Capella University Suicide as A Leading Cause of Death Discussion
Suicide remains a taboo in society, however is a leading cause of death for a significant portion of society. It causes great pain, loss and havoc for loved ones who survive the traumatic aftermath.
Discuss why the suicide rate tends to be high among the elderly.
Discuss community support systems for those who have lost someone by suicide.
Describe signs of suicide.
What steps should be taken if you observe some of these signs in a friend?
Guided Response: A minimum of 250 -300 words should be used for each response to other posts. Your response must be formatted according to APA style
Discuss your understanding how suicide impacts survivors and the continued incidence of suicide in the U.S. Conclude how these factors can facilitate the ongoing acts of suicide among older males, adolescents and college-age students, as provided in your classmates initial posts. For each response, provide an example from your classmate post, and how it shaped their response regarding suicide. Support your response with at least one reference from the text or this weeks required articles. You must also comment specifically on one aspect of your classmates post with which you can relate or understand their summary of this weeks question, pay particular attention to your own thoughts and experiences. Be sure to explain in detail your own thoughts on suicide and its prevalence. Provide a brief explanation as to why you agree and support your review with research drawn from the required readings this week. What personal and/or professional insights might you gain from your classmates posts that could alter your views?
Peer 1
Discuss why the suicide rate tends to be high among the elderly.
Older people have a higher suicide rate than younger people due to depression, financial struggle, family abandonment, and illness. According to Leming and Dickinson, men are more likely to use firearms in suicide attempts (80 percent of all firearm suicide deaths are white males), and women are more likely to use drugs; this contributes to the higher completed suicide rate for males (2018). When it comes to older people not taking their medication how they are supposed to or forgetting to eat can contribute to suicide among the elder community. “Elderly persons might give up psychologically, thus triggering biological changes that increase the potential for disease” (Leming and Dickinson, 2018). Becoming isolated by society, family and friends can push someone to commit suicide. It is essential to communicate with the outside world; if an older person’s children neglect them as they get older, the notion that they are not important can cause them to seek suicide as their only way out.
Discuss community support systems for those who have lost someone by suicide.
There are multiple programs that people who have suicidal thoughts can reach out to when considering suicide as their only solution. There is the suicide prevention hotline. Many communities offer support groups and meetings for people who need to talk about their depression or suicidal thoughts. Suicide has an impact on family members, friends, and loved ones.
Describe signs of suicide.
Unfortunately, I had a couple of friends I made while in the military that has resorted to suicide over the years. Some of the signs we notice depression, lack of sleep, refusal to eat, avoiding people, and lacked interest in things happening around their lives. One of my friends was being bullied in college by a group of girls; she became withdrawn from everyone around her. My other friends committed suicide after the military and VA failed to support them when they reached out for help. Instead, they were criticized by their chain of command. They were called weak and threatened to be discharged if they asked for help.
What steps should be taken if you observe some of these signs in a friend?
Even though I lived on opposite sides of the United States, I tried my best to always be available to my friends. It didnt matter if it were the middle of the night; I would do my best to be there whenever they called or needed someone to talk to. If you are confident that a friend or family member is thinking of hurting themselves, it is crucial to call 911 and ask for a wellness check, and you can admit them to the hospital for observation. Suicide can be 100% preventable. If you have a family or friend who needs help, the National Suicide Prevention Hot Line is 800-273-8255.
Peer 2
Discuss why the suicide rate tends to be high among the elderly.
This could be for many reasons. Often times they may not have anyone left and feel alone. In some cases they may be unable to provide or care for themselves and dont want to be a burden to their families. Or it could be that they are unable to enjoy the things that they feel gives their life meaning.
Discuss community support systems for those who have lost someone by suicide.
Its sad how common suicide really is, when I was in high school there were several people that I had known from other schools near us, or that had graduated before me that ended up taking their own life. It took these events happening to have information in our schools about help lines, or crisis numbers for individuals struggling, and it made a lot of us mad that those resources were not talked about before hand because we felt like maybe there was more that could have been done. What we didnt hear about anything as the resources for those people who had lost someone to suicide. I lived in a very small town when I was in school and there was not a lot of resources in our community to help. Now that I am in a larger area you hear more about grief counseling, and support groups that are available to help those who have lost someone by suicide.
Describe signs of suicide.
Many things could trigger suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Things you hear about often may be a child that had been bullied, or the loss of a loved one, these things can trigger a depression giving way to these thoughts and actions. Signs can be self isolation, or lack in interest in things that they used to enjoy.
What steps should be taken if you observe some of these signs in a friend?
If you see someone that is dealing with these things make sure to ask them how they are doing and check in with them. You can make sure to tell them how important they are to you and how they impact your life and make it better along with giving them a safe space to talk about their feelings and thoughts.
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