Recent events have sparked a national dialogue regarding suicide. Recurrent words and phrases used in this public conversation have included: selfish, cowards way out, sin, and my personal favorite....THIS statement: Saying what robin Williams did is understandable is saying Hey, if you have depression, its alright to kill yourself. The world will understand. Sadly, there is no cure for ignorance. But I took the time to research and write a little something. JUST FOR YOU. Think of it as my delicate hand extending the middle finger in the face of dumbasses everywhere. Complete with rosy pink nail polish. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one million people attempted suicide last year and two million people experienced some degree of suicidal thoughts. In 2010, suicide was the cause of death for more than 38,000 Americans (cdc.gov/). People might claim to understand another person’s suffering, but our comprehension of their condition is based on our own experiences and ideas (Carnevale, 2009). Clearly, even though millions people may suffer from varying degrees of depression, their experiences are unique. Since there are ethical considerations about what society (and even the health services community) deems as right or wrong, suicide continues to be taboo. Moral influence can affect the way we perceive mental illness, interfere with our ability to effectively communicate with these people, and hinder treatment. The inability to empathize with these patients about their current situation has created a deep mistrust, leading people with suicidal ideation to believe that treatment will be ineffective (Long, Long, & Smyth, 1998). The CDC maintains that most people do not seek treatment. Carnevale, F. (2009). A conceptual and moral analysis of suffering. Nursing Ethics, 16(2), 173-183. doi:10.1177/0969733008100076 Long, A., Long, A., & Smyth, A. (1998). Suicide: a statement of suffering. Nursing Ethics, 5(1), 3-15. doi:10.1177/09697330980050010210.1191/096973398670258918
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 00:23:57 +0000