Suicide As Mental Illness

Paper Summary:

This paper begins by making the claim that from a psychological perspective, suicide is a form of mental illness and that people who contemplate suicide have a distorted perception of reality. The paper then uses the example of Willy Loman from Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman" to illustrate said distorted perception of reality. This paper also discusses varying perceptions of suicide in other cultures such as Japanese culture, where suicide can be viewed as a way of maintaining honor. Risk factors for suicide according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are also listed in the paper. In addition, the paper explores the subject of suicide as mental illness as exemplified in the film, "Paradise Now," which focuses on the lives of two Palestinian suicide bombers. Suicide notes and the four types of depressive systems that are characteristic of suicide victims are also discussed.

From the Paper:

"Of course, the Japanese culture thrives on stories of the samurais who consider it bravery to kill themselves before their enemies have a chance to kill them. But, suicide is also considered an acceptable form of dealing with misery in Western philosophy. According to Epictetus, a famous philosopher of the Western civilization, suicide is perfectly reasonable because it allows the individual to get rid of his or her pain forever. Of course, believers in the God of Jesus and Socrates would not be helped by the argument of Epictetus that suicide is reasonable if the individual is in pain and can find relief thereby."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 2007. 10 Dec 2007. <http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=1>.
• "Epicurus." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. 10 Dec 2007. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/epicur.htm>.
• Geberth, Vernon J. "The Psychology of Suicide: An Investigative Assessment." Law and Order (Oct 1996), Vol. 44, No. 9.
• Ishiguro, Kazuo. "A Family Supper." Esquire. Mar 1990.
• Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin (Non-Classics), 1998.

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