One can imagine the dread that captivates a person, convincing them to believe that taking their own life is the best course of action. I, like most, have toyed with the idea at one time or another. When the pains, conflicts, and disappointments of our lives seem insurmountable “ending it all” can find appeal in our minds.
Much has been written lately about the suicides of numerous gay teens who, through persecution, concluded that ending their own lives was better than living them. Reporters, bloggers, and celebrities have repudiated the bullying that led to these drastic actions. Mass facebook postings have gone out condemning the persecutions. With all the attention that’s been given this handful of individuals one might conclude that this is simply a problem in a single demographic. In a way, it would make the issue of suicide easier to deal with. Simply target the stresses and insecurities in this one group and presto-chango--problem solved.Unfortunately, the heightened number of suicides isn’t limited to a single corner of society. The numbers are growing in a multitude of categories and in many, many places. A recent story in Public Health Reports shows an incredible 2-3% increase in suicides in the baby boomer generation, which constitutes the middle aged in the U.S. They have now become the highest suicide age group in the country. That equates to 17.2 suicides per 100,000. Over the last several years the U.S. Army has seen a drastic increase in suicides. Between 2006 and 2007 there’s been a 20% jump. 2009 saw 160 reported suicides with 1700 attempts. A quick search of the Internet reveals increased suicide rates in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, and Colorado. Massachusetts, alone, reported a 28% rise for young adult males in 2007.
Overseas, suicides are on the rise, too. Afghanistan and Pakistan both report surges. In South Korea, suicide now takes more lives than diabetes, making it the country’s number four cause of death. Taiwan has experienced a 2.4% increase in its youth suicide rate. While the UK saw a 6% increase overall from 2007-2008. And even the Israeli Army has seen a10% increase in recent years.
The fact is that these upturns began brewing a while ago. Suicide rates trended down in select decades like the 1990’s, but since the mid 20th century the teen suicide rate in the U.S. has tripled. That is nothing short of staggering. Now we live in a world where the terms “suicide bomber” and “murder/suicide” have become commonplace and those acts have increased exponentially in the last decade, as well.
So…what’s wrong with us? Is it the stress of the economy, war, and society? Is it the diminishing of our spiritual and moral fiber? Or is it just a cycle that we’ll eventually overcome? One can’t say for certain. However, what is certain is that the rise in the suicide rate isn’t isolated to any single block of society. Its effects are felt by many different kinds of people, all across the world, and framing this as anything other than a human issue is shortsighted and a gross underestimation of the problem. 
