Suicide

Suicide, some attempt it and some actually go through with it. No matter what personal feels you have about the subject or the people who commit these acts, you have to admit that it is a growing problem in this country. Throughout this paper I will compare and analyze several issues concerning this topic.

First let’s look at why someone may threaten to commit suicide. Studies have shown that those who “threaten” to commit suicide want their intentions known. They make their threat explicit, direct, and clear. It can be viewed as a cry for attention or help. At this point they actually want to live rather then die, but are attempting to use the threat to gain support for their personal objective. An example could be a girlfriend threatening to kill herself if her relationship with her boyfriend ends. The threat is more then likely a bluff with the goal of preventing the break up. Now this does not mean these threats should not be taken lightly. If the person’s goals are not achieved they may resort to other more extreme means.

One of the other means could be attempting suicide. Attempters though are less direct or obvious with their intents. Their signals or hints may be as simple as showing their depression or making comments like “I haven’t been able to eat or sleep lately.” Many factors could have caused them to feel as if there is no hope. On reason may be the failure of their previous threats to work. It should be noted though that this does not mean a person must threaten suicide before they attempt it. I am simply stating a pattern that has been identified. I think it is also important to remember that attempting to commit suicide is much more serious then threatening to do so. In my opinion attempting the act is the same as actually committing suicide. The only real difference is that the attempt failed.

Now let’s look at those individuals who actually commit the act of suicide. Studies have shown that all most all people who have committed suicide have at least one prior attempt in their past. It is also possible that some of these individuals skipped the attempt step all together. Keep in mind that most attempts are simply suicides that failed to succeed due to the person’s life being saved. A person may become frustrated or depressed that their threats were not successful. Because of this they may choose suicide as their only means of emotional escape.

Studies have shown that the majority of suicide attempters are women, while completed suicides tend to be men. This could be mainly due to the methods chosen by the individual who committed the act. Men tend to be much for violent with their means then women. Because of this if a man decides to commit suicide he is more likely to choose a method that will make saving his life much more difficult. The same studies also showed that attempters tend to be young than old and typically from a lower class background. On the other hand those who complete the act of suicide tend to be old than young and from a higher class background.

I think it is important to remember that threats or attempts can be just as consequential as suicide itself. This is because these events usually lead to the same act. Additionally suicide is an issue that affects everyone. Rich, poor, men, and women are all impacted by suicide.