Plage 4
Features
Friday, April 11,1997
I
Rick Call
Asst. Editor
Although a hushed subject of
conversation at most dinner parties,
suicide has become a major cause of
death in America. Since the early part
of the 1950’s, suicide has become the
third highest cause of death for persons
between the ages of 15 and 24 - ninth
leading cause of death overall. “In
1994, there were 23,730 victims of
homicide in the US, while 32,410
people committed suicide”, reported
the National Institute of Mental Health.
When considering that suicide has
become more prevalent than homicide,
there seems to be a lack of education as
well as discussion in the media as to
this relatively newer trend-setting
tragedy. Therefore, new and more
current data is needed for educational
use and social awareness of a sad, but
real, problem.
The reasons have not changed
much in the last few years, but the
effects felt by family, friends, and
community as a whole, have not been
enough to prevent others to change
their minds about taking their own
live?, even when intervention is tried.
Many clinical psychologists agree
that most people that have suicidal
thoughts can be helped through their
despair by first recognizing the
problem and then through a
combination of counseling, drug
therapy, and a good support system. As
stated in The Warning Signs of Suicide.
“Suicide victims are not just trying to
end their life, they are trying to end the
pain and hopelessness” These feelings
are real to the person and should not be
treated lightly.
“College creates a new
and sometimes scary
environment...”
Scientific research has shown that
almost all people who kill themselves
have a diagnosable mental or substance
abuse disorder; the majority have more
than one disorder. Chemical studies
have shown that a low level of
seriotonin, a neurotransmitter protein,
in the brain can be a signal of a high
risk of suicide. “More than 95% of the
people who commit suicide show these
changes in the brain (at autopsy)”.
Many times suicide is looked at by
teens and young adults as some sort of
romanticized act. The person
contemplating, or planning suicide,
actually sees him/herself pain free, at
the funeral with family and friends
mourning his/her demise. In this
respect, one thinks of death as an
extenuation of life. Some examples of
the life extenuation theory are the mass
suicides in Guyana and California.
In 1996, a survey conducted in
North Carolina fourd that one out of
five high school students said they had
thought about committing suicide. This
can be linked to such things as a broken
relationship, especially if it included
first time sexual intercourse, physical
abuse in the home, loss of a family
member in the home, whether by death
or separation of some kind, or the
cruel, and sometimes devastating
treatment from peers.
College creates a new, and
sometimes very scary, environment for
newly graduated high school students.
Thrust into the fast paced, highly
stressful world of higher learning can
be extremely hard to cope with at
times. Passing from a world of being
told what to do, to one that insists on?
self-achievement can also be confusing
and slightly depressive. Again,
relationships broken and affection not
being returned are major causes of
depression. Before these feelings arise,
a good support system, or “safety net”
is important to have.
As the first semester starts,
students go through a ritual of finding
someone to share themselves with.
Although there is no anticipation for
this ritual to ever change, it becomes a
set-up for a big let-down. This is not to
say that all relationships are doomed,
but it can be very painful to be rejected
for the ones who are, and death is
sometimes seen as the only option to
relieve the pain.
Why? Asked professionals and lay
persons for years. The answer to this
question is still very much a mystery.
“Because it (suicide) is an irrational
act, it is hard to explain rationally”,
states Dee Dasburg, Brevard College
Counselor. Each suicide dwells in its
own domain, and each may have its
very own specific reason as to why, but
the most common are feelings that are
fed from a loss of control. “The road to
self-destruction starts with depression
and ends m the grave”, says David
Gelman in “The Mystery of Suicide.”
The fears and disillusionment’s of our
youth have become issues for all to
consider. This means society, in terms
of community awareness, has become
paramount to the needs of the youth of
today. Instead of looking upon suicide
as a moral issue, consider the loss.
Karl Slaikew, in Crisis
Intervention, reminds us that “Suicide
is a permanent solution to a temporary
problem”. One suicide generally affects
at least 5 persons. Multiply that by the
number of suicides, and the numbers
become very depressive. There is a
crisis in America, and solutions need to
be sought. “ suicide is a dreary and
dismal wintry storm within the mind,
where staying afloat or going under is
the vital decision being debated,” says
Edwin Shneidman in Greeks Assisting
Greeks. Our youth are a most
important asset in the quest for a better
tomorrow.
As a question for thought: Would
the cumulative acts of self-destructive
abuse, such as an unintentional over
dose of drugs, or toxic alcohol
poisoning, be considered a suicide,
even though the person knew the risks?
Keep in mind the irrational behavior, as
well as thoughts mandated by the
person’s addiction.
On the campus of Brevard College,
counseling is available through Dee
Dasburg. She can be a great source of
help and support for those students in
need. Her office can be the first step
toward recovery and spiritual health.
These seem to be the most
accepted warning signs of suicide, but
it is important to note that depression
seems to be the common element in
most attempts at suicide.
Some of the most common warning
signs associated with thoughts of
suicide are:
* "Abrupt changes in personality
* Giving away possessions
* Previous suicide attempt
* Inability to tolerate frustration
* Use of drugs and/or alcohol
*Eating disturbances, significant
weight loss
*Sleeping disturbances
‘Withdrawal
* Unwillingness or inability to
communicate
* Sexual promiscuity'
* Depression
* Extreme or extended boredom
* Inability to concentrate
* Accident prone
* Unusually long grief reaction
* Hostial behavior
* Neglect of academic work
* Neglect of personal appearance
* Family disruptions
* Running away from home for
truancy from school
* Rebelliousness-reckless behavior
* Withdrawal from activities they
they love."