SUICIDE
Suicide is an irrational desire to die. "irrational" because
no matter how bad a person's life is, suicide is a permanent
solution to what is nearly always a temporary problem.
Suicide is a symptom and sign of serious depression.
Sometimes, as a person who is depressed feels the energizing
effects of an antidepressant medication, they will still feel
depressed, but have more energy.
It is during this time in treatment that many people turn
to suicide and suicidal acts.
It is usually the second or third leading cause of
death amongst teenagers, and remains one of the top ten
leading causes of death well into middle-age.
Definition
Suicide is a direct willful destruction of
ones own life.
It is DIRECT in so far
The primary object of the act itself is the
killing of oneself.
It is willful insofar as it is deliberate,
voluntary.
Intentional and it is destructive insofar as
the means of terminating ones own life.
The concepts of euthanasia and
suicide overlap, but there are
several differences;
SUICIDE
EUTHANASIA
The destructive and
violent termination of
ones life.
For medical reason
referred to as an easy
and painless death
Presupposes ones
healthy physical
condition.
Presupposes incurable
ailment or terminal
condition.
Sudden interruption or
destruction of the life
process.
Easy, painless, quiet
acceleration of
imminent or certain
death to rid oneself from
prolonged suffering.
However, the one case that overlaps suicide
with euthanasia is the assisted suicide, or being put to
death by another for humanitarian reasons through
merciful, painless means upon patients request. It is
presupposed that the person who makes the request is
a patient; hence it is done for medical reasons.
TYPES OF SUICIDE
Emile Durkheim
- A french sociologist, social psychologist and
philosopher.
-Defined the four types of suicide; societal factors not
individual factors.
Four Types of Suicide
Egoistic Suicide
- people who commit this type of suicide feel
extremely detached from their community.
-They do not feel a part of the greater whole.
Example;
Elderly who have lost communication with
their community due to in ability to go
out of their homes.
Fatalistic Suicide
-people who commit this type of suicide feel
oppressed by the society, repressed both
physically and mentally by those who
enforce power on them.
Example;
Very oppressive country or prisoners.
Atomic suicide
-people who commit this type of suicide
feel morally lost and have no sense of
direction in their lives.
-identified this as the type of suicide
teenagers commit.
Example;
people who have been sexually abused.
Altruistic Suicide
-This type of suicide happens when a
group or society has very influential
power over individual.
Example;
Soldiers who run into the line of
fire for their country's good.
Suicide bombers.
Three distinct forms of suicide may be identified
based on the role that a clinician plays in the
process:
Unassisted Suicide
Two forms;
The victim completes suicide while not currently or
recently in the care of a clinician.
The victim was currently under care but not for a
condition associated with suicidal behavior. The
clinician had no basis to suspect the risk. The
victim did not show such behavior.
Facilitated Suicide
The victim completes suicide while currently or
recently in the care of a clinician and where
these factors were present:
The clinician had knowledge of the risk, means
of prevention or intervention were available,
ignoring the danger and risk.
This is not to say that the clinician caused
the suicide. The ethical failing was doing
nothing or acting passively despite the
client's mortal danger.
Assisted Suicide
This applies where a clinician with knowledge
of the individual's wishes and consent
enables completion by providing the lethal
means and guidance as to use.
Most victims of assisted suicide appear driven
by extreme stress and/or chronic intractable
pain which impair rationality.
CAUSES OF SUICIDE
Different Beliefs about
Suicide
Kamikaze Pilots believed that suicide is a
heroic act of sacrifice for their own country.
Japanese Shintoist- one who died for ones
country became of the deities.
Roman Catholic Irishmen and Buddhist
Vietnamese- have committed suicide through
self immolation or self starvation in order to
achieve political objective.
Religious Cause of
Suicide
Personal
Financial
Social
Political Reason
Research has shown that 90percent of people
who kill themselves have depression or
another diagnosable mental or substance abuse
disorder.
Adverse life events in combination with other
strong risk factors, such as depression, may
lead to suicide.
Other Risk Factors
Prior suicide attempt
Family history of mental or substance abuse
disorder
Family history of suicide
Family violence
Firearms in the home and exposure to the
suicidal behavior of others.
CONS OF SUICIDE
Flavius Josephus
Rejected the act of suicide.
Suicide is a crime which is contrary to the
common nature of all animals and that soul is
a despositum received from God, so that to
kill oneself is contrary to the divine will and
is hence a wicked act.
St. Augustine
Contended to the principle of Josephus, that
suicide itself a greater sin than any all sins that
could be allegedly avoided by committing it.
Self murder is against the fifth commandment, it
deprives one of the opportunity to repent and it
is an ignoble act through which one attempts
to escape all the ills of life.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Threefold argument:
First, suicide is against the natural law this is a sort of
self-kindness or charity that one owes to oneself.
Second, being a member of a society a person who kills
himself will deprive the community of his activity the
likewise be greatly affected by his sudden death.
Lastly, suicide is a usurpation of God's function life is
God's gift to man, and hence suicide involves an
arrogant act which is not act Liberty to perform.
THE PROS OF SUICIDE
Michel de Montaigne
The first to question the views of Augustine
and Aquinas.
He argued; if and when an individual reaches
a point where all that he feels is terrible pain,
agony and misery, then suicide becomes
excusable.
John Donne
Criticized the Christian prohibition of
suicide as self-serving for capitalists and
Christian authorities who exploit and
oppress their laborers.
Suicide, in his view is a means of liberating
oneself from exploitation and oppression.
Baron de Montesquieu
Justified suicide by saying;
it is unjust to compel a person to labor for a society he
no longer consents to be a member of this justifies
the act of terminating one's life.
the act of suicide does not disturb the order of
providence more does any other human act alter the
modification of matter
and thought the soul is separated from the body, the
order of regularity in the universe never changes.
David Hume
Scottish philosopher defended suicide.
The removal of misery makes suicide morally
justifiable and permissible to bear unbearable pain
in no way part of a natural inclination,
When my life becomes a liability and a burden to
society, my withdrawal is not only innocent by
laudable.
Lastly, there is no such thing as order designated by
God; mans life is as disposable as that of an
oysters.
METHODS OF SUICIDE
Firearm
A common suicide method is to use a firearm.
The bullet will be aimed at point-blank range often
at the head less commonly, into the mouth, under
the chin or at the chest.
Wrist cutting
Practiced with the goal of self-harm and not suicide.
If the bleeding is copious or allowed to continue
unchecked, cardiac arrhythmia, followed by severe
hypovolemia, shock circulatory collapse or cardiac
arrest and death may ensue, in that order.
Drowning
The act of deliberately submerging oneself in water or other
liquid to prevent breathing and deprive the brain oxygen.
o
Death usually occurs as the level of oxygen becomes too low to
sustain the brain cells.
o
Suffocation
The act of inhibiting one's ability to breathe or limiting oxygen
uptake while breathing. Causing hypoxia and eventually
asphyxia.
o
This may involve an exit bag (a plastic bag fixed over the head)
or confinement in an enclosed space without oxygen.
o
Electrocution
o
Involves using a lethal electric shock to kill oneself.
Causes arrhythmias of the heart, meaning that the
heart does not contract in synchrony between the
different chambers, essentially causing elimination of
blood flow.
Jumping from height
o
The act of jumping from high altitudes
This method, in most cases, results in severe
consequences if the attempt fails, such as paralysis,
organ damage, and bone fractures
Hanging
The subject uses some type of ligature, a rope or a
cord, to form a noose (or loop) around the throat, with
the opposite end secured to some fixture.
The subject strangles or suffers a broken neck.
The actual cause often depends on the length of the
drop; that is, the distance the subject falls before the
rope goes taut.
Ligature compression
This method involves tightening a ligature around the
neck so as to compress the carotid arteries, preventing
the supply of oxygen to the brain and resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
Vehicular impact
Suicide is accomplished by positioning oneself on a
railway track when a train approaches or in advance,
or driving a car onto the tracks.
Failed attempts may result in profound injuries;
massive fractures, amputations, concussion and severe
mental and physical handicapping
Poisoning
Suicide can be committed by using fast-acting
poisons, such as hydrogen cyanide, or substances
which are known for their high levels of toxicity to
humans.
Overdose
- taking medication in doses
greater than the indicated levels or
in a combination that will interact
either to cause harmful effects.
APPLICATION OF ETHICAL
THEORIES
Natural Law of Ethics
-Principle of Stewardship, consider
suicide as self-murder.
-No individual has dominion over his
life for he has not purchase it but rather
received it as a gift from God.
Utilitarian Principle of Utility
-seems to be in keeping with the argument that
an individual may deliberately terminate his own
life if and when suffering becomes too much to
beat. Besides, whenever one has become a
financial burden and a liability due to prolonged
incurable disease, then an appeal to the greatest
happiness for the greatest number principle
becomes justifiable.
Kant's Ethics
-context of the
categorical imperative not using
ourselves only as a means but always as an end, may be
taken as a rejection or prohibition to suicide.
-the principle of autonomy or right to self determination
may appeal to kants concept of a rational beings
autonomy and self-regulating will to support and justify
their argument that as individual not only has a duty to
preserve his life, but also to die with dignity if and when
the situation warrants such a moral decision
