Director of Outpatient Clinical Services, Manatee Glens
In a journey to end their pain, some resort to taking their own lives—an act known as “suicide.” Those left behind struggle to make sense of it. We try daily to understand tragedies in the world and the deaths of others, but understanding suicide seems to be the hardest of all. Although we search for every answer, warning sign or risk factor, we still feel confused, betrayed, lost, saddened and empty. Many reasons have been given for choosing suicide. These include feelings of hopelessness, intense sadness or worthlessness, but the key factors are a strong sense of isolation and an inability to see hope or see a way out of a life of physical or emotional pain.
When reviewing suicide statistics for the general population, it becomes clear that some groups experience far higher suicide rates than the population as a whole. By acknowledging and understanding these populations that may have a higher risk of suicide, we can help save a life and many others that would have been affected by loved ones who lost the fight with hopelessness.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15-24. They are dying by their own hands in greater numbers than they are dying from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, strokes, pneumonia and influenza and chronic lung disease combined. Males die by their own hand more often than females, even though three times as many girls and young women attempt suicide. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that students who have attempted suicide are four times more likely to have been in physical fights during the prior 12 months than others. This age group experiences a number of transitional life changes as well as strong peer pressure to “fit in” to what is “cool” at the moment, whether that is drinking, using drugs, self-mutilation or other risk-taking behavior.
Law Enforcement Officers
Some reports suggest that twice as many law enforcement officers die by their own hands than die in the line of duty, and that the law enforcement suicide rate is double that of the general population. In 1994, 300 police officer suicides were documented, and one website claims that “every 24 hours, an officer dies from suicide” (www.tearsofacop.com). Many factors play a role in suicide, but a pattern of four elements is emerging among law enforcement officers: divorce, alcohol or alcoholism, depression and failure to seek help. While ten percent of the general population who drink alcohol become alcoholics, 23% of police officers become alcoholics. Further, most officers do not have a history of using counseling services before their suicides.
Law enforcement requires a strong ability to take control of a volatile situation and handle extremely stressful situations. Loss of this ability in some way—such as being moved from street duty to a desk job under clouded circumstances—can predispose to suicide through the resulting loss of self-esteem and influence as well as a sense of hopelessness and lack of control over one’s behavior, feelings or circumstances.
As we work towards a better understanding of factors facing those at risk, we see a whole new meaning for the phrase “to protect and serve.” The State of Florida has now begun an initiative to address “cop suicides” with a suicide prevention campaign and suicide prevention task force.
Older Adults (65 and older)
Many adults planning for or entering retirement find that they finally have time for themselves. At the same time, they face the realization that planning for retirement encompasses planning for their final days of living. Perhaps it should not surprise us to learn that the older adult population has the fastest growing suicide rate in the nation. In addition, their suicide attempts tend to be completed more often because they use more deadly means (e.g., guns and knives) more often than the general population. Even more alarming is the fact that 80 percent of those who have died by suicide had visited their primary care physicians within the previous six months.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is a key factor in many suicides, especially among adolescents. For the general population, 16 percent of persons who abuse substances will die by suicide, which is similar to the percentage of persons with severe depression that will die by suicide. However, 70 percent of adolescent suicides had frequently used drugs, 50 percent had alcohol in their blood at the time of death and 75 percent fit the criteria for a drug or alcohol use disorder. Further, if intoxicated, suicidal adolescents are seven times more likely to use a gun than other methods.
A person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol experiences a lower sense of control and is more likely to exhibit impulsive behavior. At times, the alcohol and/or drugs themselves may even serve as the means for a suicide.
Those who have lost loved ones to suicide often benefit from the opportunity to express and share their grief and mourning in a community-related initiative. For many, Lifekeeper Memory Quilts fulfill this need. These quilts, consisting of individual blocks with photos and names of those who have committed suicide, enable the survivors to recognize and honor the lives of the loved ones they have lost, and to put a “face” to suicide.
Manatee Glens is honored to have begun a Lifekeeper Memory Quilt for the Bay Area to honor persons lost to suicide--especially those from Manatee County--and welcomes memory blocks from suicide survivors. Survivors of Law Enforcement Suicides (SOLES, the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) and several other organizations also welcome contributions to their quilts, and display the Memory Quilts at suicide prevention events throughout the nation.
Manatee Glens offers a number of programs for suicide prevention and invites public participation. Ellie Perkins, Secretary, Manatee Glens Board of Directors, displays the first three memory blocks of the Lifekeeper Memory Quilt for the Bay Area. Manatee Glens is creating this quilt to honor persons lost to suicide, especially those from Manatee County. You may want to recognize the loss of a loved one by placing a photo and memory block in the Bay Area Lifekeeper Memory Quilt. Perkins has volunteered to sew in each new piece. You can also volunteer to assist Manatee Glens with its various suicide prevention programs or help to plan the next Manatee Glens “Walk for Life,” which supports suicide survivors and promotes suicide prevention. To contribute to this quilt or learn more about the “Walk for Life” contact Nancy McCarty, Director of Community Development at Manatee Glens, at 941-782-4272 or exeoffice @manateeglens.com.
Suicide prevention links:
www.spanusa.org (general)
www.sprc.org (Suicide Prevention Resource Center)
www.suicidology.org (American Association of Suicidology)
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/ (general information)
www.yellowribbon.org (teens)
http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/82.cfm (teens)
www.soles.com (law enforcement)
www.tearsofacop.com (law enforcement)
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/related/suicide_3.asp (elderly)
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/elderly.asp (elderly)
I have been where you fear to go...
I have seen what you fear to see...
I have done what you fear to do...
All these things I've done for you.
I am the one you lean upon...
The one you cast your scorn upon...
The one you bring your troubles to...
All these people I've been for you.
The one you ask to stand apart...
The one you feel should have no heart...
The one you call the man in blue...
But I am human just like you.
And through the years I've come to see...
That I'm not what you ask of me...
So take this badge and take this gun...
Will you take it? Will anyone?
And when you watch a person die...
And hear a battered baby cry...
Then so you think that you can be
All those things you ask of me...?
"Tears Of A Cop" - author unknown
(Source: www.tearsofacop.com)
If you are currently concerned about someone hurting himself or herself, please call the Manatee Glens 24-hour Access Center at 941-782-4617.