The Sealed Box of Suicide : The Contexts of Self-Death

This unique book explores suicide as more than just a manner of death. It challenges the myths, beliefs, dogma, and customs of suicide from the earliest theories. It offers fresh insights into dark spaces. World-wide, suicide deaths are three times greater than homicides, and are increasing. Current approaches to stem this ‘epidemic’ are not working, or have very limited success. Mental health interventions, theories about a suicide or a depression gene, and the ever-increasing dispensing of antidepressants have not lessened the stark statistics. The authors attempt to understand the soul of the suicide — addressing the social, economic, political, historical, geographic, and cultural contexts in which suicide occurs. The social order is indelibly connected to settings, places, circumstances, relationships, occupations, climate, and milieus. Most of the 36 diverse categories of self-motivated deaths defy a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Recognising contexts and looking outside the confines that have imprisoned thinking about suicide, could well be more effective in alleviating or mitigating suicide than years searching for a possible vaccination against such death.The book is an appeal to move beyond the medical model of suicide. Written in a very accessible style, it is of interest to social scientists, philosophers, professionals and researchers in public health, medical and behavioural sciences, and lay persons alike. A critical, stimulating and moral tale of suicide that provides a new look -–**Michael J. Kral, PhD,** School of Social Work, Wayne State University, Michigan, USA ... a major breakthrough and a step in the right direction in addressing the problem of suicide -–**Said Shahtahmasebi, PhD,** __Research Director, the Good Life Research Centre Trust, Christchurch, New Zealand__ ... informed understanding of suicide’s multiplicity and historical instability – **Jennifer White, PhD**, __School of Youth and Child Care, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada__ Acknowledgements 6 Contents 7 About the Authors 11 1 Explanations 12 References 17 2 The Sound of Suicide 18 References 27 3 Depressing Thoughts 29 References 39 4 History Lessons 41 4.1 Some Texts 43 4.2 Greece and Rome 45 4.3 Burials 48 4.4 Melancholia 49 4.5 Property 50 4.6 The Renaissance 50 References 53 5 The Aspirin Age 55 5.1 Suicide and Depression 56 5.2 Suicide and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 59 5.3 The Medical Domination of Suicide 61 5.4 Power Imbalances 63 5.5 The Magic Pill 64 5.6 Novel Ideas 66 References 67 6 Diverse Suicides 69 6.1 Thirty-Six Categories 71 6.2 Twenty Methods 79 6.3 Variations in Suicide Methods 82 References 86 7 Differing Contexts 89 7.1 Connections 89 7.2 Understanding or Explaining? 90 7.3 The Prime Examples 92 7.4 Australia 95 7.5 Canada and the USA 102 References 104 8 The Preventionists 106 8.1 Suicide Statistics 107 8.2 Prevention is not a Science 108 8.3 Suicide and ‘At-risk’ Groups 110 8.4 Problems with ‘At-risk’ Groups 111 8.5 Different Approaches to Prevention 113 8.5.1 Suicide in Eastern Europe 113 8.5.2 Suicide in Japan 115 8.5.3 New Zealand 117 References 118 9 The Evaluators 120 9.1 Suicide Prevention Agencies 121 9.2 What Is Being Evaluated? 122 9.3 Suicide Prevention in Australia 127 References 132 10 The Assisters 133 10.1 Euthanasia 134 10.2 Death as Kindness 135 10.3 Forms of Euthanasia 136 10.4 Doctors and Euthanasia 137 10.5 Psychological Suffering and Euthanasia 140 10.6 Euthanasia in Victoria (Australia) 141 10.7 Exit International 144 References 145 11 The Coroners 146 11.1 Who Are Appointed 148 11.2 The Matter of Presumption 150 11.3 Suicide Statistics 151 11.4 Standards of Proof 151 11.5 Some Coronial Rulings 152 11.6 The Matter of Grief 154 11.7 Australian Research on Suicide Determinations 154 11.8 Relevant Matters: Detection 156 References 157 12 The Professionals 158 12.1 Degrees of Learning 160 12.2 The Aboriginal Case 162 12.3 The Professional Amateurs 164 12.4 Suicide in the Medical Profession 165 References 168 13 The Alleviators 170 13.1 Ideology and Suicide 171 13.2 Sport and Suicide 173 13.3 Parliamentary Responses 179 13.4 Bureaucratic Responses 180 13.5 Critical Suicide Studies 181 References 181 14 Final Thoughts 183 14.1 Puzzles and Enigmas 184 14.1.1 ‘National Shame’? 184 14.1.2 The Question of Rejection 184 14.1.3 Suicide and Other Deaths 184 14.1.4 The Shroud of Taboo 185 14.1.5 The Shroud of Stigma 186 14.1.6 The Matter of Sovereignty 187 14.1.7 The Antidepressant Puzzle 188 14.1.8 The Statistical Puzzle 188 14.1.9 The Pain Puzzle 189 14.1.10 The Medical Bias Puzzle 189 14.2 The Biomedical Model 190 14.2.1 The Medical Obsession 190 14.2.2 DSM and Children’s Suicide 191 14.2.3 The Question of Rationality 191 14.2.4 The Matter of ‘Happiness’ 192 14.2.5 The ‘Oneness’ of Suicide 193 14.2.6 Good Grief, Bad Grief 194 14.2.7 Assisted Dying 194 14.3 Prevention Problems 195 14.3.1 The Preventable and the Non-preventable 195 14.3.2 The Target Fantasy 196 14.3.3 Holism: Preventionism and the Public 197 14.3.4 The Allocation of Functions 197 14.3.5 The Allocation of Personnel 198 14.3.6 The Distribution of Personnel 198 14.4 Non-medical Approaches 199 14.4.1 The Social Sciences 199 14.4.2 Anthropology in Particular 200 14.5 Courses of Action 200 14.5.1 Recognising the Violence Syndrome 200 14.5.2 ‘The Knowledge’ 201 14.5.3 Coronial Knowledge 202 14.5.4 The Role of Review 202 14.5.5 The Sports Factor 203 14.5.6 Critical Suicidology 203 14.6 In Sum 204 14.6.1 The Suicide Enigma 204 References 204 Appendix 206 Index 208 "This unique book explores suicide as more than just a manner of death. It challenges the myths, beliefs, dogma, and customs of suicide from the earliest theories. It offers fresh insights into dark spaces. World-wide, suicide deaths are three times greater than homicides, and are increasing. Current approaches to stem this 'epidemic' are not working, or have very limited success. Mental health interventions, theories about a suicide or a depression gene, and the ever-increasing dispensing of antidepressants have not lessened the stark statistics. The authors attempt to understand the soul of the suicide -- addressing the social, economic, political, historical, geographic, and cultural contexts in which suicide occurs. The social order is indelibly connected to settings, places, circumstances, relationships, occupations, climate, and milieus. Most of the 36 diverse categories of self-motivated deaths defy a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Recognising contexts and looking outside the confines that have imprisoned thinking about suicide, could well be more effective in alleviating or mitigating suicide than years searching for a possible vaccination against such death. The book is an appeal to move beyond the medical model of suicide. Written in a very accessible style, it is of interest to social scientists, philosophers, professionals and researchers in public health, medical and behavioural sciences, and lay persons alike. A critical, stimulating and moral tale of suicide that provides a new look --Michael J. Kral, PhD, School of Social Work, Wayne State University, Michigan, USA ... a major breakthrough and a step in the right direction in addressing the problem of suicide --Said Shahtahmasebi, PhD, Research Director, the Good Life Research Centre Trust, Christchurch, New Zealand ... informed understanding of suicide's multiplicity and historical instability - Jennifer White, PhD, School of Youth and Child Care, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada." -- Prové de l'editor Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Explanations (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 1-6 The Sound of Suicide (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 7-17 Depressing Thoughts (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 19-30 History Lessons (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 31-44 The Aspirin Age (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 45-58 Diverse Suicides (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 59-78 Differing Contexts (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 79-95 The Preventionists (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 97-110 The Evaluators (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 111-123 The Assisters (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 125-137 The Coroners (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 139-150 The Professionals (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 151-162 The Alleviators (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 163-175 Final Thoughts (Colin Tatz, Simon Tatz)....Pages 177-199 Back Matter ....Pages 201-210