The Issue of Suicide - Essay Example

This is an informal essay about suicide. The issue of suicide is something that has been with us for centuries and hence there is a lot of debate and discussion as to what causes people to take their own lives. The reasons why people commit suicide can be many ranging from failure in a venture to potential bankruptcy and a general sense of feeling that life is not panning out as expected and hence committing suicide is the only way out. We often tend to think of people who commit suicide as those who have a lot of self-loathing and self-hatred.

However, it is a fact that people commit suicide in order to escape greater suffering that they anticipate would be coming their way if they continue living. Statistics show that the population at risk for suicide includes the age people who have recently failed at a venture or have lost a loved one and those who have failed at business. It is quite common for business people to take their own lives when they fail at a business and hence incur heavy losses. Once they feel that they are unable to pay off their debts, they usually commit suicide.

Further, among teenagers, the suicidal tendencies are more particularly for those who have been rejected by someone they feel that they have loved. These are the cases where passion plays a major role in the reasons for committing suicide. The signs to watch out for when people have an intention to commit suicide include loss of appetite, general withdrawal from social activities, a tendency to be inclined towards depression, etc. Hence, the people around the potential suicide victim need to watch out for these signs and take preventive action before it is too late.

It is usually the family or friends around the person who has suicidal tendencies who need to take the potential victim to a therapist or counselor and make him or she attend those sessions with a view to provide succor to them and deter them from committing suicide. Usually, when a person commits suicide, it is the people around him or her who need to bear the pain of the loss of a loved one particularly so considering that they might blame themselves for the victim’s behavior. Hence, it is contingent upon the family and friends to spot the symptoms early and take necessary action.

Suicide and the act of taking one’s life represent an extreme form of behavior and hence, laws explicitly prohibit people from taking their own lives. Hence, not only is the act of committing suicide illegal but also immoral as well. It is ingrained in our nature to fight the travesties of life and hence we must do everything possible to confront the problems that we face and find solutions to them. In conclusion, it is my opinion that committing suicide is an act of cowardice and that the way to prevent such desperate measures lies in taking preventive action well before the potential victim starts to have suicidal tendencies.