Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.

Suicide is often carried

out as a result of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental
disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality
disorder, alcoholism, or drug abuse, as well as stress factors such as financial
difficulties, troubles with interpersonal relationships, and bullying. Suicide
prevention efforts include limiting access to method of suicide such as firearms and
poisons, treating mental illness and drug misuse, and improving economic
conditions. Although crisis hotlines are common, there is little evidence for their
effectiveness.
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, published his book Suicide (Le Suicide) in
1897. In this book Durkheim defined the four different types of suicide and their
grounding in societal factors not individual factors. The four different types of
suicide defined in the text are Egoistic, Fatalistic, Anomic, and Altruistic.
Egoistic Suicide
People who would be most likely to commit this type of suicide feel extremely
detached from their community. They do not feel a part of the greater whole or a
sense of belonging. Typically, elderly people who have lost communication with
their community due to inability to get out of their homes would be defined as those
who commit egoistic suicide.
Fatalistic Suicide
People who commit fatalistic suicide feel oppressed by the society around them.
They feel constantly repressed, both physically and mentally, by those who enforce
power over them. People who live in very oppressive countries or prisoners would
be most likely to commit fatalistic suicide.
Anomic Suicide
This type of suicide is typical of people who feel morally lost and have no sense of
direction in their lives. Given the lack of a solid path, this person would rather die
than feel lost. This type of suicide has been defined as the type which people who
have been sexually abused would commit. Others have identified this as the type of
suicide teenagers commit.
Altruistic Suicide
This type of suicide happens when a group or society has very influential power
over individuals. This is also associated with soldiers who go to war for their country
and run into the line of fire for their country's good. Another example of altruistic
suicide is committed by suicide bombers or cult suicides. This would be likened to
allowing one's self to be sacrificed for crops or gods as well.

Risk Factors for Suicide

Biological

Mental disorders, particularly mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety

disorders and certain personality disorders
Alcohol and other substance use disorders
Hopelessness
Impulsive and/or aggressive tendencies
History of trauma or abuse

Psychological

Depression.
Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder.
Schizophrenia.
Borderline or antisocial personality disorder.
Psychotic disorders, or psychotic symptoms in the context of any disorder

Social

Lack of social support and sense of isolation

Stigma associated with help-seeking behavior
Barriers to accessing health care, especially mental health and substance
abuse treatment
Certain cultural and religious beliefs (for instance, the belief that suicide is a
noble resolution of a personal dilemma)
Exposure to, including through the media, and influence of others who have
died by suicide

Genetic or Epigenetic

Family History of Suicide.

Family History of Mental Health Conditions.
Previous Suicide Attempts.
Childhood Abuse.

Environmental

Contagion would include exposure to another persons suicide, or to graphic

or sensationalized accounts of suicide.
Access to Lethal Means including firearms and drugs.

Prolonged Stress Factors which may include harassment, bullying,

relationship problems, and unemployment.
Stressful Life Events which may include a death, divorce, or job loss.
Relational or social loss

How do we prevent suicide?

Suicidal thoughts happen when the deep pain you're feeling seems impossible to
overcome. It might hurt so much that suicide seems like the only way you can find
relief from the thoughts and circumstances that are troubling you. But there are
other things you can do to get relief and still be alive to feel joy, love and
exhilaration again. Taking immediate action to keep yourself safe, exploring the
reasons why you're having suicidal thoughts and making a plan to overcome them
whenever they come back will help you find a way out that isn't suicide.

Suicide Prevention Program:

1. Seek help from a mental healthcare professional. People who attempt suicide
are more likely to be suffering from a serious mental condition, such as
depression, and can get help for it. These steps can help you work to get to
the root of why you considered suicide. If youre suicidal feelings were
brought on by a specific event, like the grief of being jilted, job loss, or
becoming disabled, remember that this kind of situational depression can still
be helped by treatment.
2. Talk to a spiritual leader. If you are religious (or even perhaps if you are not)
and have access to a spiritual leader, try talking to him or her. Some people
prefer talking to people of faith than one trained primarily in psychology.
Those called to religious ministry are trained in helping people in crisis,
including those in despair and suicidal. He or she can help you ease the pain
by offering a new perspective and giving you some things to think about.
3. Find a support group. There may be support groups, both online and in your
community, where you can find comfort by talking to other people who have
suicidal thoughts or who have attempted suicide in the past and set up a
social network of understanding people for helping you through difficult
times.
4. Remove any suicide facilitators. If you have recently had suicidal thoughts,
remove anything that could help you end your life, including alcohol, drugs,
sharp objects, rope, or anything else you have been thinking of using. If you
have a handgun, make sure it is out of your possession as soon as possible.
Though this may sound extreme, if you remove the easy means to end your
own life, then you are much less likely to follow through.
5. Avoid being alone. If you are feeling suicidal, you should make sure that
friends and family do not let you out of their sight. If you do not have anyone
to watch over you, check yourself into an ER to make sure you are not alone.

If you are part of a support group, lean on other members of your group for
extra support from people who really understand what youre going through.
6. Avoid being alone. If you are feeling suicidal, you should make sure that
friends and family do not let you out of their sight. If you do not have anyone
to watch over you, check yourself into an ER to make sure you are not alone.
If you are part of a support group, lean on other members of your group for
extra support from people who really understand what youre going through.

History of Suicidology as a field of study

Suicidology is the scientific study of suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention.
There are many different fields and disciplines involved with suicidology, the two
primary ones being psychology and sociology. Every year, about one million people
die by suicide, which is a mortality rate of sixteen per 100,000 or one death every
forty seconds. Suicide is largely preventable with the right actions, knowledge about
suicide, and a change in society's view of suicide to make it more acceptable to talk
about suicide.
Most suicidologists think about the history of suicide in terms of courts, church,
press, morals, and society. In Ancient Greece, there were several opinions about
suicide. It was tolerated and even lauded when committed by patricians (generals
and philosophers) but condemned if committed by plebeians (common people) or
slaves. In Rome, suicide was viewed rather neutrally, even positively because life
was held cheaply. During early Christianity, excessive martyrdom and a penchant
toward suicide frightened church elders sufficiently for them to introduce a serious
deterrent. Suicide was thought of as a crime because it precluded possibility of
repentance, and it violated the sixth commandment which is Thou shall not kill.
During this time, St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized that suicide was a mortal sin
because it disrupted God's power over man's life and death. However, nowhere in
the Judeo-Christian Bible is there a directive forbidding suicide. This belief took hold
and for hundreds of years thereafter played an important part in the Western view
of suicide. Over the last 200 years, the main focus of suicide has moved from
accusations that it is a sin to effort at compassion, understanding, and prevention.
There are many points of study within suicidology. Suicidology studies not only
death by suicide and attempted suicide but also partial self-destruction, suicidal
ideation, parasuicide, and self-destructive behaviors and attitudes. Suicidal ideation
is when someone is having thoughts and/ or showing gestures of suicide. For
example, it could be as simple as someone saying that "life is not worth living any
more" or it can be extreme as "I'm going to kill myself by jumping off a bridge."
Parasuicide is when someone causes deliberate harm to themselves. For example, if
someone were to take an overdose of medicine and live. Self-destructive behaviors

are anything that cause harm to one. This can be intentional or unintentional. Some
examples are alcoholism, risky sports, some sexual disorders, and eating disorders.
By way of a suicide note the person who is suiciding has the last word. It is also a
way for the person to explain, bring closure (or not), to give guilt, to dictate wishes,
to control, to forgive or to blame. Here is a list of the parts that might go into a
suicide note.

Suicide Case in the Philippines

Marcelino "Miko" Sotto Suicide Case
MANILA, December 30, 2003 (STAR) By Non Alquitran And Maridol Raoa-Bismark Young actor Marcelino "Miko" Sotto, a nephew of Sen. Vicente Sotto III, died after he
fell from the 8th floor of a condominium building in Mandaluyong City before dawn
yesterday. Police said Miko, 22, was declared dead on arrival at the Mandaluyong
City Medical Center (MCMC) due to a fractured skull.
Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, declared his
death as an accident based on the initial testimonies of San Francisco Gardens
security guards and Mikos actor cousin, Vittorio "Oyo Boy" Sotto. Oyo Boy
maintains a unit at the building, which is located at the corner of Sacrapante street
and Boni Avenue in Barangay Barangka Itaas, Mandaluyong. Miko is the son of the
senators brother Maru and actress-designer Ali Sotto while Oyo Boy is the son of
actor and TV host Vic Sotto. The cousins and a friend, Marco Medina, were sitting on
a plant box near the ledge of the buildings 8th floor when a security guard noticed
them at around 4:45 a.m.
The guard ordered one of the roving guards to ask the trio to stay off the railing to
prevent an accident. Security guard Orlando Salvante said he was some 10 meters
away from the group when he saw Miko slip and trip on the plant box. Before the
others could react, Miko went over the railing, Salvante said in his two-page
statement. Witnesses said Miko hit the scaffolding before landing on the ground.
The attending physician, Dr. Alexander Buelta, declared him dead on arrival. Upon
consultation with relatives, Oyo Boy, who took Miko to the Mandaluyong hospital,
decided to take the body to the Makati Medical Center.

Hospital staff said Sotto was rushed to the Makati Med at around 5:45 a.m. in an
ambulance. However, doctors there were also unable to revive him. The body was
taken to the Makati Med morgue at 8:05. At around 10:40 a.m., Sottos remains,
wrapped in a dark blue body bag, was taken by his father and hospital security out
of the morgue. Brothers Maru and Vic Sotto loaded the body into a vehicle from
Arlington Funeral Homes, where the wake for the young actor will reportedly be
held. Hospital security was tight as Sottos family and showbiz and non-showbiz
friends rushed to the Makati Med. Reportedly among them were Sen. Sotto and
Mikos reported girlfriend, actress Angel Locsin.
Kibitzers wanting to get a glimpse of the personalities who were arriving at the
hospital also gathered outside the emergency room. A small group of Sottos nonshowbiz friends, who told The STAR they went to school with the actor at the
Colegio de San Agustin, waited patiently for news outside the hospitals emergency
room. They stood near the midnight blue Ford 150 with license plates bearing the
name of Oyo Boy, which was parked at the emergency rooms driveway. A
distraught Oyo Boy screamed at television reporters waiting outside the hospital as
he emerged to accompany Locsin to her car. Mikos mother, in an interview with
GMA 7, asked for prayers for her youngest son. "Hes in a better place now. Hes
happy in the arms of his Creator. But my heart has not fully accepted what
happened. Lets just pray for him," she says.

Julia Louise Buencamino Suicide Case

Pending any formal investigation, actor Nonie Buencamino has concluded that his
daughter, 15-year-old actress Julia Louise Buencamino, committed suicide inside
their house in Quezon City Tuesday night.
Buencamino, 49, has executed a written waiver manifesting not to pursue the
investigation as they fully believed that their daughter committed suicide, said
Police Officer 2 Virgilio Mendoza of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of
the Quezon City Police District.
Julia Louise, the youngest of Buencaminos four children with actress Shamaine
Buencamino, was found hanging from the ceiling of her bedrooms bathroom at
about 8:20 p.m., Tuesday, according to a report of case investigator Victorio
Guerrero.
Probers said the girl was found by their household help Elsa Orsales. A nylon rope
was looped around her neck, they noted. Orsales reportedly sought help of the
victims brother, Gregorio Martin, 22, who rushed Julia from their house in Corinthian
Gardens to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where she was
declared dead on arrival at 8:46 p.m.

Police said that while Buencamino and his family fully believed that his daughter
killed herself, they had yet to establish that her death as a suicide. Julia was part of
ABS-CBNs daytime series O My G! This was the first two sentences that she
wrote. The message claimed that her parents were not the reason why she
committed suicide. She also has few things prepare for her friends.
She apologized for doing such act, but the reason why she did it was not stated.
Julia wanted to let the reasons not be spoken of because others may judge her for it.
Amid the report of Julias death, a private foundation concerned about the effects of
depression on people is offering help, especially to those having suicidal tendencies.
Established in 2007, the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF) said its counselors
were ready to listen to those battling depression or feeling suicidal.

Gen. Angelo Reyes Suicide Case

The following statement was issued Friday by the Former Senior Government
Officials (FSGO), a group of ex-members of the Cabinet and other former
government officials, in response to the controversy surrounding the recent suicide
of Gen. Angelo Reyes.
It is reprinted here in full for our readers' benefit and comment.
Unlike other cultures, our Filipino culture does not accord suicides by public figures
one clear and definitive meaning. Thus the message of a Filipino dying in public by
his own hand often ends up being contested, improvised and twisted by various
interested parties. And so it is with the tragic death of General Angelo Reyes. Did he
put a bullet through his heart in an ultimate admission of personal responsibility for
whatever wrong he had committed? Or was his willful termination of his own life a
sublime act of protest to assert his innocence against unfair yet unremitting
persecution?
The death of someone like Gen. Reyes who served our country for most of his life
deserves our respect, prayers and reflection. This is a tragedy to one person, to his
family and to many who believed and admired him for his personal, professional
and public life. For his fellow Filipinos that Gen. Reyes left behind, his chosen timing
and manner of exiting the public stage and this mortal world challenges us to seek
some meaning and purpose from such a tragic loss. We, former senior government
officials, choose to see the death of Gen. Reyes in the light of the principle that
public office is a public trust.
We find no honor in a death without meaning to the welfare of our nation.
Gen. Angelo Reyes took his own life in the midst of an investigation that exposed
the corruption within the command structure of our military, corruption that had
tainted him. For whom did Gen. Reyes die? If he died to escape the consequences of

his involvement, or to put a lid on further revelations, or worse, to become a

sacrificial lamb for all others more tainted than he, his was not an honourable
death. The smug faces of unpunished corruption that visited his wake only further
dishonour him. If, on the other hand, his death inspires our leaders to finally clean
up the corrupt system in the military that ensnared him, he might yet be the last
soldier to die in our people's war against corruption. Gen. Reyes may have died by
his own hand, but in truth, corruption killed him. As we pray for the forgiveness of
his sins, we hope that his blood spilled on his mothers grave will begin the
cleansing of his beloved AFP, the government he protected and the nation he
served.
The death of Reyes should not be wished upon anyone, not even the Garcias, the
Ligots, and other alleged recipients of military graft, or even their alleged real
protectors. That would be unchristian. But perhaps these lost souls in the people's
war against corruption should be reminded that moral death is as tragic as physical
death. And the suffering will be much longer.

Current Issue on Psychology

Joumel F.Cruz
CAS-06-803E