Show J I 1 f I lo t f- f A A Hushed su Subject jec Suicide t. t Second In a series by John To die to sleep No more and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to a consummation Devoutly to be To Todie Todie Todie die to sleep Hamlet Suicide is the leading leading leading lead lead- ing cause of death in the nation There are about reported suicides a year but this is a vast underestimation underestimation underestimation un un- of reality For religious reasons for insurance purposes and most often because of uncertainty as in automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile accidents there are more like suicides a year Throughout the world about 1000 people kill themselves everyday Most suicides or at attempted attempted attempted at- at tempted suicides have no real intent to end their li Ii- Ii r ves yes They are looking for a away away away way to end the pain of an situation There are probably close to a quarter of a million at attempts attempts attempts at- at tempts each year The suicide rate varies according to different groups Woman more of often often of- of ten tell make of suicide suicide suicide sui sui- cide but the actual suicide suicide suicide sui sui- sui- sui cide rate is nearly three times as high among men In the traditional society socie socie- ty the man was responsible ble for supporting the if he failed both husband and wife shared the hardship and worry But he alone was responsible responsible responsible sible thus came the depression depression depression de de- de- de guilt and the so- so called failure The social and economic economic economic econ econ- structure have been generally viewed as male and female roles Some weakness could be tolerated in women They could be sad and languorous languorous languorous langu langu- orous on occasion and were allowed to breakdown breakdown breakdown break break- down and weep This did not threaten her ness However this kind of conduct was not manly Today's attitudes are changing More and more women are joining the business business business bu bu- bu- bu siness world and as they do the suicide rate for women women women wo wo- wo- wo men has risen Artists businessmen nd professional people kill themselves far more than laborers Physicians have havethe havethe havethe the highest occupational rate of all the psychiatrists and psychoanalysts are the worst risks in the medical medical medical med med- ical profession Their suicide suicide suicide sui sui- cide rate is seven times as high as the national aver aver- age There are some studies that show that suicides occur mostly in the mornings mornings mornings mor mor- at the beginning of the week and most especially especially especially espe espe- in the spring It is true that many who attempt suicide do not really want to die They swallow a handful of pills and within five minutes are on the phone calling for help If they try again they may miscalculate the margin of safety or even nerve themselves to the fi final final final fi- fi nal act One up follow-up study of attempted suicides suicides suicides sui sui- sui- sui found that one-fifth one of them made a second try within a year and among them one in eight killed themselves the second time Suicide is real and dangerous but there is help All hospitals in the valley have crisis workers They are there to help and counsel Also if you need or someone someone someone so so- meone you know needs help you can contact the Salt Lake County Mental Health |