Suicide Essay, Research Paper

Suicide appears to be a rising “fad” among today’s society. Each year in the US, thousands of teenagers commit suicide, which is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 years olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5 to 14 years olds. It is a selfish cop out someone may use to escape life’s problems. Cheating life earns no respect. Suicide is wrong and shouldn’t be pushed aside by today’s society. Suicide is most common in teens because of stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. The adolescence years is a tough stage for many people and during this stage people are very vulnerable and sensitive. For some teenagers, divorce or moving to a new community can be very unsettling and can intensify self-doubts. It is such a shame that these two stressful situations are now all so common and that many people find suicide as a “solution.” Suicide seems like such an easy way out. Anyone can do it. There are literally hundreds of options in committing suicide. One could use methods such as asphyxiation (hanging), jumping off a building, slitting ones wrists, shooting ones self, decapitating ones self, disembowelment, drowning ones self, electrocuting ones self, explosions, jumping in front of a train, self-immolation, starving to death, dehydrating ones self, skydiving ‘accident’, crushing ones self, deliberate heat stroke, an acid bath, faking a car bomb, jumping off a bridge, being eaten alive, or burning to death. I’ve also read about people shoving pencils up their nose then slamming their head into a table, getting someone to murder them, or pumping 40cc of air directly into ones heart. Feelings of depression and suicide are said to be curable. Treatable is the word I would more likely choose. The initial thought of an adolescent before he sees a psychologist, is a place where only the insane go for help. So by this thought, he has one more reason to kill himself because now he thinks he’s crazy. Going to a psychiatrist has been portrayed throughout history as something for people with serious mental disorders. Slap that on a kid who already hates himself and you’ve got quite an appetite for destruction. Most suicidal people ultimately don’t want to kill themselves. They would much rather be talked out of the situation. Far too many times these feelings are overlooked and people commit suicide as their last resort. Below is a broad overview of what should be looked for in recognizing a suicidal person: * Change in eating and sleeping habits. * Withdrawal from friends, and family and regular activities. * Violent actions, rebellious behavior or running away. * Drug and alcohol use. * Unusual neglect of personal appearance. * Marked personality change. * Persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating, or a decline in the quality of schoolwork. * Frequent complaints about physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc. * Loss of interest in pleasurable activities. * Not tolerating praise or rewards. * Verbal hints with statements such as: “I won’t be a problem for you much longer,” “Nothing matters,” “It’s no use,” or “I won’t see you again.” * Unusual cleaning of room or discarding of favorite possessions. * Becoming suddenly cheerful after a period of depression. There are a certain number of ways that you could help a suicidal person after noticing the symptoms. The most helpful thing to do for a suicidal person is to listen to what they may have to say. Don’t criticize their opinions or reasons for doing something even though you may feel that it’s wrong because they may feel as if you’re against them too. Talk to them about their feelings and be as comforting as possible to show that you

care. Sometimes suicidal people just need someone to talk to or someone to listen to their problems. Tell someone close to the suicidal person that may have an influence on to maybe alter his or her decision. This is usually a family member or close friend. Suicide in the short term is a great way to avoid further problems in ones life. ‘It’s a shame that the person can’t be resuscitated once the problems pass. Beside the point, by ending one’s problems, they often pass much larger problems on to the ones they loved. Family and friends go through the harsh reality that someone they loved has committed suicide and is no longer here with them. It s really not a good way to treat a loved one. They could start a chain reaction and pretty soon we’d all be killing ourselves. An individual may see that life is not worth living because of the departed loved one and commit suicide. Life looks higher on those who try, then those who give