Suicide

Suicide is the act of ending one's own life. Circumstances contributing to suicides can be drug abuse, poverty, the death of people close to oneself, sexual harassment, violence, physical diseace, shame, fear, punishment, financial problems or philosophical/existensial reasons - i. e. expressions over the free will and the fact that ultimately, the decision of whether to live or not lies with oneself. Also, while many has found solace in religion and succesfully used it to overcome mental problems, religious expression - especially fundamentalist views - has also been an important cause of suicides; among others, gay people have ended their lives not being able to find support among their religious peers.

Warning Signs

Suicides are almost always preceded by more or less obvious signs, and can very often be prevented if these signs are noted and acted upon. If you feel that someone shows signs of worthlessness, apathy, isolation, major interest in death and giving away dear things, shame, major disease, depression and or depressive psychosis or if they suddenly seem happy after a period of depression, you should ask them if anything is bothering them. Often, just having someone to talk to seems to solve things - but if you feel the slightest fear that your friend/aquiantance might hurt him-/herself, encourage him/her to seek professional help. And if they refuse, and you still feel worried, the best thing for them can be forced treatment.

Religious views

In several religions, christianity among them, suicide is viewed as a grave sin, because they teach that the ultimate decision of whether to live or not lies not with man, but with God and/or relevant equivalent. In modern times, most churches and/or other religious societies has accepted that the view of suicide as a sin does more harm than good. Many of them have started their own grief councelling centers, and treats suicide as a grave mental issue which should be prevented, but not something dishonourable. The "sin approach" has caused people to end their own lives because they feel that their suicidal thoughts are sinful, it has caused much misery to the ones left behind by suicides and it is, generally, viewed as out-dated. But according to Japanese moral rules, suicide can often be commendable and is at times recommended as ways of escaping dishonour.

Scope of the Problem

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the world, claiming over one million lives globally in 1999. The suicide rate in the U.S. in 1999 was 10.7 per 100,000; the homicide rate that same year was only 6.2 per 100,000. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth 15–24 years old. White males over 85 have the highest rate of suicide, about 65 per 100,000. Suicide rates are also elevated in some ethnic groups. For example, suicide is about 1.5 times more prevalent than average among Native Americans. While whites continue to have higher suicide rates than blacks, the gap seems to be narrowing in young males. Suicides in males outnumber those in females in almost all nations, including the United States. While males are more likely to complete suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.

Suicide in the Military

The U.S. Army reported 99 suicides in 2006, with almost half of those being soldiers/officers under 25. According to Colonel Elspeth Ritchie, psychiatry consultant to Army Surgeon General Major General Gale Pollock, the primary motivation for these suicides was "failed intimate relationships, failed marriages." This represents the highest level of suicide in the Army in 26 years.

See also

• kamikaze
• suicide bomber