In researching suicide, I found that the numbers are staggering. Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the US, with 31,204 deaths recorded in 1995. It was at number eight on the list in 1998, and as the numbers are steadily increasing it threatens to move up the list. This approximates to around one death every seventeen minutes. There are more suicides than homicides each year in the United States. In 1993, the suicide rate was 11.3/100,000. Two-thirds of all suicides under the age of 25 were committed with firearms (accounting for most of the increase in suicides from 1980 to 1992). The second most common method was hanging, third was poisoning. 61% of all suicides involve firearms. From 1952 to 1992 suicides among teens nearly tripled. Today, it is the third leading cause of death for teenagers aged 15-19 (after motor vehicle accidents and unintentional injury). Suicide is increasing, particularly for teens and for those over 65.
In young people, the suicide rate is relatively low (13.5/100,000 in 1993), but it is still a leading cause of death. In older people, the suicide rate is very high, but it is not a leading cause of death (in white males over 85, the suicide rate in 1993 was 73.6/100,000). In all ag
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Together, white males and white females accounted for over 90% of all suicides. This can be considered as selfish, but should only be seen as their personal right, whether or not we feel "they" could have been helped. Some members of my family have experienced great depression due to drug use, but in my opinion the drugs just caused depression that was hidden within the person to become revealed. When we do consider suicide as a personal right the question of morality comes up. Everyone feels sad at some point, but what doctors call clinical depression is very different from just being "down in the dumps. Another aspect that should be taken more seriously is that people who threaten suicide are often more disturbed than people who attempt suicide. People who had previously attempted suicide carry out more than half of successful suicides. More than 19 million Americans, approximately one in 10 adults, suffer from depression each year. Certain life difficulties such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, stress at work, or a series of disappointments can contribute to depression. Attempted suicide needs to be taken more seriously. Though any death is a tragedy and loss to society, most suicides were not carried out to hurt anyone but only to help themselves. However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than males do. A problem for doctors in helping suicidal patients is that often the doctor doesn't seem to feel the same deep concern as he does for other patients with medical problems that are life-threatening. In 1998, white males accounted for 73% of all suicides. And sometimes, depression may just run in the family.
Approximate Word count =
954
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4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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