Curtis,Heather

Campbell,Marci

Psychology1010

October2017

Suicide:howeveryoneinvolvedisavictim.

Introduction

"SuicideisamajorandcontinuingpublichealthconcernintheUnitedStates.During19992015,

approximately600,000U.S.residentsdiedbysuicide,"(Kegler,Stone,&Holland,2017).Mostpeople

havebeenaffectedbysuicidewhetherdirectlyorindirectly.Lefttopickupthepieces,manypeople

questionwhatcouldtheyhavedonetopreventthisandwonderhowtheydidnotspotthesignssooner.

Suicideisnotanissuethataffectsaspecificrace,gender,orreligiousgroup.Thisisanissuethataffects

theyoungandold,maleorfemalealike.Evidenceofthisisseenwhenweopenoursocialmedia

accountsandbrowsethroughnewsfeeds.Youwillsurelycomeacrosstheheartbreakingstoriesof8,9,

10,or11yearoldchildrenthathavebeenbulliedtothepointwheretheynolongerfelttheirlifewas

worthliving.Thissenseofhopelessnessaffectsouryoungimpressionablechildrenallthewaythrough

toourseniorcitizens.

LiteratureReview

Teensseemtobeahighriskforsuicidalthoughtsandactions.Theyareatadelicatepointin

theirliveswheretheyarebuildingasenseofselfworth,withbullyingcomingfromalldirections,itis

importanttoequipourchildrenwithhealthycopingskillsandalifelinetoreachoutto.
 Ashockingnumberofteendeathsareduetosuicide,"Suicideisthethirdleadingcauseofdeath

forhighschoolstudentsafteraccidentsandhomicide,accordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControland

Prevention(CDC2010).Asurveyof13,633U.S.highschoolstudentsfound:

*17%seriouslyconsideredattemptingsuicide

*14%plannedhowtheywouldattemptsuicide

*8%attemptedsuicideatleastonce

*3%madeasuicideattemptthatresultedinaninjury,poisoning,oroverdoserequiringprofessional

treatment(Kannetal.2014,pp.1113)"(Michael,2014)

Inasociety,wheresomuchnegativestigmaisattachedtomentalhealth,howdoweconvince

familiesandfriendstodiscusssuchatabootopic?Reachingouttooffersupporttosomeonestruggling

withdepressioncouldhaveasubstantialpositiveimpact.Therearemanyactivitiesthatfamiliescanget

involvedwiththatcanopenthelinesofcommunicationsuchascounseling,suicideawarenesswalks,

supportgroupsandsuicideawarenessweeks.Alloftheseandmorearegreatopportunitiesforparents,

friends,family,andteacherstobegintoaddressthesetopicsstartingwithouryouth.Thisshouldn'tbea

topicthatisquicklyrushedover.Somepeopledealwithdepressionthatseemstobesooverwhelming,

that,thatpersonfeelstrappedinapitofdespairandtheythinkthereisnohope.Explainingtochildren,

family,andfriends,thattheyhavesomeonetoturntoduringthesehardtimesisanimportantstart.

Itcanbedifficulttounderstandwhatisgoingoninanindividualslifethatwouldcausethemto

considersuicide.Eachpersons'experiencewithsuicidalthoughtsisuniquetotheirmentalstateandlife

situations.Anexampleofthisis:"Iamlongtermunemployed,andmyrentisexpensive.Iwontbe

homeless.Ifthathappens,thenIwillattemptsuicide.Thisiscertain."(Dodemaide&Crisp2013)Inthis

case,thesubjectwasawareofwhatwouldhappenifhislivingsituationchanged,therewasnoreportof
previousmentalhealthissues.Depressionisoftenreferredtowhenthetopicofsuicidecomesup.

Depressionisamooddisorderthatcanaffectsomeone'shappiness,socialinteractions,thoughts,and

behaviors.Sometreatmentoptionsfordepressionthatmayhelptoalleviatesomeoftheseissuesare

therapy(bothgroupandindividual),meditation,medication,andsupportgroups.

Learningsomeofthewarningsignscouldhelpustoknowwhentheremaybeaneedfor

intervention.Somewarningsignsare,"(a)rage,anger,seekingrevenge;(b)actingrecklessorengaging

inriskyactivities,seeminglywithoutthinking;(c)feelingtrapped,asifthereisnowayout;(d)increasing

alcoholordruguse;(e)withdrawingfromfriends,family,orsociety;(f)experiencinganxietyand/or

agitation;(g)beingunabletosleeporsleepingexcessively;(h)dramaticmoodchanges;and(i)

perceivingnoreasonforlivingornosenseofpurposeinlife."(Miller,Eckert,2009)These"warning

signs"arenotproofthatsomeonemaybesuicidalinstead,theymaybeindicatorsofadangerous

mindsetthatmayrequireprofessionalhelp.Oftentimespeoplewhoarehavingsuicidalthoughtsreport

feelingthattheyhavenoonetoturntointheirtimeofneed.Asimpleactsuchas:reachingoutto

someonewhentheyappeartobestruggling,couldbeenoughtohelpopenthelinesofcommunication

andgivethatpersonasenseofsupport.

Application

Suicidehastouchedmylifewiththelossoffourfamilymemberswhosawnootherwayof

escapingpain,depression,andloneliness.MycousinJeffwasthefirstinourfamilytocommitsuicide.

Hehadstruggledwithmentalhealthproblemsformostofhislifeandcouldnolongerdealwiththe

voicesandhallucinations.Mygrandfatherwasthenexttotakehislife;hewaslonelyaftermy

grandmotherpassedandnolongerwantedtobewithouther.Amy,anothercousin,tookherlife

becauseshewasdealingwithdepression,divorce,andfinancialissues.MycousinJameswasthelastin

ourfamilytoendhislife,hewasdealingwithaseveredrugandalcoholaddictionthatledhimdowna
darkroadthathecouldn'temotionallycomebackfrom,sohefelt.Eachoneofmyfamilymemberslefta

noteinhopesthatwewouldfindpeaceinthem.Themessagesprovidednoreassurancetoanyofus,we

allstruggledwithguilt,wonderingwhatwecouldhavedonetopreventsuchtragedies.Thelovedones

thatareleftbehindinsuicidesometimesfeelguiltyfornotnoticing"warningsigns."ThefamilyIwas

adoptedintohasahistoryofmentalhealthissues,andwehavehadfiveotherfamilymembersattempt

suicide.Manyofusfelthelpless,notknowinghowtooffersupport.

Conclusion

Iwassurprisedtolearnthenumberofyoungpeoplethatareaffectedbysuicidalthoughtsand

actions.Itisourresponsibilitytoprotectandhelpnurturethesekids.Bullyingandmentalhealthissues

arethingsthatIfeelneedtoaddressesregularly,soitisnolongeranextremelyuncomfortabletopic,

thisisonewaywecanstarttocombatsuicideinouryouth.Learningmoreaboutwhatthingstosayand

whattoavoidwouldbebeneficialtomeandothers.Withoutaclearunderstandingofwhatanother

personisgoingthrough,itcanbeeasytobecomedismissiveorusetermsthatmaymaketheindividual

feelisolated.Thistopicisatoughoneformebecauseofmyemotionaltiestoit,butformenottobea

hypocrite,ImustaddressthisproblemsoIcanbepartofmakingapositiveimpact.Iwanttoknowmore

abouttherapeutictreatmentoptionssuchasEMDR,talktherapy,hypnosis,andmedications.Iamalso

curioustofindoutmoreaboutgeneticsandhowtheymaytieinwithsuicide.

References:
Dodemaide,P.,&Crisp,B.R.(2013).Livingwithsuicidalthoughts.HealthSociologyReview,22(3),308

317.doi:10.5172/hesr.2013.22.3.308

Kegler,S.R.,Stone,D.M.,&Holland,K.M.(2017).TrendsinSuicidebyLevelofUrbanizationUnited

States,19992015.MMWR:Morbidity&MortalityWeeklyReport,66(10),270273.

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6610a2

MichaelE.,B.(2014).HealthWise:PreventingTeenSuicide.TheScienceTeacher,(6),14.

Miller,D.N.,Eckert,T.L.,&Mazza,J.J.(2009).SuicidePreventionProgramsintheSchools:AReview

andPublicHealthPerspective.SchoolPsychologyReview,38(2),168188