Why Suicide?: Questions & Answers About Suicide, Suicide Prevention, and Coping with the Suicide of Someone You Know

by Eric Marcus

Overview

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in our lifetimes 80 percent of us will have some up-close experience with the suicide of someone we know. And more than 20 percent of us will have a family member die by suicide. Journalist Eric Marcus knows this better than most people. In 1970, his father took his life at the age of 44. In 2008, his 49-year-old sister-in-law took her life as well.

In a completely revised and updated edition of the landmark original Why Suicide ?, Eric Marcus offers thoughtful answers to scores of questions about this complex, painful issue, from how to recognize the signs of someone who is suicidal to strategies for coping in the aftermath of a loved one's death.

No matter what the circumstances, those of us who are affected by suicide are left with difficult and disturbing questions:

• Why did they do it?
• Was it my fault?
• What should I tell people when they ask what happened?
• Is someone who attempts suicide likely to try again?
• What should I do if I'm thinking of killing myself?

Drawing from his own experience, as well as interviews with people who have been touched by suicide, Eric Marcus cuts through the veil of silence and misunderstanding to bring clarity, reassurance, and comfort to those who so desperately need it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062213525
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	242
Sales rank:	762,207
File size:	788 KB

About the Author

Eric Marcus is the author of several books and coauthor of Breaking the Surface, the number one New York Times bestselling autobiography of Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 The Basics 1

Chapter 2 How? 51

Chapter 3 Teen/Youth Suicide 58

Chapter 4 Suicide and the Elderly 72

Chapter 5 Attempted Suicide 83

Chapter 6 Prevention and Treatment 94

Chapter 7 Surviving Suicide: Coping with the Suicide of Someone You Know 119

Appendix 209

Selected Bibliography 217

Index 221

What People are Saying About This

Joan Rivers

“It would have been such a comfort to have read this book after I lost my husband Edgar to suicide.”

Surviving Suicide

“This book is a must have.”

Dear Abby

“A must-read book for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide. It’s compassionate, informative, and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and start the healing with this splendid book!”

Editorial Reviews

This book is a must have.

Surviving Suicide

It would have been such a comfort to have read this book after I lost my husband Edgar to suicide.

Joan Rivers

A must-read book for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide. It’s compassionate, informative, and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and start the healing with this splendid book!

Dear Abby

A must-read book for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide. It’s compassionate, informative, and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and start the healing with this splendid book!” — Dear Abby

“It would have been such a comfort to have read this book after I lost my husband Edgar to suicide.” — Joan Rivers

“This book is a must have.” — Surviving Suicide, a publication of the American Association of Suicidology

From the Publisher

Marcus's 1996 original received glowing praise from LJ's reviewer, who dubbed it "a marvelous addition to suicidology collections as well as a solid choice for bibliotherapy." Both Marcus's father and sister killed themselves, so he comes to this with a deep personal investment. More than a treatise on the subject, this aspires to give comfort and insight to those who also have close friends or relatives who've taken their lives. The text is presented in a Q&A format touching on numerous aspects of the subject. This revised and updated edition remains "a solid choice." Mike Rogers, "Classic Returns," Booksmack! 10/7/10

Library Journal - BookSmack!