewhat in relation to someone who took their own life. The amount of lives affected by this shows just how important the awareness of suicide is. Although it is a tough topic to have a conversation about, it is not a subject that people should turn their heads away from. Scientists have continued to research the subject of suicide because of the horrible repercussions it can inflict on families and the people involved. Through numerous studies that scientists have conducted, insights to the causes and warning signs gives us ways to proactively try to prevent this type
Durkheim, E., & Simpson, G. (1997). Suicide: A study in sociology. New York: Free Press.
Aase, S. (2010, December). understanding suicide: why it's a bigger risk than you think and
(1) Suicide is “the action or an act of intentionally killing oneself.” Suicide has been an issue worldwide in society today. “Suicide takes the lives of nearly 30,000 Americans every year” (SAVE 1). Some suicide attempts are caused by “depression, mental health, the death of a loved one, a serious loss such as a loss of a job, house, or money, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and bullying” ( Caruso 1). Suicide is an escape from pain that people have been suffering. It has been easier for people to end their excruciating life than having to live in misery for years. “A growing body of studies has demonstrated that alcohol and drug abuse are second only to depression and other mood disorders as the most frequent risk factors for suicide” (Wohlenhaus 127). Some signs and symptoms of depression include “difficulty concentrating, remembering details, making decisions, thoughts of suicide, overeating, and aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment” (NIMH, depression 3). Alcohol was the greatest common substance found in suicide victims when tested. “Studies showed that a type of psychotherapy called cognitive therapy reduced the rate of repeated suicide attempts by 50 percent during a year of follow-up” (Wohlenhaus 8). Therapy is an alternative that can help prevent suicide. Presently, news media has been reporting suicides, which is either preventing or causing suicides but this can be easily be solved by reporting safely.