Suicide

AN ANALYSIS OF SUICIDE WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE ABORIGINAL SITUATION IN N.W.T., CANADA
by Rev. Ozell M. Borden
 

Dedicated to ‘Jamie’ a beautiful teen who lost his life to suicide. Jamie was loved by all who knew him, but we failed to hear his cries for help.Let’s vow never to let this happen to our children ever again.
 
INTRODUCTION
If there is no sense of the hope of one day escaping trauma we are presently experiencing, we lose our desire for life.

 

A story is told of a prisoner of war. His captors told him he would be released someday if he set an example of co-operation for other prisoners. He drove himself to please his captors in hope that he would be released soon.

 

Because of all his hard work, he became physically strong. Then one day, after maintaining a positive attitude for so long, it became obvious to him that he was being misled. His captors had no intention of releasing him. This discovery took the life out of him. He resorted to just lying in bed and sucking his thumb. Soon he died. How could one so driven lose all his drive in an instant? He was driven by his hope of being released. When that was taken from him, his will to fight was gone.

 

Victims hope to overcome the impact of hurts in their lives, but in their day-to-day struggle for survival they give up the quest of one day overcoming its hold on their lives. When they give up that hope, they do so in many different ways.

 

Some cover up the hopeless victim inside. Some become despondent and live a life of total despair. They are alive but they don’t really care for themselves. Others resort to suicide because they have lost all hope of overcoming the emotional impact of abuse or any other trauma.

 

God desires truth in our hearts. Only as we see abuse from a Biblical perspective can we hope to overcome its impact on our lives. There are even people in their sixties who remain affected by traumatic childhood experiences. Is there hope?

 

 

STORIES FROM YOUTH (Told In Their own words)

 

Beaten Up For Booze
We can try everything we can possibly do, but it’ll never stop. We see them everywhere. We try to help by giving them a home, a job, a buck or two, we even give them advice, but we all know that it will always be the same. It’s like a virus that will never end. It’s just the sensation of it, to be free of problems and reality, but after two hours or so, you’ll be back to the real world with more problems that will build up. You’ll feel good for a while, that’s all. We all need to let the wild demon inside us free at times; it doesn’t need to be through alcohol and drugs. We see many bad things happen when alcohol is around. Every weekend there’s always somebody beaten up for booze. So why can’t anyone stop or even try to stop it. I wish alcohol and drugs were never found or made.

 

I’m Scared I Might Lose My Friends
I think people have problems with alcohol, drugs and gambling. Some people drink or do drugs just to get rid of their problems. Sometimes I think that the problem is with booze. Some teens drink and do drugs, to have fun cause it’s too boring around here. There are no activities happening for the youth. I think families should spend more time with each other and try to have an alcohol and drug free home. Let’s all help to make this town a better place before it’s too late. I’m scared I might lose my friends to the booze or drugs and I don’t want that to happen.

 

 

WHY DO THESE THINGS HAPPEN

 

What should you, and we as children, do to stop this? We could always have an AA meeting and have a place like an outreach place that people could turn to, talk to someone and sleep if they are scared or in danger. But our people can’t run it. One more thing that I’ve learned is that people around here like to spread news and talk about one another.

 

That’s like, so very sick! I’m 15 years of age and as a girl I’ve learned more in one year on the streets than a parent could teach in a lifetime. Drugs, where to get them, smoke, the same with alcohol. Even if I write this, nothing would change if it hasn’t for the past 15 years that I’ve been here. I’m just writing this so you could know and maybe think about it. I hope so. I also know another girl that went through the same thing and is also the same age as me, only 15! 15 man! And she doesn’t know about it but she found out and hasn’t told anyone. Why? Because she was scared of what was going to happen to her. Why do these things happen? I ask myself and wonder why people hate one another? I thought they were supposed to be a family living in a small town, but we’re not. At times I even ask if there really is a God. All of my hopes and dreams, I thought were in God’s hands. But now I realize that it’s in my hands and my people’s hands. And for God, He is there to help us achieve that and to let us know we’ve got everything we need. As for ourselves, we’ve got to change ourselves, not just for ourselves but also for others as well. I know why they do that —-, to kill the pain, to take care of what’s hurting them so bad. I feel scared to write all this but I know what I write is in good hands.

 

Dear World;
I don’t want to get my hair cut.  I don’t want to see Tina at school on Monday. I don’t want to do my Biology assignment or English or History or anything. I don’t want to be sad or lonely or depressed anymore. I don’t want to talk, sleep, move, feel, live or breathe anymore. Tina, it’s not your fault. I’m not free. I feel ill, I’m sad. I’m lonely. One last request, all my worldly possessions go to Debbie as a wedding present.

 

Dear ________;
I am sorry for what I have done but Robert and Mom made me think, will you, Mom still have wanted us to be friends? I don’t know. Tell Missy I love her; I hope she can pass science. Make sure you never be as dumb as I’ve been. Make friends and don’t let them play that tape before my funeral.
Mom, Don’t go downstairs, I’ve killed myself.
– Joe

 

Dear Mom & Robert;
I’m sorry for what I put you through. I am empty. I just can’t face my friends. I want the entire 9th grade invited to my funeral. And at the funeral, not before play this tape. Please don’t play it before, if you love me. Also, have Tommy fly down if at all possible. Love you, I’m scared!
– Joe

 

Let’s examine the subject of suicide. We’ll take a look at the causes, the misconceptions, the warning signs, and we will zero in on specific courses of action to help people who may be contemplating suicide.

 

Dear________
As I write this letter I am thinking about suicide. I can’t get things together anymore. I’ve tried everything, but it just won’t help anymore. You came to my school and spoke, so I’m turning to you as my last hope. I don’t want to die, but I don’t think hell could be any worse than what I’m going through now. My parents don’t realize what is happening to me because they don’t care enough to look. I thought drugs would be my way out, but really it’s just been the path to more problems. My best friend is a two-liter bottle of coolers that I buy every Friday. Through the week I get high before school or take the chance of my brother walking in while I’m downing some Canadian mist. I know I’m at a dead end. I’m scared ______ Please help me;
– Mary

 

Each letter or story is unique in style and substance. Whether neatly typed on fine stationery or scribbled on notebook paper, most say essentially the same thing. I’d rather die than live like I’m living. There is no way out.

 

The horrible truth is that suicide is North America’s second greatest teenager killer! According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eighteen teenagers per day kill themselves.

 

Every eighty minutes another teenager takes the suicidal plunge. What a nightmare it is to realize over a hundred teenagers per week kill themselves in our country. In a year’s time, the total comes to a staggering 6,500 lives lost. Multiply that amount by the people directly affected by suicides, parents, family members, friends, classmates and the actual dimension of the tragedy is even more overwhelming.

 

Those left behind are perplexed and saddened, left only with the burning question, Why?

 

Reliable sources now say that over a thousand teenagers try unsuccessfully to kill themselves every day.

 

Almost one teen per minute tried to commit suicide, desiring to extinguish a hurt-filled life. Many of the attempts, of course, are not intended to be lethal; they are cries for help, pleas for attention. But even in such cases, thousands of teens every year permanently maim themselves in botched attempts.

 

Dear_______
My name is Terri. I have seen you two times in the last couple of years. I’m writing you for a very good reason and I’m sure you would relate to it well. Monday evening about 6:30 pm my boyfriend of five years shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Blood tests showed a toxic amount of barbiturates in his system and also pot. I have noticed a difference in him, especially in the last six months. His family situation is very, very unstable.
On Monday, Troy went for help on his own. Two main-advertised drug and rehabilitation centers turned him away. Therefore he thought he was rejected and did what he did. Troy is going to need a lot of extended plastic surgery. His whole mandible bone has to be replaced. He has only two teeth left and he has no nose. Here is a picture and the darkened area is what is missing.
He has the chin part and bottom lip. He doesn’t have but half of his tongue. When he first went into the emergency room they said he probably wouldn’t be able to see again or talk. He is trying to say yes or no very hard. He is beginning to open his eyes a little. We had asked Troy if he wants to live and he shakes his head yes. Respond back to me as soon as you can.
– Terri

 

However one measures the statistics, the fact remains, that young people are killing themselves. Some drastic action is called for to deal with this serious problem. The clock is ticking away right now for thousands. Many experts believe the problem is much more severe than the official statistics reveal. It is known that many coroners will not rule a death suicidal if there is no suicide note. Yet only a small percentage of suicidal people leave anything in writing. On many death certificates suicide is disguised, sometimes intentionally, to protect insurance benefits or to shield a family from embarrassment. After all, in our society, a stigma clings to suicide.

 

One official government reports states; Suicide statistics based on death certificates probably understate the true number of suicides for several reasons:

 

Inadequate information on which to make a determination of suicide as the cause of death.

 

Certificate error or bias.

 

Lack of awareness of a suicide because a body was never recovered, example: drowning after jumping from a bridge.

 

So, the analysts aren’t satisfied. Suicide is an epidemic among teenage youth. In one of the U.S. States eighteen teenagers killed themselves between January 1985 – June 1986. Eighteen deaths in eighteen months. If we look at the problem in broader scope there are two interesting facts to observe. The majority of teenage suicides in the United States, almost 90% are white middle – upper class youth. From 1950 – 1980, there was a 278% increase in teen suicides, moving from the fifth to second cause of death. When you consider all ages the preventable act of suicide is clearly seen as an acute epidemic. .

 

Charles Dickens’ assessment of the period of the French Revolution is an apt description of the teen-age years: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” This season of life is filled with turmoil and change.”  One moment, the teen is euphoric, the next despairing. He hates his body but gives it undue attention. Though no one else seems to know anything, he is expected to figure things out. Dating brings major feelings of insecurity and excitement. Sexual curiosity has to be restrain ed. He’s learning new social roles, developing new relationships, making decisions about his future and trying to adjust to physical changes in his appearance.

 

Sadly, depression and suicide can be a teen’s response to the “worst of times.” Signs that a teen is on this path include sleeping more than usual, not sleeping well, feeling habitually tired, voluntarily isolating themselves from friends and family, experiencing appetite changes, restlessness or conversation problems. Losing interest in activities; having sudden mood changes; and feeling hopeless and guilty or as if life isn’t worth living. When a teen is depressed, they may think about suicide. Teen suicide rate has increased 300 percent since the 1960’s. Greater access to guns and pills, the pressures of modern life, competition for good grades and college entrance, and violence in the media are contributing factors. In addition, lack of parental interest, broken households and limited family time help create a feeling of loneliness and rejection for many teens. When asked about their families, suicidal teens almost always say, “My family does not understand me.” Those who have tried to tell their parents about their unhappiness or feelings of failure often report being ignored or denied. Depressed teens are at risk when they are having relational problems, whether with same-sex or opposite-sex friends. Rejection and humiliation also can bring suicidal thoughts. If you notice a tendency to withdraw, a plunge in performance at school or a dramatic change in personality, you should take note.

 

Teens who talk about suicide should be taken seriously. Four out of five suicides are preceded by threats. Suicidal teens also tend to write about death, give away personal and meaningful items, and have psychosomatic complaints. The good news is, suicide is preventable.

 

Talk about it. It is not true that talking about suicide makes a person take his life. The opposite is true. Ask your teen if he has a specific plan to kill himself. If he does, get help.

 

Don’t ever promise to keep his suicidal feelings a secret. Telling you is the first step to getting help.

 

Tell your teen there is always a way out of any problem. He may not see the answer, but assure him that one exists.

 

Don’t lecture; listen. Find out what’s troubling the teen, and remove any possible way for him to hurt himself.

 

Begin to speak the Word of God. Take authority over the deceptive spirit that wants to destroy the life of your teen.

 

Pray and intercede. Tell the teen about Jesus. If he already knows Him, tell him to renew his mind daily through the Word of God. Teach your teen how to take authority in the Spirit. Do it and model it.

 

Reassure the teen that you love him. Tell him it’s unconditional and nothing he does will stop you from loving him.

 

Treat the depression that accompanies suicidal thoughts. Get help from godly counselor who can work with the family to eliminate the underlying depression.

 

Be Direct. Ending life doesn’t solve problems. Suicide hurts people who are alive.

 

Give hope. We have the answer, the hope of Christ in us. Share that hope. Telling the teen he doesn’t have to feel it, just believe it. The overall strategy is to address the underlying problem(s), fill the teen with the Word of God, take authority over the enemy and teach the teen to renew his mind. The end result will be a choice for life over death.

 

 

HUGS
It’s wonderful what a hug can do
A hug can cheer you when you’re blue
A hug can say, “I love you so”
Or “Gee, I hate to see you go.”
A hug is “Welcome back again!”
“Great to see you!” or “Where’ve you been?”
A hug can smooth a small child’s pain
And bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! There’s just no doubt about it,
We scarcely could survive without it,
A hug delights a warms and charms,
It must be why God gave us arms
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers,
And chances are some favorite aunts.
Love them more than potted plants,
Kittens crave them, puppies love them.
Heads of states are not above them
A hug can break the language barrier
And make the dullest day seem merrier.
No need to fret about the store of them
The more you give, the more there are of them
So, stretch those arms without delay,
And give someone a hug today. -unknown
It has been reported by the national Center for Health Statistics, for the age groups fifteen to nineteen per 100,000 people, 15.1 white males commit suicide compared with 3.5 black males, and 6.5 white females commit suicide compared with 1.7 black females.

 

There seems to be a seasonal trend with more suicide occurring during March to May, than any other months of the year. Interestingly this is immediately before high school graduation.

 

The suicide menace has even been documented in the almost unbelievable preteen suicide category. There are reports of young people three years to eleven years of age who have committed suicide or made a serious attempt.

 

Disturbingly the teen suicide rate has risen an astonishing 200% in the last forty years. Today suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four years’ olds, after auto accidents and homicide.

 

In recent survey of high school students conducted by the American Association For Pediatrics, 60% said they had thought about killing themselves and nine percent said they had tried at least once.

 

“The teen years are characterized by extreme stress, confusion, self-doubt and pressure to succeed.” Says suicide counselor Dr. Thomas Barton. “These issues are frequently compounded by divorce, substance abuse, major relocation and a number of indiscernible factors relating to the stress of modern life.

 

Many teens who have a difficult time coping with the changes that accompany growing up see suicide as a way out.”

 

It is worth noting that teen suicide rates are twice as high among white males as among male minorities or females, and firearms are far and above the most common weapon of choice. “Everyone exhibits regular mood swings, but if a teen’s melancholy disposition lingers for more than two weeks, serious depression could be setting in,” says Dr. Barton.

 

If there is cause for concern, parents should monitor their child’s mood swings and talk to them frankly if they feel concerned.

 

Yes, Teenagers are troubled and looking for help. A spokesman for a mental health facility devoted to teen suicide crisis intervention said; “The unit’s 18 adolescent beds are always filled and a waiting list continually holds the names of those waiting for space.”

 

“What we are seeing now is an epidemic of suicide communication,” says psychologist Michael Peck. “It is a way of saying, someone help me.” Youth are desperate, unhappy, confused and compulsive. They can’t think of any other way out.

 

Teen suicide is the nightmare of parents. When a teenager threatens to take his or her life or succeeds, parents agonize over what went wrong! Friends wish they had said something sooner or taken suicide talk more seriously. Teachers and other caring adults worry that other teens will follow suite. When a teenager looses a friend to suicide, they themselves become at risk for the same act. Sixteen teens commit suicide everyday. These teens are not just statistics; they were depressed, confused young men and women who didn’t know how or where to get help. Many people have suicidal thoughts at some time during their lives. This is normal, as long as those thoughts don’t linger. A person with suicidal thoughts will exhibit one or more warning signs.

 

Many teens that are considering suicide suffer from depression. People who are depressed and thinking about suicide often show changes in their behavior that are usually an out growth of depression and are warning signs.

 

 

WARNING SIGNS

 

Noticeable changes in eating or sleeping habits

Unexplained or unusually severe, violent or rebellious behavior

Withdrawal from family or friends

Running away

Persistent boredom or difficulty concentrating

Drug or alcohol abuse

Unexplained drop in the quality of schoolwork

Unusual neglect of appearance

Drastic personality changes

Complaints of physical problems that are not real

A focus on themes of death

Giving away prized possessions

Talking about suicide or making plans, even jokingly

Writing or revising a will

Recognition of Suicide State

Self – criticism

Tension

Apathy

Feelings of guilt

Sense of hopelessness

Social withdrawal and isolation

Feeling of failure

Being a burden to others

Preoccupation with unpleasant thoughts (death & dying)

Ideas of self- punishment

Despondency or euphoria

Numb feeling with little or no pleasure from ordinary enjoyable activities and people.

Lack of investment in the future and absence of future goal orientation.

Exaggerated fears of cancer or other physical impairment.

Suuicidal Behavior

Previous suicide attempts, mini-attempts

Explicit statements of suicidal ideation or feelings.

Self-inflicted injuries, such as cuts, burns, or head banging.

Reckless behavior. (Beside suicide, other leading causes of death among young people are homicide, accidents, drug overdose and AIDS)

Inappropriately saying goodbye.

Verbal behavior that is ambiguous or indirect. (I’m going away on a real long trip. You won’t have to worry about me anymore. I want to go to sleep and never wake up. I’m so depressed, I just can’t go on.)

Does God punish suicides? Voices are telling me to do bad things.

 

The majority of the population at any one time does not have many of the warning signs and has a lower suicide risk rate. But a lower rate in a larger population is still a lot of people, and many completed suicides has only a few of the conditions listed above. In a one person to another situation, all indications of suicide need to be taken seriously.

 

There are a number of things a parent can do if they believe their child is considering suicide. Aside from seeking immediate counseling, parents should remove all dangerous weapons from the household, including knives, sleeping pills, ropes, and especially guns.

 

When dealing with a potential suicide victim, experts unanimously agree that good and immediate communication is essential. According to one study, 90% of suicidal teens expressed that no one in their family understood them or listened to their cries for help, so it is important that parents take time to listen and help their child understand that life is not as bad as it sometimes appears.

 

Depressed teens frequently communicate their despair before they act out in this final act of depression. They tend to reflect their daphnia with action rather than words.

 

A small boy lived by the ocean. He loved the creatures of the sea, especially the starfish, and spent much of his time exploring the seashore. One day he learned there would be a minus tide that would leave the starfish stranded on the sand. The day of the tide he went down to the beach and began picking up stranded starfish and tossing them back into the sea. An elderly man who lives next door came down to the beach to see what the boy was doing. “I’m saving the starfish,” the boy proudly declared. When the neighbor saw all of the stranded starfish, he shook his head and said, “ I’m sorry to disappoint you young man, but if you look down the beach one way, there are stranded starfish as far as the eye can see. And if you look down the beach the other way, it’s the same. One little boy like you isn’t going to make much of a difference.” The boy thought about this for a moment. Then he reached his small hand down to the sand, picked up a starfish, tossed it out into the ocean and said, " I sure made a difference for that one.”

 

Common motivational factors that play into teen suicide are self-punishment and disciplinary abandonment. In both cases emotional pain and resultant anger are clear contributors.

 

The young suicide victim may have felt such an intense need for self-punishment that this self-inflicted murder appears to be the only recourse. For the individual who feels the pain of chronicemotional abandonment by his or her parents the act of suicide may be the only way the teen knows to convey his or her pain. This act of self-inflicted aggression, aimed at the parents truly makes a family affair.

 

Prevention is the key to teen suicide reduction. True prevention begins with eliminating the causative factors such as family disturbance. Recognizing the signs of depression and the clues expressed by the suicidal person are very essential. The parent, siblings or friends who recognizes the warning signs can help by taking action that will assist the teen change the direction of the developing or existing crisis.

 

One key to unlocking the why of suicide is to understand what is really going on in today’s teenage culture in America. Some adults don’t have a clue. They are naive about the true nature of today’s teen life style.

 

“Don’t worry about me because I’ve been talking to God for over a year now, and I am going to heaven where I will be happy. God doesn’t like me coming home early, but he doesn’t like the devil beating the _____ out of my mind everyday either. I’m sorry, but the devil has my mind and I must escape him before I do something wrong. Be happy for me, not upset, for I have left the devil now and he can reach me no longer. I feel relief now. Wish me luck and happiness in my new life.” With these confused, fateful words Gary ended his life.

 

Be especially vigilant if your child is male, romantic, bright and/or sensitive. For some reason these boys are especially vulnerable to completing suicide. Depression and other mental illness are poorly understood. Part of the reason is we don’t manage pain well in our society. Rooted deep in many of our religious beliefs is the notion that human pain and suffering are God’s retribution for our sins. While being suffers on earth we may attain eternal bliss in heaven.

 

What a sad paradox. Add to this the culturally rooted idea that showing pain openly is wrong. Don’t cry, be tough, You’ll get over it, Grin and bear it, don’t be a wimp, No pain, no gain!

 

Teenagers are especially susceptible to emotional pain that is frighteningly intense. They simply don’t have the experience to recognize that “this too, shall pass.” They find it difficult to think of tomorrow when today is so over whelming. They live in the moment. Some things are so painful they cannot cope with them and so they put the pain away rather than deal with it. They are that much more vulnerable when the next painful moment comes. The new pain sometimes compounds the old, rather than replacing it, growing into a vast, amorphous psychic pain of many interwoven sources, which is difficult to unravel. In these cases, teens never quite get around to learning to cope. They become depressed, they become suicidal.

 

Time and experience give teens a chance to grow into their pain. They begin to realize that what was so painful at fourteen isn’t so painful at twenty. They learn that bad times make the good times all the sweeter.

 

 

SUICIDE AMONG THE ABORIGINAL IN CANADA

 

There are no simple explanations as to why people commit suicide. The reasons are complex, derived in a large part from personal life experiences, such as:

Prolonged or unresolved grief

Outcome of loss of identity, cultural dislocation

Economic disadvantages

High unemployment

Separation from family and extended family

Chronic family instability

Physical, emotional and sexual abuse

 

These factors can lead to alcohol and substance abuse, depression, social and psychological problems, ill health, withdrawal from relationships, anger and a continuation of abuse and self-destructive behaviors.

 

While alcohol and substance abuse contribute to the incidence of native suicide, the deeper issues of separation, loss and unresolved grief, leading low self -esteem, despair, violence, underlie some of the reasons people take their lives.

 

Aboriginal communities have identified the need for long and short-term solutions. These solutions will be planned and implemented by the community and be holistic in their approach.

 

Emphasis on mentally healthy community through a community development approach that focuses on the wellness of children, families and the community.

 

A grieving process for healing to begin

Restoring and reviving traditional values with elders and traditional medicine.

Community-based and planned suicide prevention and intervention programs.

Services that is able to respond to the immediate crises.

Brief Review of Suicide In The Aboriginal Communities of Canada

In a review done by the Department of Health and Social Services and The Chief Corner of The Government of The Northwest territories, March (1998)

The study defines suicide as – when a person takes his or her own life with the intent to do so.

TWO SOURCES OF DATA WERE USED:

   1.  G.N.W.T. Suicide Data

   2.  Coroners Files

 

Hanging was the main method of suicide in 49 deaths (63%)

Firearms caused 27 (35%)

Drug overdose caused 2 (3%)

58 of the 78 suicides (74.4%) occurred in the individual’s home and 20 (25.6%) occurred elsewhere.

Of the 20 suicides outside the home, 11 were by hanging and 9 were by firearm. The bedroom is the location of suicide in 37 cases in private dwellings, 24 of which were by hanging in the bedroom closet. In the bedroom 4 deaths by hanging and 9 by firearms.

Fifteen suicides occurred in the living room and bathroom, with 9 by hanging, 5 by firearms and 1 by drug overdose.

Fifteen suicides occurred in other locations, (six by hanging, eight by firearms and one by drug overdose.) These locations are the porch, outside the house, shed, garage, basement, storage room, kitchen and hall or stairwell.

Of the 78 cases, hanging is the main method of suicide for 61 males. Males hang themselves in 36 cases (59%), firearms in 27 cases (37.7%) and drug overdose in two (3.3%)

Females hung themselves in 13 cases, which is 76.5% and used firearms in four cases, which is 23.5%. Based on the 78 cases

Suicides Rank By Day Of The Week

Saturday 19%

Monday 17%

Thursday 15%

Sunday 14%

Wednesday 13%

Friday 12%

Tuesday 10%

Suicides between 10PM and 10AM account for 49 cases (62%)

Suicides carried out during the time period from morning to evening 10 Am to 10PM make up the remaining 38%. Twenty (28%) of the deaths took place during the time period from midnight to 4AM. Fourteen (20%) of the deaths took place during the time period from 8 PM to midnight.

The hours of 8AM to 12 noon and the hours of 4AM to 8 AM had 10 deaths each (14% respectively) The hours of noon to 4PM and 4PM to 8PM had nine deaths (13%) and eights deaths (11%) respectively.

The average length of time between the time of death and discovery is estimated to be eight hours. The time between death and discovery ranges from two hours to one hundred and eight hours.

Twenty-one individuals (27%) were discovered during the time period from 8AM to noon. Fifteen individuals (20%) were discovered during the time period from noon to 4PM. Thirteen individuals (17%) were discovered during each time period of 8PM to midnight, and midnight to 4PM.

The remaining 19 individuals (25%) were found during the time period of 4AM – 8AM and 4PM – 8PM. Males ages 15 – 29 are at most risk, which is consistent with other populations in Canada including Aboriginal populations.

Personal distress as a result of family and relationship breakups and troubles was observed in 30% of the suicides.

Alcohol intoxication appeared in 33% of the suicides. Suicide must be considered the result of an accumulation of many factors in the individual’s environment and personal characteristics.

Resolving social issues such as unemployment, poverty, poor education, lack of opportunity and loss of cultural identity may lower rates of suicide, which may resolve other issues such as crime, family violence and alcohol or drug abuse which all contribute to suicide.

There is a need for ongoing community awareness and training to identify people at risk of suicide. Family and friends need the tools to recognize when a person is at risk of suicide.

Individuals at risk of suicide need to be identified more quickly. Members of the community must be empowered to act immediately with the co-operation of emergency services.

 

 

WHY DO YOUTH COMMIT SUICIDE

 

While there are no definite answers for which youth attempt and complete suicide, there is general agreement that youth who take their own lives feel hopeless about their situation and believe it will never change. Suicide seems to be a response to seemingly intolerable pain. It appears when a complex set of factors interacts with the youth’s biological, emotional, intellectual and social stages of development.

BIOLOGICAL  Depression due to chemical imbalance; physical illness; physical disability; learning disability; chemical changes during puberty; or physical dependency on drugs or alcohol.

EMOTIONAL  Sadness; stress; impulsive behavior; a sense of powerlessness; loss; grief; loneliness; low self-esteem; anger or rage; guilt; hopelessness; a sense of being overwhelmed; anxiety; confusion about sexual identity/orientation; emotional dependency on chemical substances.

INTELLECTUAL  Inability to communicate feelings; perfectionism; pressure to achieve or perform; self-criticism; unrealistic view of death; revenge; exaggeration of faults.

SOCIAL  Isolation; withdrawal; friendlessness; lack of social skills; unpopularity; feelings of not belonging; embarrassment before peers; labeled as crazy, stupid, or different, in trouble at home; school; or with the law; runaway.

 

 

WHAT IS NOT HELPFUL

 

Here is a list of things that the experts recommend not doing when you feel a child or adolescent is considering suicide, Remember not to:

Act shocked

Encourage guilt

Physically attempt to take a weapon away, (if the youth is in possession)

Promise total confidentiality

Minimize the problem

Leave the youth alone

Give up hope

Panic

 

 

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP SOMEONE WHO MAY BE SUICIDAL

 

(Myth) Those problems weren’t enough to commit suicide over.

People who know a completed suicide often say this. You cannot assume that because you feel something is not worth being suicidal about, that the person who is suicidal you are feels the same way. It is not how bad the problem is but how badly it’s hurting the person who has it.

Remember- Suicidal behavior is a cry for help.

The risk that a youth you know will commit or attempt suicide is greater today than ever before.

 

(Myth) If someone is going to kill himself nothing is going to stop him.

The fact that a person is still alive is sufficient proof that part of him wants to remain alive. The suicidal person is ambivalent, part of him wants to live and part of him wants not so much death as he wants the pain to end. It is the part that wants to live that tells someone, “I feel suicidal.”

If a suicidal person turns to you it is likely that he believes that you are more caring, more informed about coping with misfortune and more willing to protect his confidentiality. No matter how negative the manner and content of his talk, he is doing a positive thing and has a positive view of you.

Be willing to give and get help sooner rather than later.

Suicide prevention is not a last minute activity. Most textbooks on depression say it should be treated as soon as possible. Unfortunately, suicidal people are afraid that trying to get help may bring them more pain; being told they are stupid, foolish, sinful or manipulative. You need to do everything you can to reduce pain, rather than increase or prolong it. Constructively involving yourself on the side of life as early as possible will reduce the risk of suicide.

 

 

LISTEN

 

Give the person every opportunity to unburden his troubles and ventilate his feelings. You don’t need to say much and there are no magic words. If you are concerned, your voice and manner will show it. Give him relief from being alone with his pain; let him know you are glad he turned to you. Show patience, sympathy and acceptance. Avoid arguments and advice giving.

ASK – Are you having thoughts of suicide?

 

(Myth) – Talking about it may give someone the idea.

People already have the idea; suicide is constantly in the news media. If you ask a despairing person this question you are doing a good thing for them: you are showing him that you care about him, that you take him seriously and that you are willing to let him share his pain with you. You are giving him further opportunity to discharge painful feelings. If the person is having thoughts of suicide, find out how far along his ideation has progressed.

If the person is actually suicidal, do not leave him alone.

If the means are present, try to get rid of them, detoxify the home.

 

 

A SUMMARY OF SOME OS THE CAUSES OF SUICIDE AMONG THE ABORGINAL

 

As one can realize there are about as many opinions or shades of opinions concerning perceived causes of suicide, as there are people. However, numerous reoccurring themes are given. These are listed in point form for easier reading.

Shame and low self-esteem.

Money problems; jealous of those who had more than they had.

Parents and elders being too lenient.

Lack of employment, no place to go, boredom.

Feeling overwhelmed because youth had nobody to belong to, to accept him or her, to listen to them, to enjoy them.

Broken trust

When they cannot take more abuse or physical beatings.

No solid foundation or connectedness with family or relatives during times of breakup with boy or girl friends.

Cultural differences between elders and youth.

Overwhelming fears and anxiety about themselves, life, and the future.

When charges have been laid and they cannot face going to court.

After going to safe house and are afraid to go home.

When reminded about the same painful things over and over, youth feel they are good for nothing.

The Youth, hiding their pain and overwhelming remorse over their mistakes.

Self-pity, feeling alone, and feeling so lost.

Children, raising their brothers and sisters, lost childhood.

Following their peer or gang leaders.

Spouses running around with other partners. Leaves the children emotionally wounded. Sets a poor example.

Parental problems; drinking, drugs, unfaithfulness. Too many kids are hungry, neglected, not guided, forsaken.

Fear of parents breaking up; of evil spirits; of abandonment; of failure.

Giving up on coping, don’t talk, don’t feel, and don’t trust anymore.

Sexually abused by fathers, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, and other relatives. Respect for elders is lost. Often sexual abuse issues are not dealt with or reported. Often the victim is sent out for protection from his or her abuser during the time he or she needs help from his or her support systems. Abusers often get protection and blame the victim. The victim is re-victimized. The child or teen is or teen is left damaged, wounded, and suicidal. (Over the past five years, our counseling experience has shown that about 90% of the women coming for help have been sexually abused.)

Elders want to forget their past wrongs. This gives the next generation the message that they can do wrong (including sexual abuse) and get away with it.

One parent does drugs leaving the other parent overloaded physically and emotionally.

When one family member has committed suicide, others want to follow.

Get criticized if cannot excel in Inuit ways after out of school. In the city they excelled in sports but sports have no value among the elders at home. The criticism gets the youth down.

Thinking no one cares; no role model; no father to teach life skills or discipline; no father to love and please.

Heavy mental music.

Children see parents drink and work but no time for them.

At funeral services for those who died of suicide, they hear that God called the person and therefore it was God’s plans for this to happen, as if God plans everyone’s wrong, like puppets. And God is the puppeteer.

Put downs: You are good for nothing, never help out, are lazy, cannot hunt or have a job, cannot sew, are clumsy, cannot do anything right, cannot even find a mate, are always sad, never cheerful, never go to church, never go to school, never clean house, are stupid, cannot even baby sit or look after kids.

Hearing too much gossip.

Children raised in single-parent homes often have less protection and are more vulnerable to sexual abuse. Also the workload for the single mother often causes her to be depressed, have suicidal tendencies, and turn to drinking. This drinking can have serious effects upon unborn babies who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Children given to grandparents to raise. Often these grandparents have already raised a family. It is a heavy load. They often cannot meet the child’s needs.

Grandparents too often just let the children run.

When youth get charged, the court date is often put off and the youth become over anxious, worried, embarrassed, and stressed out, depressed, and suicidal during the waiting period.

When a youth does a crime he or she is often viewed as bad forever, unredeemable.

Moral values, infidelity, drinking problems and family problems worsened in communities where the U.S. military and Dew Line men came in by the hundreds. The implication of what effect that had on that generation and the children it produced are difficult to determine.

Too many children must raise themselves. This makes them take on adult roles as children. Many become suicidal.

Emotionally damaged and starved youth have children; children trying to raise children become overburdened and depressed.

Some men and women are on the loose. Their children are often given to homes in other communities. The children feel abandoned.

In – laws interfering with their children’s marriages can sometimes cause breakups. Often then grandparents are left with the children.

Difficult for grandparents to meet children’s needs.

Several mentioned that the media have a profound effect upon values and morals of the children and youth. The media also numbs youth to violence, explicit sex, healthy marriage relationships, love, and respect for life in general. The media only intensifies outside negative influence; kids fight parents and parents fight kids; adultery; fornication; self-destruction; drinking; and an unreal idealized sensational life style.

Drinking, drugging and fighting parents emotionally damaged their children to the point where the youth need to numb their pain. They turn to sniffing, drugs, alcohol, illicit sex and suicide.

 

Today there are generational/cultural gaps. There is the generation of the land; the generation that has families now and did not grow up on the land but in communities and the new youth generation. During the move into community/urban-type life between 1960 – 1970, parenting skills, support systems, communication skills, work habits and other social elements were set adrift. New parenting skills, new support systems, communication skills, new work habits, and other social elements were not learned. Appropriate adjustments were not made causing much social and family upheaval.

 

Little children say; “ I wish I had a Daddy.” Some men have eight children with eight women, a major problem. Children wish to live with their biological fathers and mothers.

Parents are neglecting God and not teaching their children about Him.

 

 

A review of the summary of reasons given for suicide shows that many are directly or indirectly related to the family, as well as family values and morals. Even though there was a great social, economic, and cultural change during the 1960’s, the end result is that during and following the upheaval, the family and extended family units were seriously weakened.

 

Suicide is only one resulting symptom. The quote, “Suicide is a symptom of social malaise and family dysfunction …” is amplified in this list.

 

While there are more than two reasons for youth suicide, physical and sexual abuse often come up as major reasons for suicide. This would be in harmony with an $800.000.00 study done in 1995 by The First Nation Cree Peoples of their youth suicide epidemic, as reported by a newspaper article:

 

Years of physical and sexual abuse; coupled with familial neglect and isolation, are at the root of the suicide epidemic that has hit native youth over the past decade, according to the final report of a youth forum that spent two years examining the problem (Wong, July 31,1996)

 

During a research project individuals were interviewed. One hundred percent felt that there was a serious suicide problem. Ninety-nine percent had lost a relative or close acquaintance through suicide during the past ten years. However it was encouraging to find that 99% of the individuals at the grass roots level had a heightened awareness of the devastating effects of suicide. Eighty seven percent expressed new hope that there were answers. This 87% felt some responsible action already had been taken with more planning taking place. There was a renewed sense of faith.

 

General revitalization was given to the Suicide Prevention and Suicide Intervention Groups. The Caregiver Groups that started about 1992 after a rash of suicides received new inspiration not only to continue but also to intensify their efforts.

 

One person said that earlier, after a great rash of suicides, a group got together to pray that God would do something. Suicides were becoming so common-placed. The people were desperate.

 

Another person believed that more parents needed to get involved and develop closer family ties to each other and the land. This person believed that families being involved with each other were very crucial to their survival as a nation but hard to maintain in the community life of the ‘90s.

 

One man said that fathers and mothers must get along or receive counsel so that they can. Family, closeness was being lost, but with this awareness, some parents were making a turn around. Some parents are becoming more open about their problems. Paulusie and his two friends have encouraged the people to keep on going. The sense of powerlessness was cracked. Now this man believed that the people of his community could make a difference. It will be the people as individuals who will make the difference.

 

 

LIKELY VICTIMS

 

While suicide rates among adults have steadied or even declined over the past few decades, teenage suicide rates have tripled. In 1960 alone the suicide rate among 15-19 year olds was 3.6 per 100,000. But by 1990, 11.1 out of every 100,000 teenagers 15 and older committed suicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

In 1997, more than 30,000 suicides were recorded in the United States; about 9 percent of those were committed by people age 19 or younger. “Where it used to be your grandfather, now it’s your son,” said Tom Simon, a suicide researcher at the CDC. He added that more Americans under the age of 19 now die each year from suicide than from Cancer, Heart Disease, AIDS, Pneumonia, Lung Disease and Birth Defects combined.

 

Which teenagers are most likely to take their own lives? Federal statisticians say the surge in suicides among the nation’s youth is fueled by unprecedented increases in such deaths in certain populations. For example, suicide rates among 10 – 14 year olds have nearly doubled in the past few decades. And black teenagers are now more than twice as likely to kill themselves as they were just 20 years ago. But white teenagers, particularly boys, still tower over their peers in their rates of self-destructiveness.

 

For every teenager who commits suicide, 100 more will try. Every year, one in 13 high school students attempts suicide. A 1997 federally funded Youth Risk Behavior Survey found. Half of all high school students reported they have “seriously considered” suicide by the time they graduated, the survey says. That’s an estimated 700,000 American high school students annually who attempt to kill themselves, and millions who say they have contemplated doing so.

 

Teenage girls attempt suicide three times as often as boys do, but males are four times more likely to finish the job. This gender gap, reported in the 1997 survey, reflects the fact that boys tend to employ more lethal means, such as firearms and hanging; girls favor more survivable methods, such as overdosing on pills.

 

Girls attempt suicide more than boys, experts say, because their act is an effort at communicating their desperation. Boys tend to keep their emotions hidden. “Girls cry out for help, while boys are taught to be tough and never to act like a girl,” said Dr. William Pollack, a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University and an expert on adolescent mental health. As a result, Dr. Pollack said, “boys are so ashamed of their feelings they figure they’d be better off dead” than express their pain.

 

A small percentage of the increase in teenage suicide rates could reflect improvements in reporting over the past few decades, according to Lloyd Potter, an epidemiologist and suicide expert at the CDC. But, Mr. Potter said, “Rates have been and continue to be artificially low because suicides are often masked or misclassified.”

 

Parents who rearrange the site of death or hide suicide notes often camouflage a child’s suicide. And some medical examiners classify a death as a suicide only when a note is found, something that occurs in less than a third of all cases.

 

“There’s no doubt there are families who don’t want it to appear on the death certificate, and the coroner obliges them,” said Dr. Tom Shires, a trauma surgeon with the National Suicide Prevention Institute. In some states the person designated to determine the cause of death may be a lawyer, a justice of the peace with no medical training who is ill equipped to investigate such cases.

 

Another way suicide is hidden from the record books says experts who study gangs, is that some teenagers who want to escape gang life but see no way out choose to die the “honorable” way by provoking police to fire at them.

 

We call that suicide by cop, said Gloria Grenados, a psychiatric social worker at Bell High School in Los Angeles, a school whose students are nearly all affiliated with a gang, she said. “There are kids that survived, who literally tell me they ran to meet the bullets because they so much wanted to die.”

 

Taking note of such subtle refuges, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher recently called suicide the nation’s hidden epidemic. Suicide, Dr. Satcher said as he launched a suicide-prevention campaign last fall, must be de-stigmatized and addressed as a public health problem.

 

Young people are more vulnerable than adults to thoughts of suicide, experts say, because they often don’t comprehend in a rational sense that death is final. Suicide notes collected by researchers show children fantasizing about what they will do when they are dead. Young people often see suicide as the end of their problems, not their existence. “The developmental stage of adolescence is consistent with not thinking of the long-or-short-term consequences of behavior,” said Mr. Simon of the CDC.

 

Another tenet of child development is that adolescents are risk takers by nature who changed friends, clothing styles and attitudes constantly and for no apparent reason. Such impulsivity still rules when teenagers want to chuck more than their wardrobes.

 

But those traits are most often coupled with environmental stresses before a young person decides to commit suicide. The impetus for inner turmoil in the hearts of adolescents in recent years cannot be gleaned from superficial clues such as whether a teenager plays violent video games, listen to Marilyn Manson CDs or dons black trench coats, school psychologists says. Young people, they say rarely wear their anger so conveniently on their sleeves.

 

Finding an answer to the riddle of self-murder is not like tracing the origins of a disease to a single genetic maker. Suicide is more akin to a multicolored tapestry whose yarn must be unraveled strand by strand.

 

Some experts argue that the leading reason why young people are more at risk for suicide now than they were a generation or two ago is the decline of the traditional family unit.

 

To fill the parenting void and the decreasing ratio of caring adults to children, television increasingly has become children’s stalwart companion after school. Parents spent an average of just two minutes a day communicating with their child, while the TV set spends an average of three and a half hours a day with that child.

 

By the end of elementary school. The average child will have witnessed more than 100,000 acts of violence on television, including 8,000 murders according to the center for media education in Washington, DC.

 

In a recent study, high school students interviewed after suicide attempts expressed surprise that their actions were so painful because it didn’t look that way on TV.

 

“A child doesn’t just wake up suicidal,” said Richard Lieberman, a school psychologist with the suicide-prevention unit of the L.A. public schools who handles distress calls from school officials 24 hours a day. “Kids are dealing with more loss. Families are under more stress.”

 

Clinically depressed adolescents are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-depressed peers, according to a 15 years study that tracked 73 depressed adolescents and compared them with peers who were not clinically depressed.

 

In Darkness Visible, the author William Styron describes his own severe depression as “a hurricane of the mind.” And five years before killing herself, poet Sylvia Plath said of her expressive moods: “I felt as if I were smothering. As if a great muscular owl were sitting on my chest, its talons clenching and constricting my heart.”

 

A study released last fall by the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that one-fifth of teenagers said they had had no health care in the past six months, even though they had a condition that warranted a medical visit. That situation represents a lost opportunity, suicide experts say, because family doctors can detect sudden changes in mood, sleeping patterns, and eating habits.

 

Indicators Of Depression

 

Some depressed teenagers, who are either embarrassed to seek help or can’t afford it, eschew traditional medical care in favor of illicit drugs to elevate their moods. There is a strong link between the use of illegal drugs and suicide; alcohol and certain drugs are depressants and can often have the effect of deepening one’s mood. And, because they knock down inhibitions, teenagers feel freer to act on their suicidal fantasies.

 

Autopsies of adolescent suicide victim’s show that one-third to one half of the teenagers was under the influence of drugs or alcohol shortly before they killed themselves.

 

 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SUICIDE

 

Ecclesiastes 7:17  (NCV) Don’t be too wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why die before your time?

 

Almost every one would agree that life is the most precious gift that human beings have been given. Just the chance to be alive on this earth and play a part in the grand scheme of God’s eternal plan is a privilege indeed. Yet, despite this, there are times when life becomes so difficult or unbearable that many have, at one time or another wished they were dead or had never been born. For some, these feelings linger and if they linger long enough, suicide seems to be the only escape.

 

Very few would argue with the fact that suicide is a direct breaking of the sixth commandment, which is, “You shall not murder.” We are not to murder each other or ourselves. God created human beings in His image and each of us carries within us the potential to overcome the evil in this world, and to rule and reign with Christ in heavenly places. If we are Christians, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God. We are overseers of our bodies and our lives (which belong to Him) and we are responsible to guard that which has been entrusted to us.

 

Suicide is a grievous sin that seriously hurts both the heart of God and those who loved the deceased. The pain of losing a loved one who took their own life is not easily healed, and often isn’t fully healed until Heaven. Whether you are contemplating suicide or know someone who killed himself or herself, God wants you to know there is hope and life for you. He is the great Healer and Restorer of what has been lost or stolen.

 

Many of the greatest saints and heroes of the Bible faced overwhelming depression and sometimes wrote that they wished they had never been born.

 

King David: Psalm 13:2-4 (NCV) How long must I worry and feel sad in my heart all day? How long will my enemy win over me? Lord, look at me. Answer me, my God; tell me, or I will die. Otherwise my enemy will say, “I have won!” Those against me will rejoice that I’ve been defeated.

 

The Prophet Jeremiah: Jeremiah 20:14-18 (NCV) Let there be a curse on the day I was born; let there be no blessing on the day when my mother gave birth to me.Let there be a curse on the man who brought my father the news: “You have a son!” This made my father very glad. Let that man be like the towns the Lord destroyed without pity.  Let him hear loud crying in the morning and battle cries at noon,  Because he did not kill me before I was born. Then my mother would have been my grave; she would have stayed pregnant forever.  Why did I have to come out of my mother’s body? All I have known is trouble and sorrow, and my life will end in shame.

 

Job  Job 7:15-16 (NCV) My throat prefers to be choked; my bones welcome death.  I hate my life; I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, because my days have no meaning.

 

Among others, all reached low points where they despaired of their very lives. Job says, “So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity”

 

Yet, each one of these men were blessed of God, and persevered through their trails as an example to us.

 

Though they faced great suffering and injustice, they kept their faith in God and His goodness, and in so doing were sustained and led into abundant life.

 

Though we may get depressed from time to time, we believe that the act of suicide never takes the place apart from demonic influences driving one to take their own life. Suicide is directly counter to the power of life that God has put so strongly into his creation. Everywhere we look we see life growing, even in the most hostile environments. This “survival instinct’ is a gift from God. In fact, if He didn’t bestow this gift upon His creation there probably wouldn’t be any life on this planet at all! Suicide, then is directly contrary to the will of God, and originated in the realm of the demonic host, who come only to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). Though demons may try to tempt us to kill ourselves, as Christians we have power over the devil and he cannot push us to do this if we sincerely call on the name of the Lord!

 

We are all in a spiritual battle. The problem is, many of us are not aware of it, and do not know how to protect ourselves against attacks.

 

Do All Those Who Kill Themselves Go To Hell

 

Mark 16:16 (NCV) Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who does not believe will be punished.

 

Murder and suicide are not unpardonable sins. The only unforgivable sins are rejecting Christ and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

 

Mark 3:28-29 (NCV) I tell you the truth; all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven.  But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever.”

 

All other sins can be forgiven. However, anyone contemplating suicide may be in danger of going to hell, as his or her relationship with the Lord is not intact at that point.

 

Those who would consider suicide may have a severed relationship with Christ and therefore they would enter the real hell – which is worse than the hellish feelings they are experiencing at the moment.

 

It is so important to remember that God judges each of us individually, weighing all the factors of our lives, our beliefs and our motives. Each one of us is so intricate and complex, only God could really judge us in total truth, wisdom, and without favoritism. The most important truth of all is that each one of us will stand before His throne and give account of our lives. If we live intimately with this sobering truth, much of the sin in the church and the world would immediately be stopped.

 

2 Samuel 17:23 (NCV) When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

 

Is suicide the unpardonable sin, or does God forgive suicide? These questions have troubled the hearts of those who struggle with the temptation to end their lives and those who are left behind when a friend or family member chooses to take his or her life.

 

As we look at this sensitive subject that exposes our most intimate thoughts and feelings, we realize that the subject of suicide affects those who do not profess to know Christ as Savior and many believers as well.

 

Although the word suicide is never used in the Bible, there are several direct references to people killing themselves, and by definition, that is suicide. In 1 Kings 16:18, there is reference to Zimri, who reigned for a few days over Israel and then died in a fire that he started in his home. He was about to be overthrown and could not cope with defeat.

 

1 Kings 16:18 (NCV) When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the palace and set it on fire, burning the palace and himself with it.

 

Abimelech, the son of Jerubabell, committed assisted suicide rather than have it said that he died at the hands of a woman.

 

Judges 9:53-54 (NCV) but as he came near, a woman dropped a grinding stone on his head, crushing his skull. He quickly called to the officer who carried his armor and said, “Take out your sword and kill me. I don’t want people to say, `A woman killed Abimelech.’ ” So the officer stabbed Abimelech, and he died.

 

Saul fell on his sword after losing a battle against the Philistines. When his armor bearer saw that Saul had killed himself, he followed in like manner.

 

1 Samuel 31:4-5 (NCV) He said to the officer who carried his armor, “Pull out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won’t make fun of me and kill me.” But Saul’s officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.  When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw himself on his own sword, and he died with Saul.

 

1 Chronicles 10:4-5 (NCV) Then Saul said to the officer who carried his armor, “Pull out your sword and stab me. If you don’t, these Philistines who are not circumcised will come and hurt me.” But Saul’s officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.  When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw himself on his own sword and died.

 

When he stopped allowing God to direct his life, Samson lost his unbelievable strength and suffered humiliation at the hands of the Philistines. Unable to tolerate the ridicule and the reality of his failure, in one final act of strength, Samson pulled the pillars down on himself and thousands of his captors.

 

Judges 16:25-30 (NCV) While the people were enjoying the celebration, they said, “Bring Samson out to perform for us.” So they brought Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand between the pillars.  Samson said to the servant holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars that hold up the temple so I can lean against them.”  Now the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine rulers were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Lord God, remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I can pay these Philistines back for putting out my two eyes!” Then Samson turned to the two center pillars that supported the whole temple. He braced himself between the two pillars, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.  Samson said, “Let me die with these Philistines!” Then he pushed as hard as he could, causing the temple to fall on the rulers and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than when he was alive.

 

The inability to cope with failure, the inability to deal with relationships. The perceived loss of position or status, the unbearable pain of humiliation and a meaningless life. These were some of the reasons given for those who committed suicide during biblical times. A closer examination of  the alarming number of suicides today reveals five motivating factors:

 

A cause that a person is committed to

A pact between two or more people

Feelings of meaninglessness

Circumstances that overwhelm an individual

An extended illness involving intractable or unrelenting pain

 

No matter what mode of suicide a person chooses, if we were to somehow explore the thoughts of those who have committed suicide (or are contemplating it), I believe that we would find one of these five motivating factors. The death certificate may list drug overdose or gunshot wound as the cause of death yet the underlying cause often is never discovered because of the self-imposed isolation that most people experience prior to their suicide.

 

Over the last ten to fifteen years, we have watched the results of suicides stemming from adherence to a cause. This has been portrayed in grim detail in the media in the suicides carried out in bombings in the Middle East when a soldier storms a building with a truck laden with explosives. The murder of hundreds of soldiers was an honorable deed for the one who killed himself in the truck that slammed into the army barracks. To die for such a cause is noble for one who considers the cause life’s motivation.

 

The pictures of Guyana and the hundreds of bodies strewn across the ground were grim reminders that pacts between individuals can have tragic consequences. The followers of Jim Jones had a pact, and it resulted in their mass suicide.

 

A major cause of suicide is the despair of living without meaning or purpose. In a world overwhelmed with violence, divorce, homelessness, AIDS, and drug abuse, it is too often the norm to live life bouncing around without anything to hang on to that would give meaning and security to an otherwise lonely existence.

 

In his book Fatal Choice, John Q. Baucom states that of all the suicides committed by teenagers in 1984, 80 percent had alcohol in their systems: “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. It is estimated that approximately 6,000 adolescents will take their lives annually…During the past 25 years the teenager rate has tripled. One report indicates that nearly 12 percent of all school children will experience serious suicidal ideation at least once.”

 

The fact that many children are finding suicide to be the logical choice underscores the impact that the pressures of life, even at such an early age, can have. They live in a world of isolation, rejection, and the perception that no one cares. Life becomes intolerable, and suicide becomes the logical answer.

 

Depression is a key factor in most suicides.

 

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NCV) The Teacher says, “Useless! Useless! Completely useless! Everything is useless.”

 

Job 10:1 (NCV) “I hate my life, so I will complain without holding back; I will speak because I am so unhappy.

 

Jonah 4:8 (NCV) As the sun rose higher in the sky, God sent a very hot east wind to blow, and the sun became so hot on Jonah’s head that he became very weak and wished he were dead. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

 

Circumstances can often be the precipitating factor in suicide. What one person can deal with, another might find overwhelming. This can encompass any number of things, such as divorce, the loss of a job, or financial distress. In one sad incident the inability to deal with the death of a friend resulted in the suicide of a well-known professional football player. The young man lost control of his car while driving late one evening in Texas. A friend who was in the car died. Overcome with the reality of what had happened, the young man put a gun to his head and ended his life. His circumstance motivated his suicide.

 

The last of the motivating factors in suicide concerns the inability to cope with a debilitating illness and unrelenting pain. Assisted suicide has gained national and international attention in the media. Over the years, the idea of euthanasia has been discussed and debated, but never have so many sought to enlist the help of medical professionals in ending their lives. Euthanasia is defined in Webster’s 11 New Riverside University Dictionary, as “the intentional causing of a painless and easy death to a patient suffering from an incurable or painful disease.” As people have become more aggressive in their “right” to end the suffering of terminal illnesses or the ravages of old age, the issue of assisted suicide has taken on monumental significance among many groups who wish to see euthanasia become one of the “rights” that all people possess. News reports are filled with stories of people seeking to end their lives with the help of a medical professional.

 

We need to consider the reasons why suicide is wrong and why it is not the way to avoid painful circumstances. As an act of rebellion, suicide is a sin against God.

 

These are some of the reasons why suicide is wrong:

It violates the Ten Commandments.

Nowhere does the Bible condone a person ending life to escape circumstances.

Life is a gift from God.

Suicide is an expression of self-hatred, and the Bible says we are to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Suicide usurps the power that belongs only to God.

A person who commits suicide short-circuits God’s will for his or her life.

It is an expression of lack of faith.

Suicide is an act of selfishness.

It hurts the cause of Christ.

With this in mind, we can understand why there are so many questions concerning whether God forgives the person who commits suicide. After all, suicide is an act of rebellion against God. Fortunately for all of us, however, God’s grace is without prejudice. Whoever believes will be saved. Nowhere in the Bible does God compartmentalize sin and reserve grace only for those who commit “acceptable” sins. There is no such thing. Does God forgive suicide?

If the person who committed suicide at some time accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for his sin debt and asked Him into his life, he is forgiven. Absolute assurance of forgiveness is found in:

 

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

If a person has ever taken that step and received Christ as Savior, nothing can alter the truth that, as children of God, we are forgiven. Even when we rebel against God, He is faithful to keep His Word. On the other hand, there is no such assurance for the one who commits suicide and has never taken that step of faith in Christ, except the assurance of eternal separation from God.

 

The fact that God’s grace is sufficient and that forgiveness is available even in the case of suicide should never be taken as permission to follow through with the temptation to commit suicide. Suicide is never the right decision. No one enjoys suffering. All of us sympathize with those who hurt, both physically and emotionally. However, 2 Corinthians 12:9 is our assurance that in our weakness, God’s grace is sufficient, and that is our hope when life becomes intolerable. When nothing we try works, God has promised that He is able to sustain us.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

Many parents argue that a child’s emotional problems are a family matter and that schools are inappropriate venues to broach the issues of life and death. When the courts first held that public schools have special duties as stewards of the nation’s young people for eight hours a day, they probably didn’t envision principals patrolling their buildings to stop Jane from jumping off the roof. But, then, there wasn’t as much roof jumping back then.

 

The Latin term in loco parents literally, “in the place of parents”, was first used by Romans to refer to the Greek slaves whom they employed to tutor their children.  So that the Roman children would respect their low-ranked teachers, the Roman masters delegated their parental power temporarily so the Greeks could discipline the pupils in their care.

 

The U.S. courts, having inherited the doctrine from English law, also applied the concept to help teachers keep students in their seats. Over the years, various courts conferred broad supervisory power on schools to control unruly students, using the doctrine at times to sanction paddling and other corporal punishment.

 

Along with the power to discipline students came certain responsibilities to protect students from harm. In recent years, the courts have taken this guardianship status further by holding schools liable for negligence if they fail to protect a child who is harassed or sexually abused by another student at school. In the past 20 years, several courts extended the surrogate parental obligation further still, finding that schools have a legal obligation to take “reasonable steps” to protect students from hurting themselves.

 

 

Lawsuits Multiplying

Whether a student kills himself in his bedroom or in the school’s locker room, the courts are sending a message to schools that they can no longer stand on the sidelines, said Richard Lieberman, a psychologist with the L.A. public schools who has testified on behalf of districts.

 

The number of lawsuits filed against school districts claiming negligence in student suicides has multiplied tenfold in the past twenty years, Mr. Lieberman estimates. For every suicide case that goes to trial, at least 20 are settled out of court, he said. In the past two years especially, national publicity over a space of time, school shootings has helped prompt a shower of legal claims against schools.

 

While federal law requires schools to report to authorities if they suspect a student is being abused by his or her parents, no state requires schools to notify parents if a student expresses suicidal thoughts.

 

When schools are found to be liable in a child’s suicide, legal experts say, it’s generally for negligence: They could have “foreseen the suicidal risk” of the student, or they knew of the student’s intent to harm himself and failed to take “responsible” steps to prevent it.

 

Among The Cases Addressing Schools’ Liability:

A 1991 case against the Montgomery County, Md., board of education stemmed from junior high school students’ telling a counselor that their friend was making suicidal statements. When a counselor questioned, N.E. about those comments, the 13 year old denied that she was going to hurt herself, and the counselor chose not to notify her parents. A week later the girl was killed in a murder-suicide pact. A state appeals court found the counselors negligent in their duty to warn the parents, arguing that the counselors should have been able to “foresee” the suicide despite her denials.  It is no simple task to detect a child’s suicidal intent. Metal detectors and surveillance cameras may nab gun-toting teenagers, but they don’t pick up inner turmoil.

 

In his presentations to high school students, Dr. Victor Victoroff, the chairman emeritus of psychiatry at Huron Road Medical Center in Cleveland, shows slides of teenagers who attempt suicide and end up in emergency rooms; a girl who had her stomach pumped, a boy with his face blown off by a gunshot blast, a girl with her wrists carved up. “I’ll use any means to cut through the romantic haze. I want them to know suicide is a painful experience.” Said Dr. Victoroff.

 

 

WORKING TOWARD PREVENTION

 

The general view among mental health professionals is that talking about suicide can help prevent teenagers from doing it. But there is no evidence that short lectures in the classrooms or heavily attended school assemblies, or even visits to the morgue have any measurable effects on preventing teenagers from killing themselves. And some of the approaches may actually aggravate the situation for the most vulnerable student.

 

In one of the most rigorous evaluation of suicide-prevention programs, Dr. David Shaffer, a Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, found that most commonly used suicide awareness programs in schools did more harm than good.

 

In his 1987 study, Dr. Shaffer evaluated several widely used programs with 1,000 students in six high schools. While there was no evidence that the didactic classroom discussions caused emotional distress among students as a whole, neither did the course alter the disturbing attitudes of those students who said, “In certain situations, suicide was a reasonable solution to one’s problems.”

 

Moreover, the study found those students who were already contemplating suicide were more distressed after being exposed to the lessons. “At any one time in any classroom, there are going to be one in four kids who have thought about suicide,” Dr. Shaffer said recently. “Talking about it might stimulate what has been bottled up, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.”

 

Such findings have provided support for critics who believe suicide prevention courses ought to be dropped. “These death-and-dying courses can have dangerous consequences,” said Ms. Schlafly of the Alton, Ill. Based Eagle Forum. “Some children may be tripped over the edge.”

 

But schools can drive down the youth-suicide rate if they employ very specific methods, researchers say. Preliminary findings from a study by University of Washington researchers suggest that students who practice solving difficult dilemmas in their lives through role playing in group sessions with other students twice a week are less likely to be depressed or to exhibit suicidal behavior than those who do not take part in such programs.

 

Teachers might also read students essays for more than their literary value. A 1986 study of students’ work in several schools found 500 poems that contained suicidal references but that were returned to students without comment or follow-up.

 

One of the students, an 11-year-old boy, turned in an essay titled “Suicide Mistake” in which he outlined his own death in detail. That night he killed himself just as he described.

 

Teachers are often reluctant to talk to their colleagues about students for fear that they will violate a student’s privacy. Ms Underwood of the NSBA said: “Students’ privacy gets so drilled into their heads, and unfortunately they sometimes get snagged by it.”

 

“If teachers detect morbid preoccupations, however, they should be discreet about revealing them,” Mr. Poland said. In his book, Mr. Poland cites the case of a Denver teacher who intercepted a note written by a 12 year old and read the personal details about his melancholy state to the class. The boy committed suicide later that day.

 

Another was to put a dent in the youth-suicide rate is to persuade teenagers to tell adults when they know other students have such intentions, even though it might be seen as tattling.

 

The unwritten code of silence among students has to be broken, said Clark Flatt, whose young son shot himself in 1997. In 70% of all teen suicide, another teen knew about it and did nothing. We have to train teenagers to take their friends’ morbid musings seriously.

 

Many experts say the subject is particularly difficult to teach about, even more sensitive than AIDS, sex or drugs, because talking about suicide has long been considered taboo.

 

Greeks and Romans condemned suicide as an offense against the state because suicide deprived society of a productive member.

 

Many religious denominations have held that suicide victims are condemned to hell, and have barred their burial in sacred ground and shrouded their memory in shame.

 

“It’s time for us to move from shame and stigma to support,” said Dr. Satcher, because a majority of teenagers who kill themselves suffer some type of a diagnosable mental health problem. He said the best way schools can ward off more suicides is to usher troubled children to the nearest mental health professional. The dip in the teenage suicide rate in the late 1990’s is partly attributable to better screening of children for mental health problems, some experts say. One of the most promising places to thwart a suicide may be the school’s counselor’s or nurse’s office.

 

In a 10 month study in 14 schools, students who were deemed at risk for dropping out were interviewed in two-hour sessions and were asked a series of questions about their mood and called their parents or a hospital if they expressed suicidal inclinations. Those who participated in the psychological interview program were 54 % less likely to have suicidal thoughts or act on them in the months following the session than those who did not participate, the study found.

 

“You have to know the difference between a joking teen and one who has a knife under his bed or has already counted out the pills.” Said Leslie Kraft, who runs a teen-screening program.

 

An expert says that in the best of all possible worlds, children’s emotional deficits would be catalogued in kindergarten. Giving early treatment to children with short attention spans, school phobias or short fuses could greatly reduce problems in later grades.

 

 

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

 

Dr. Thomas Shires, a trauma surgeon and the head of the federally funded Suicide Prevention Research Center, advocates minimizing access to handguns. But he expresses doubt that such measures would make a serious dent in suicide rates. “If they don’t do it with guns, they will do it with something else,” he said.

 

What perturbs Dr. Shires most is what he sees as the medical profession’s poor record at diagnosing and treating young patients’ psychological pain.

 

Dr. Shires’ research found that 70% of all people who attempt suicide have seen their family physician within the 30 days before they made the attempt. But many medical doctors are not well versed in distinguishing between serious emotional distress and evanescent adolescent anger.

 

Dr. Shires prescribes a multi pronged approach to fighting suicide: if physicians were better trained, more students had caring adults in their lives from infancy on, and school were better prepared to identify and get troubled children the help they needed quickly, the youth-suicide rate would surely plummet, he said.

 

In light of the societal forces driving children to suicide, Linda Taylor says, school that takes up the challenge have to be warned that they can’t save every child.

 

Ms. Taylor, a counselor from Los Angeles, tells the story of a rambunctious ten-year-old girl she treated years ago for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. One evening, the child’s mother told the 5th grader to clean up her room and not to come out until it was clean. The girl hanged herself from a belt in her bedroom closet.

 

“Everyone was devastated, “said Ms. Taylor, who added that though the girl’s father had recently died, the family was close and there was no clear sign the child had serious emotional problems. “We felt, my God, what did we miss? How did we not see what was coming?”

 

In public schools where prayer is banned and where the teaching of morality is shunned, all that is left is sterile academic knowledge. Veritas minus Christo. The result? Students today cannot tell right from wrong.

 

If there is any remaining harbor of hope, it’s the family and the church. Moms and Dads must stay with it. Pastors and teachers don’t give up!

 

 

A Biblical Perspective On Suicide

 

We begin with the recognition that, from a Biblical perspective, issues of life and death lie in the sovereign hands of God alone. Job said to God, “Man’s days are determined; You, O God, have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” (Job 14:5) David said to God, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16)

 

More over, suicide goes against the commandments of God. In fact, the sixth commandment tells us, “You shall not murder” Exodus 20:13 This command is based on the sanctity of human life. We must remember that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).

 

It is important to understand that the command, “You shall not murder,” has no direct object. That is, it doesn’t say “You shall not murder someone else,” or “You shall not murder your fellow man.” It simply says, “You shall not murder.”

 

The prohibition thus includes not just the murder of one’s fellow man but also even the murder of oneself. While suicide is certainly not the “Unforgivable sin”, we must never forget that God prohibits murder of any kind.

 

Christian pastors and counselors often point out that a believer who ends his life also forever ends his opportunities to witness and serve the Lord on earth. Furthermore, suicide is one of the greatest acts of selfishness, for in it the individual caters to his own desires and his own will, ignoring the catastrophic affects it has on others.

 

The lives of certain biblical saints are instructive on the issue of suicide. There were times when certain servants of God in biblical times were so severely tested and distressed that they wished for their own death. We can learn a lesson here, when we despair, we must turn to God and not to suicide, God will see us through.

 

The Apostle Paul certainly went through tough times. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 Paul reflected on his past:

 

2 Corinthians 1:8 (NCV) Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength. We even gave up hope of living.

 

Nevertheless, Paul did not succumb to breaking God’s commandment against murder and commit suicide. He depended on God, and God came through and gave him all the sustenance he needed to make it through his ordeal. We must depend on God when life throws us a punch, and just as God sustained Paul through his difficulties, so He will sustain us.

 

Christians despairing even of life; a faithful believer, living in obedient fellowship with Christ and loved by Him, may yet undergo experiences that involve danger, fear, and despair, and may encounter circumstances that weigh one down beyond the human power of endurance.

 

When severe troubles occur in our lives, we need not feel that God has forsaken us or has stopped loving us. Rather, we must remind ourselves that these very things happened to God’s faithful servants of NT times.

 

God allows these desperate trials so that Christ might come near and as we look to Him in faith, give us the grace to bring us to victory.

 

Biblical Reference To Suicide

 

The word suicide is not used in the Bible (NASB or KJV)

 

Biblical accounts of persons taking their lives, or attempting to do so :

Judges 9:50-57 (NCV) Then Abimelech went to the city of Thebez. He surrounded the city, attacked it, and captured it.  But inside the city was a strong tower, so all the men, women, and leaders of that city ran to the tower. When they got inside, they locked the door behind them. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.  Abimelech came to the tower to attack it. He approached the door of the tower to set it on fire,  But as he came near, a woman dropped a grinding stone on his head, crushing his skull.  He quickly called to the officer who carried his armor and said, “Take out your sword and kill me. I don’t want people to say, `A woman killed Abimelech.’ So the officer stabbed Abimelech, and he died.  When the people of Israel saw Abimelech was dead, they all returned home. In that way God punished Abimelech for all the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil they had done. So the curse spoken by Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, came true.

Abimilech severely injured seeks assisted suicide motivated by gender pride, his male ego not wanting death to be caused by a woman.

 

Judges 16:21-31 (NCV) Then the Philistines captured Samson and tore out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they put bronze chains on him and made him grind grain in the prison.  But his hair began to grow again.  The Philistine rulers gathered to celebrate and to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They said, “Our god has handed Samson our enemy over to us.”  When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,“This man destroyed our country. He killed many of us! But our god handed over our enemy to us.  While the people were enjoying the celebration, they said, “Bring Samson out to perform for us.” So they brought Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand between the pillars.  Samson said to the servant holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars that hold up the temple so I can lean against them.”  Now the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine rulers were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson perform.   Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Lord God, remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I can pay these Philistines back for putting out my two eyes!”  Then Samson turned to the two center pillars that supported the whole temple. He braced himself between the two pillars, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.  Samson said, “Let me die with these Philistines!” Then he pushed as hard as he could, causing the temple to fall on the rulers and all the people in it.  So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than when he was alive.  Samson’s brothers and his whole family went down to get his body. They brought him back and buried him in the tomb of Manoah, his father, between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a judge for the people of Israel for twenty years .

Samson caused his own death in the enemy camp, motivated by the avenging of their torture of him.

 

1 Samuel 31:1-7 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the Israelites ran away from them. Many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa.  The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.  The fighting was heavy around Saul. The archers shot him, and he was badly wounded.   He said to the officer who carried his armor, “Pull out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won’t make fun of me and kill me.” But Saul’s officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.  When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw himself on his own sword, and he died with Saul.  So Saul, his three sons, and the officer who carried his armor died together that day.  When the Israelites who lived across the Jezreel Valley and those who lived across the Jordan River saw how the Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived there.

Saul and armor bearer fall on their swords after Saul was injured in battle and did not want to be taken by the enemy and tortured .

 

2 Samuel 17:23 (NCV) When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Ahitophel strangled himself after his military counsel was rejected by David.

 

1 Kings 16:15-20 (NCV) So during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah, Zimri became king of Israel and ruled in Tirzah seven days. The army of Israel was camped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.  The men in the camp heard that Zimri had made secret plans against King Elah and had killed him. So that day in the camp they made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. So Omri and all the Israelite army left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah.  When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the palace and set it on fire, burning the palace and himself with it.  So Zimri died because he had sinned by doing what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Zimri sinned in the same way as Jeroboam.  Everything else Zimri did and the story of how he turned against King Elah are written down in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

Zimri defeated in battle, sets his house afire and dies therein to avoid capture.

Jonah 1:11-15 (NCV) Since the wind and the waves of the sea were becoming much stronger, they said to him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”  Jonah said to them, “Pick me up, and throw me into the sea, and then it will calm down. I know it is my fault that this great storm has come on you.”  Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming more stormy.  So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t let us die because of this man’s life; please don’t think we are guilty of killing an innocent person. Lord you have caused all this to happen; you wanted it this way.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea became calm.

Jonah seems to have attempted suicide by jumping into the sea.

Matthew 27:3-5 (NCV) Judas, the one who had given Jesus to his enemies, saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. Then he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the thirty silver coins back to the priests and the leaders  saying, “I sinned; I handed over to you an innocent man.” The leaders answered, “What is that to us? That’s your problem, not ours.”  So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went off and hanged himself.

Before Judas hung himself, he realized that his sinful actions would lead to the death of Jesus. Likewise, our actions inevitably affect others for good or for evil. Many things we set in motion cannot but stopped, and others and we will experience their evil and destructive results. It is of utmost importance to avoid all actions and plans that may have potentially harmful consequences.

 

Passages used to evaluate suicide

1. Negatively

Exodus 20:13 (NCV) “You must not murder anyone."

Deuteronomy 5:17 (NCV) “You must not murder anyone."

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NCV) "Today I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses. I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live."

Job 1:21 (NCV) "He said: ‘I was naked when I was born, and I will be naked when I die.  The Lord gave these things to me, and he has taken them away. Praise the name of the Lord.’"

Acts 16:27-28 (NCV) The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. Thinking that the prisoners had already escaped, he got his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NCV) "You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves,"

Ephesians 5:29 (NCV) "No one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church,"

1 John 3:15 (NCV) "Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderers have eternal life in them."

 

2. Positively

Mark 8:34-35 (NCV) "Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If people want to follow me; they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me and for the Good News will have true life."

John 13:37 (NCV)  "Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I am ready to die for you!’”

John 15:13 (NCV) "The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends."

Romans 5:7 (NCV) "Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die."

Romans 14:7 (NCV) "We do not live or die for ourselves."

Philippians 1:21 (NCV) "To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me."

1 John 3:16 (NCV) "This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters."

Revelation 2:13 (NCV) "I know where you live. It is where Satan has his throne. But you are true to me. You did not refuse to tell about your faith in me even during the time of Antipas, my faithful witness who was killed in your city, where Satan lives."

Revelation 20:4 (NCV) "Then I saw some thrones and people sitting on them who had been given the power to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been killed because they were faithful to the message of Jesus and the message from God. They had not worshiped the beast or his idol, and they had not received the mark of the beast on their foreheads or on their hands. They came back to life and ruled with Christ for a thousand years."

 

Martyrdom

The Biblical accounts do not present a definitive evaluation of suicide in their context, and the other passages are not directly related to suicide contextually.

 

Brief History Of Interpretation In The Church:

Some early church writers in their encouragement of martyrdom seem to accept suicide (cf. Ignatius)

Other writers cautioned against suicide (cf. Chrysostom)

Augustine used Ex. 20:13 to prove that suicide was sin of self-murder

No possibility of repentance.

Act of cowardice

Thomas Aquinqs added arguments against suicide.

Against nature’s law of self-preservation

Only God has right to give and take away life

John Donne (English writer, 17th cent.) first to argue for positive perspective of suicide.

 

ATTEMPTING A DEFINITION OF “SUICIDE”

English word “suicide” is etymologically derived from two Latin words: sui= oneself: cidium to kill.

Inclusive definition: “The taking of one’s own life, or causing it to be taken by another, inclusive of any motive, circumstance, or method used.”

By this definition all of the Biblical accounts (cf.I.B.) would qualify as suicide or attempted suicide.

 

QUESTIONS

Is it possible to so focus on a self-oriented perspective of self-preservation, that one diminishes an other-oriented perspective of God’s love?

Is it possible to so posit an inordinate value of human life, that we diminish the ultimate value of life beyond this life?

Is it possible to be so involved in legalistic determination of moral right and wrong, that we lose sight of God’s eternal perspective and character?

 

EXCLUSIVE DEFINITIONS

(Limited) – “the taking of one’s own life, or causing it to be taken by another, exclusive of the willing death of martyrdom for God, deference for the lives of others in love, or the avoidance of undue torture and suffering.”

 

(Unlimited) – “the taking of one’s own life, or causing it to be taken by another, exclusive of any evaluative explanation since every man has an autonomous ‘right to die’.”

Which of the Biblical accounts (cf.I.B.) would qualify as suicide or attempted suicide by these definitions.

 

QUESTIONS:

Is it possible to so focus on the human-oriented determination of life and death that we diminish the divine prerogative and determination of life and death ?

 

Is it possible to so emphasize the altruistic and other-oriented motivations for the taking of one’s life, that we diminish the divine determinations of His purposes?

 

Is it possible that our human evaluation of the situation is so limited by finiteness and self-concern that we might fail to understand God’s supernatural options?

 

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN DEFINING "SUICIDE"

Factor Of Intent

Is subject a rational, competent decision maker?

Is there a desire and determination to die?

Does the subject intend to terminate his/her own life?

 

Factor Of Freedom

Is the subject fully appraised and cognizant of the situation?

Has subject been made to feel guilty about living, breathing, taking up a bed, medicine, and resources?

Must be free from any pressured or forced coercion.

Freely chosen determination to act in direct causation of that which would be a means to one’s own end in death.

 

Factor Of Motivation

Is there a self-oriented motive for the self-destructive act?

Do oriented motives reduce culpability, changing suicide into sacrificial acts or martyrdom?

What qualifies as an oriented motive?

Welfare of animals?

Psychological welfare of others?

Economic considerations?

Convenience of others?

Ideological premises?

Attempting A Christian Evaluation Of “Suicide”

Differing world-views contribute to one’s perspective of “suicide”

Naturalistic or humanistic world-view

God is not part of the equation

Man is autonomous and independent

Self-determining agent

Right to determine own destiny; right to die

Human life is a result of evolutionary process

Evaluated physically and psychologically

Strive for “quality of life”

objective: to be as productive as possible in bettering the conditions of mankind

Utilitarian motivations in life and death

“Do what you think and feel you have to do”

Avoid inconvenience to others, that they might pursue their “quality of life”

when you are no longer useful to yourself or others, get out of the way.

 

Biblical Or Christian World-View

God alone is autonomous and independent

God gives and God takes away

God is the owner / operator of His creation

Man is derivative and dependent

Man has freedom of choice in his derivation

Sin is a result of man’s attempt to usurp God’s prerogative, to “be like God,” and to self-determine his own life and death.

Human life is God’s creation; a God given gift

Nehemiah 9:6  You are the only Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, with all the stars. You made the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them;you give life to everything. The heavenly army worships you.

Evaluated physically, psychologically and spiritually

Teleology of life is prime concern

Objective: to glorify God

Isaiah 43:7   "Bring to me all the people who are mine, whom I made for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Ontological motivations in life and death

To be and do what God wants to be and do in us

Receptive to express God’s character in all situations

Trust God to determine duration and destiny

 

Evaluating “suicide” in light of God’s revelation

1. Selfishness

The action of taking one’s own life when self-determined (with intent), self-caused (without coercion) and self-concerned (without concern for others) is a very selfish act.

It is a final and ultimate selfish act. Without opportunity for repentance or recovery.

Selfish acts are sinful acts; self-interest is a basic factor in sinfulness.

satan, the destroyer, tempts man.

Personal aspiration, gratification, reputation.

Fight, fright, flight responses to life’s situations.

Failure to take God into account.

Self-determined taking of one’s life fails or refuses to recognize the possibilities of God’s action

By natural processes

By supernatural or miraculous processed

Suicide preempts the opportunity for God to act in the situation.

Self-concern of suicide fails to recognize that there can be divine purposes in suffering.

Failure to take others into Account

The sinfulness of self-concern is contrary to the Love of God in concern for others.

Suicide usually harms and damages others, contrary to love

Left “holding the bag” picking up the pieces

Often questioning or blaming themselves

The living have to deal with the consequences

Suicidal persons fail to recognize community responsibility

Every person is part of the community – family, social network, church etc.

“We are in it together, no man is an island, what one does affects us all.”

Suicide and ultimate destiny
 

Traditional, fundamentalist, literalist interpretation

You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13  “You must not murder anyone." Suicide is self-murder

1 John 3:15 "Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderers have eternal life in them." No murderer has eternal life

No one who commits suicide will go to heaven

Suicide is unforgivable sin

Compassionate Christian Perspective

God’s love reaches out to those who are self-absorbed and desperate

The love of God in Christians should reach out in love, compassion, sympathy and empathy to those who regard their pain and pressures as overwhelming.

It is not our place to attempt to determine eternal destiny for another. ( Samson regarded as one of the faithful – Heb. 11:24

 

Relationship Of Suicide To Other Behaviors And Acts

Self-destructive behaviors in general

Various levels

Mentally destructive- drugs, alcohol

Emotionally destructive- schizophrenia, fantasy, unreality

Spiritually destructive – witchcraft, occult

Morally destructive – immorality

Socially destructive – desertion, dereliction, crime

Physically destructive – masochism, suicide

Are these to be evaluated in the same manner as suicide is evaluated?

Euthanasia

Euthanasia, etymologically derived from two Greek words: eu = good: thanatos = death.

Euthanasia was originally used to refer to keeping terminally ill patients free of pain during last days of life.

Such passive euthanasia might be called mercy dying.

Contemporary usage predominantly refers to active euthanasia or mercy killing, an active involvement in bringing about death.

Active euthanasia obviously relates to suicide or assisted suicide.

Arguments for such usually use same naturalistic/humanistic premises of an unlimited definition of suicide with its premises of a right to die.

Should you know someone or you yourself have struggled with the meaning of life or are experiencing overwhelming pain (physical or mental) and are considering taking your life get help in your time of trouble. Cry out to God. Ask God to renew your mind with these verses:

Psalm 34:17-20 (NCV) The Lord hears good people when they cry out to him, and he saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed. People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all. He will protect their very bones; not one of them will be broken.

 

Helps

Call someone and ask for help. Don’t let pride get in the way. Much of satan’s power to convince those who feel unloved and hopeless is found in his ability to keep them isolated and removed from those who can lift them up.

Ask Jesus Christ to give you new hope and to give your life meaning. His life indwells you, and His resources are constantly available in your most desperate moment. If you are not the one struggling with the issue of suicide but have a friend or someone in your family who seems to have given up, there are some things you can do to help that person.

Be able to recognize clues the person may be giving, either consciously or subconsciously. Look for symptoms such as depression, signs of hopelessness, lethargy, and so on. Listen for threats and words of warning, such as “I have nothing to live for.” Be aware of whether the person becomes withdrawn and isolated from others.

Trust your judgment. If you believe there is an imminent threat of suicide, trust your instincts. Don’t let others dissuade you from loving intervention.

Tell others. Don’t worry about breaking a confidence if the person is obviously contemplating suicide or says he or she has a plan.  As soon as possible, involve the help of others, such as parents, friends, spouse, teachers, ministers, physicians, anyone in a position to assist the distressed individual.

Stay with the person. If you believe the person is in danger of carrying out the plan, do not leave the person alone. Wait with the person until medical help arrives or the crisis has passed.

Listen. Encourage the person to talk to you. Refrain from giving pat answers that could further depress the person who is on the verge of giving up. Listen and empathize with the person.

Urge professional help. Stress the necessity of getting help for the individual.

Be supportive. Show the person that you care. Do what you can to help the person feel worthwhile and valuable to you.

Suicide is not the answer to life’s pain, whether it be physical, mental or emotional. Christ is the answer and in Him alone will we find healing from the problems that ultimately cause a person to end life before God has chosen to do so.

Isaiah 40:31 (NCV) But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again. They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not need rest; they will walk and not become tired.

 

In The Aftermath Of A Suicide

Nothing is as hard to understand as when someone makes the decision to stop living. While the pain and suffering of the person who dies by suicide has ended, it has increased many times over for those who grieve the death.

 

Those who grieve are often referred to as survivors. Whether you are grieving the death by suicide of a relative or friend, or know someone who is a survivor, the following information is important.

 

Upon hearing of the suicidal death of a relative or friend, many survivors report feeling numb and confused, almost like everything had just been turned upside down and inside out. Over the next few hours, days, weeks and months, they experienced other feelings such as intense anger, disorientation, rage, fear, guilt and anxiety. Loss of appetite, sleep disturbances and periods of

 

“unreality” are common. There can be periods when survivors blame themselves or others for the suicide. For the most part these experiences are very normal reactions to an abnormal event. While it is normal to blame oneself or others, it is important to recognize that neither you nor others are at fault. The person who died by suicide made the decision to do so.

 

There are some things which you can do to help get through if you are grieving a death by suicide. If you are supporting someone who is grieving a suicide keep the following in mind.

 

Give lots of support to those who are grieving a suicide death, as you would those who grieve death by other means.

 

Be available to listen. Often those bereaved need to discuss the suicide death. Recognize that they will struggle with the question of “WHY” for a long time. Do not offer ready made or pat answers in order to alleviate their feelings. They do not help in a short or long term.

 

Recognize that those who are bereaved may display intense feelings of anger, guilt, anguish, fear, sadness, etc. You cannot, and should not, make these feelings go away. Think of it as a storm. It will become quite turbulent, but with lots of support people ride out their feelings. Attempting to block or avoid these feelings keeps people from moving out of the storm as soon as they might otherwise.

 

Do not offer alcohol or drugs as a means of reducing their grief. The numb feelings they have need to be expressed and the offer of such things will complicate the grieving process.

 

Recognize your own feelings. In supporting others you will also need someone to talk to about your feelings.

 

Individuals who are grieving any death need support after the initial aftermath of the death.

 

Many survivors report that generally friends and relatives were great during the time around the funeral, but stopped coming after a few months. Sometimes this can be taken as evidence that you do, in fact, blame them for the suicide. Apart from the intense emotional times during the funeral, there can be times, which are particularly difficult over the next few years; (i.e. birthdays, anniversary of death, holidays, etc.)

 

The following suggestions are directed toward survivors and are provided by Iris Bolton, author of My Son…My Son…A Guide To Healing After Death. Loss And Suicide.

 

Know you can survive. You may not think so, but you can
 

Struggle with “why” it happened until you no longer need to know “why”, or until you are satisfied with partial answers.
 

Know you may feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the feelings, but all your feelings will be normal.
Anger, guilt, confusion, forgetfulness are common responses. You are not crazy you are in mourning.
 

Be aware you may feel appropriate anger at the person, at the world, at God, at yourself.
 

You may feel guilty for what you think you did or did not do.
 

Having suicidal thoughts is common. It does not mean you will act on these thoughts.
 

Remember to take one moment or day at a time.
 

Find a good listener with whom to share. Call someone.
 

Don’t be afraid to cry. Tears are healing.
 

Give yourself time to heal.
 

Remember, the choice was not yours. No one is the sole influence in another’s life.
 

Expect setbacks; don’t panic if emotions return like a tidal wave. You may only be experiencing a remnant of grief.
 

Try to put off major decisions.
 

Give yourself permission to get professional help.
 

Be aware of the pain of your family and friends.
 

Be patient with yourself and with others.
 

Set your own limits and learn to say no.
 

Steer clear of people who want to tell you what or how to feel.
 

Know that there are support groups that can be helpful, such as Compassionate Friends, or Survivor of Suicide Groups.

If not, ask a professional to help start one.
 

 

Call on your personal faith to help you through.
 

It is common to experience physical reactions to your grief, i.e. headaches, loss of appetite, inability to sleep, etc.
 

The willingness to laugh with others and at you is healing.
 

Wear out your questions, anger, guilt, or other feelings until you can let go of them.
 

Know that you will never be the same again, but you can survive and go beyond just surviving.
 

1 Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, Oh that thou wouldest richly bless me, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God brought about what he had requested. 
 

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The Glorious Journey: by; Dr. Charles Stanley Copyright; 2001: In Touch Ministries

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Article ©2004 Ozell M. Borden For Personal Use Only.  Any commercial use or publication without authorization is strictly prohibited.