Why has the suicide rate increased?
Ihave written several columns about suicide. Since suicide is one of the leading causes of death for individuals between ages 10 to 34, and for the first time the leading cause of death for teenagers, I feel it is time to address one of the real causes of suicide.
Some of the causes given for suicide are bullying, depression, stress, the influence of social media, alcohol and drug abuse. These can increase the possibility of suicide, but they are not the main reason people take their lives.
People commit suicide for two basic reasons: 1. Life becomes overwhelming, unmanageable and unbearable, and 2. they have no purpose or reason to live. The real question is: how do people get to the place they have no hope or reason to live?
One of the reasons individuals get to this place is they have no faith to hold them up. This void, in most cases, is the result of the absence of faith in an omniscient, all creating, all knowing, all loving higher power. Many people never consider suicide because they grew with the knowledge of a higher power through regular attendance and Bible study in a house of worship.
Faith is the foundation for building a wholesome, meaningful, productive life. Faith and worship give people meaning and purpose. The exercise of faith helps people understand that their beliefs make them who they are.
The problem is faith in a supreme being and worship attendance have been on the decline for more than 50 years. Many have tried to substitute science for faith. Science has formulas and theories that help us understand the mysteries of the universe, but science is not a substitute for faith.
Unfortunately, many people commit suicide when they feel there is nothing to support them and they have nowhere to turn for help. In addition, society has little to offer to solve this problem. There is an ongoing war against any expression of faith in a supreme being. This is one of the reasons faith and worship have declined.
Where there is a decrease in adherence to faith in a supreme being, people don’t have the tools to cope with the stress in their lives. As a result everyday problems become major stumbling blocks and when they have no one to turn to life caves in.
What is the answer? Faith in a supreme being gives people a sense of peace and hope. Faith gives people the resilience needed to deal with life on life’s terms. Hope is the anchor that keeps people from drifting aimlessly through life or going with the flow. Hope gives people a sense of direction and purpose.
Unfortunately, when I ask the younger generation, “What is your purpose?,” most don’t have one. They often say they want to make a lot of money, have a good job, house and automobile. When asked how they plan to accomplish this they often respond, “I don’t know.” This indicates they have no purpose or plan for their lives.
Finally, love is the answer. Everyone needs someone to love and someone to love them. In counseling sessions I often ask, “on a scale of 1-10, how much do you love yourself?” Sadly, the vast majority rate their self love 5 and below.
Loving yourself and others is more than a mere emotion. Love involves commitment as well as feelings.
The greatest feelings come when individuals realize they are loved by an all powerful, all loving supreme being, the creator of the universe.