The Evolutionary Cause of Suicide
Seth Baker
Shippensburg University
Abstract Most knowledge that doesn’t seem to be taught but inherently known comes from passed down genetically from generation to generation. One of which is suicide, which does not seem like something that would help the survival of the people who pass it down but it may be about the greater good. In this paper I discuss the evolutionary benefits of suicide for the human population. These include such things as strengthening the will to live in those that survive less competition for resources, and support from those who went through the suffering, and that maybe suicide is a remnant of the survival of the fittest biological drive that propelled humans foreward. In this literature review the following will be discussed, is suicide an evolutionary trait, what “good” it might have done for the human race, and are the benefits still viable or has it become a vestigial evolutionary characteristic.
In Why: The Neuroscience Of Suicide Carol Ezzell talks about her experience of losing her mother from suicide. She talks about the struggle and shock, the pain it caused her father and the rest of her family. She talks about her mother’s struggle with Bipolar disorder. That most people who commit suicide are sufferers of mental disorders and that along with this she brings up when she believes is the cause of suicide. Carol Ezzell believes it is a biological
Despite the lack of research done by sociologists on the topic of suicide, little is known about what societies perspective of it. In this research paper, the sociological aspects of suicide are going to be brought up. The way suicide deals with deviance and how a particular Sociologist studied different theories. The analyzation of four journal articles that are cited back up my answer in my research paper. My research question is, Does the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why impact societies viewpoint on the sociological issues of suicide? Providing evidence to prove this true through the general thoughts and knowledge I have cumulated in Introduction in Sociology. Oddly enough there is not much research in the general category of suicide in sociology
Suicide is the act of killing yourself. It is the 11th leading cause of death in America (CDC 2009). I have never had any intentions on committing suicide and I never really understood why people commit suicide that’s why I chose this topic to help me understand what problems people go through that makes them do such a thing. Sociology is the study of social behavior and the culture of humans. There are numerous reasons like financial stress, family problems or mental health disorders that lead to suicide. The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. The issues that were just listed are some social conditions from society that results in a suicidal
Many human deaths are caused by depression, depression can be described by feeling sad, unhappy, or miserable. Research has shown that 90 percent of people who kill themselves suffered from depression, or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder that leads them to this horrible tragedy called suicide (Wilson). Depression can lead to suicide if its not being treated, in the worst case. A harmful life event or events can lead to be a cause of a suicide attempt. If your wife died and you feel like you ca not deal with it, you drown yourself into drugs and drinking, you are left alone your children are now adults and are gone away somewhere married and they can not come with you. So you continue to drown yourself, until you do not have any more money and you go homeless, you then think and start talking to yourself
Illness and disease cause feelings of discomfort, pain and unease within the person that is experiencing them. However, illness is dealing more with the subjective feelings of an individual. In contrast, a disease deals with a condition were the body or parts of the body do not work properly (Lanceaksh, 2009). Many of the illnesses that are associated with suicide are mental illnesses which include depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (Washington, Nd). In the case of a mother killing her children in attempts to kill herself is referred to as filicide-suicide. Filicide has been linked to all of these mental illnesses that have been listed, and usually the individual has sought treatment (Freidman, MD, Hrouda, MSSA, Holden, PhD, Noffsinger, MD, & Resnick, MD, 2005). Most of the individuals in the study have had other attempts on one own life or have expressed other concerns.
The topic of suicide can easily become uncomfortable when discussing. Thoughts of family or friends using a permanent solution to a temporary problem is hard to grasp. Why would an individual choose to do this? Did it stem from personal reasons or was it fueled by a number of out-siding factors. Using Sociology we can decipher human behavior and gain an insight into a global issue .
In addition, mental health disorders can lead to suicide. Suicide is a horribly tragic act that can be prevented. Suicide is usually caused by severe depression, a feeling of hopelessness. This severe depression can be caused by a tragic life event such as losing a job or divorce. People can also be predisposed to depression. People’s brains who suffer from depression simply cannot produce enough neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which are responsible for making you happy. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. More people die from suicide than hypertension, abnormally high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease. The rate in which this is happening is rising yearly. In recent years suicide rates have taken a steep rise in prevalence. Many people struggling with depression feel as though they don’t have real issues compared to other people, or that people will judge them seeking help for feeling sad. People who have been directly affected by suicide will tell you that it is not silly to seek help if you are feeling sad. Suffers sometimes feel so depressed that they cannot get out of bed. It can be debilitating. Uneducated individuals do not understand this, and will tell a sick person to “just get out of bed”, or “we all have issues too, deal with it and get on with life like the rest of us”.
Suicide has always been an intriguing and permanent solution to end an individual’s sorrow. This act of intentionally ending one's life seems to be the only option when individuals are willing to sacrifice their own life in hopes of finding tranquility. By overlooking a topic, such as suicide, there will be a lost on opportunities that are capable of preventing such actions. Suicide has always been around and to simply define it, this self destruction is a way to escape the horrible realities of life. The common expectation for the public is that everyone is aware of mental health or stability.
The causes for suicide are not thought to be the result of a single factor, but rather the combined forces of genetic, physical, and environmental risk factors. Individuals who have a family history of mental illnesses do have a higher risk, however this is not always the case. “The effects of genetics on suicide are due to inheriting mental illness and by inheriting traits. Several mental illnesses have genetic influences and increase the risk of suicide. These include depression, bipolar disease, schizophrenia, and some types of anxiety [Dr. Pat, About Kids Health].” Genetics have a large influence on suicidal thoughts and mental illnesses, although it's not something you can prevent, you can protect yourself and others
Some people who commit suicide are those who have psychological disorders, because of the symptoms that go alone with those disorders, such as depression. When one is depressed, they have a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness which may lead to them feeling like they don't want to be alive anymore. There is also a neurobiological model. Heritability is believed to play a role in suicide attempts. Low levels of serotonin
How frequent do suicides occur? Worldwide, a suicide occurs every forty seconds, making it the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-44 (Suicide Facts). With statistics as horrifying as these, it is to be expected that most people have an opinion on the matter. While beliefs, ideologies, religions, and cultural norms may shape personal preference on the subject, it can be argued that, from an ethical point of view, suicide is a valid and appropriate action. Through utilitarianism, deontology, and egoism with support from historical, cultural, and literary examples, I will show that suicide is an ethically sound choice, despite personal preferences.
Suicide is growing as one of the most common causes of death. Suicide is “a self-inflicted death in which the person acts intentionally, directly, and consciously” (Comer, 2009, p.209). There are many theories to what contributes to suicide and each model has its own view. The psychodynamic theorists believe that suicide stems from depression and self-loathing. They believe that victims will take their anger for others and place it on themselves. When a person is absorbed in that much anger and sadness then they will redirect their death instinct by placing it upon themselves. “Emile Durkheim’s sociocultural theory defines three categories of suicide based on the person’s relationship with society: egoistic, altruistic, and anomic suicides” (Comer, 2009, p.221). Egoistic suicides occur by people who are isolated and are not concerned with the norms of society. Altruistic suicides are committed by people who believe that are sacrificing themselves for a greater causes. This could be a person that lays on a grenade to save everyone, to a suicide bomber that kills others on the belief that they are preserving their honor. Anomic suicides are down by people that are let down by their society or religious group. The biological theory is that the activity of the
Bulling Need’s To Stop!! Bulling is a big issue. People are commenting suicide over it.
Over the course of many centuries, philosophers and theological scholars have debated the ethics of suicide and its effect on society. For the most part, these arguments have delved into a variety of mores that identify values that are reflective of societies and personal. Moreover, arguments have covered the essence of human life. This paper will address the delicate subject of suicide and strive to shed light on the main thought, “when death is sought, does society have a moral responsibility to prevent suicide?”
Some of these questions we ask are what makes individuals attempt or complete suicide” Are there ways to prevent these suicidal behaviors? Is this morally permissible and acceptable behavior? Is suicide a family trait or is this something that it does not pass on to other members? This article will examine the main currents of historical and contemporary philosophical thought surrounding these questions.
Suicide can 't be stopped, even with preemptive measures in place. It is widely known that suicide is an issue amongst the human species, and the human species alone. Many have either seen or heard of suicide in some way, shape or form; though it is unfortunate, it does occur. Though many have heard of it, some may not know where how it is manifested. Suicide is brought on by depression. Depression, though is not the most common, can be seen in a good majority of people. Due to its unknown properties, depression manifests itself in a variety of ways; one of those just so happens to be suicide. It is hard to detect when someone is depressed enough to the point of suicide. So much so that, even some famous celebrities have committed suicide. For example, comedian, Robin Williams was one who unfortunately partook in the act. Suicide, despite how unfathomable it seems to some, does occur. It happens in all places from residential areas, to out in the open, but most surprising of all is that it even occurs in some of the most famous and recognized landmarks. All over the world, deaths have been recorded on some landmarks; one, in particular, is the Golden Gate Bridge. Some choose this bridge to do the unthinkable and jump off to end their lives. Due to the threat of deaths occurring on the bridge, some have proposed adding precautionary measures to prevent the deaths. The idea of putting up railing or fencing was a possibility mentioned to make the Golden Gate