SUICIDE IN THE WORLD.
Reflection Essay
Abigail Roney
Comp 2
Professor Hammet
Reflective Essay
Saturday April 29, 2023
Reflection Essay
Over the few weeks in this course I have been required to write multiple essays. From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a hard course to complete as I was not a very strong writer. Over time I got to learn al ot about statistics, stories, and information on suicide. Along the journey of writing came the argument proposal and I could not find myself to have little to no errors.
I have multiple goals for myself in the future. I want to become a better writer and learn how to really correct an essay. Writing an essay has not always been easy for me as I am a person who enjoys writing more in journals. I like to write about my thoughts, prayers, and quotes. As I found that when you write essays about things that interest you, they can be enjoyable.
I have had plenty of struggles in the essay writing process. I am still having trouble completely understanding citations and understanding how to write them; "cites needed throughout" (Profesor Hammett Blackboard menu). I also struggled with using college level vocabulary. As my writing began to improve and go on I learned to widen my vocabulary. I took time to research and learn more words and add more inclusive words. I worked on using words to help my paragraphs flow and become more concise.
My writings began to start to come together but I still could not find myself to fix quotations. I re-did many essays to just fix the citation portion that was affecting my grade so immensely. As the next essay came along I found where I was missing my citations. Overall I am learning more where citations are needed and when they can be left out.
One struggle was writing in true MLA format. I struggled to figure out how to make a correct works cited page. I watched videos and lectures and began to understand it more. It took some time but I found where and how to access the area to create hanging indentions. One problem I found myself coming to when making these pages was having extra space in between the sources area. I know this seems to be an easy mistake to fix but I could never tell how much extra space I really had.
Although there were plenty of mistakes in my Argument Proposal Essay I did learn, and am now able to identify areas that need to be corrected. I am confident in my writing now and am seeing improvement with every new lecture Professor Hammet provides. I am thankful for the opportunity to write on suicide as it is a big part of my family with having close family members and friends pass away due to it. Composition two has helped me in many aspects of writing and becoming a stronger writer. My goal in the future is to continue to write strong essays with little errors and have a correct citation page all the way through. I know with my hard work I've been putting in I will be able to accomplish this.
Project 2
Abigail Roney
English Composition 2
Professor Hammet
Spring 2023
Word count 1051
Project 2
Albert Camus was not your everyday writer. He wrote about things unordinary and different things. Camus was a writer known as a "Franco-Algerian writer", wrote Scotty Hendricks in a website called, “Albert Camus on Suicide, Absurdity, And The Meaning Of Life (Hendricks).” Scotty Hendricks also writes, “He wrote in regards to the way he thought of life (Hendricks).” Camus wrote what he felt, and you see death come up a lot in his writings. Many people found his way of thinking disturbing (Hendricks). In one of Camus essays, The Myth of Sisyphus “There is only one really serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide” (Hendricks). Camus' bold look on life makes him constantly question if there really is anything worth living for. Camus sees life as absurd, and he does not change his mindset. Considering his view on life, he would see suicide as something not out of the ordinary.
Albert Camus philosophy on life reflected some of his views on Suicide. In an article titled, “Albert Camus on the Meaning of Life: Faith, Suicide, and Absurdity,” Viktoriya Sus writes on his viewpoints. Sus states in an article that Camus did not view himself as a philosopher; however, he had philosophical views about life (Sus). Sus also writes, “The problem of the meaning of life Camus views as the most urgent. The fundamental question underpinning his philosophy can be summarized as: is life worth living ”(Sus). In another article called, "Albert Camus on the Will to Live and the Most Important Question of Existence," written by Maria Popova, provides a quote by Albert Camus that supports the claim that Camus sees no view to life. Popova wrote, "A priori and reversing the terms of the problem, just as one does or does not kill oneself, it seems that there are but two philosophical solutions, either yes or no” (Popova). Camus did not see solutions to his view on a meaningless life.
Albert Camus did see mental health as a problem. Stated in the article, Scotty Hendricks wrote, “Albert Camus On Suicide, Absurdity, And The Meaning Of Life,” he writes that, “There is only one really serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide” (Hendricks). Albert Camus knew about suicide; he saw and understood it. Camus seems to almost have a soft spot for people who struggle with mental health. Camus seems to understand why someone would commit suicide since he has the philosophy that there is no meaning to life. Albert Camus would agree that Suicide is not something uncommon.
Camus, a young writer began talking about suicide and death early on. Albert Camus was born in Algeria in 1913. He was born to a family who was poor and was in the very low class. In an article titled, "Albert Camus Biography," written by Todd Oliver, he writes that Camus says, "I lived in destitution but also in a kind of sensual delight” (Oliver). He went through school and attended the University of Algiers (Oliver). Camus wrote his first book called the Stranger (Oliver). His novel went through a story of a man who got killed for no reason (Oliver). Albert Camus was writing on death from the very beginning.
Camus books continued to talk more about death and suicide. In the article written by Sus Viktoriya, she states, “In the 1940s, Camus became involved in the French Resistance movement against the Nazi occupation of France”(Sus). Camus wrote several plays and went on to continue writing books. His books pointed to his view on life. Some people see Camus' views as an absurdity, but you can also find many people who agree with his writings (Sus).
Camus writings often reflected suicide. As Camus continued to grow as a writer, he also found himself changing his viewpoints. His theories and stories changed as he grew and became a more independent, powerful, and strong writer. Camus' writing isn't like other writers. Camus speaks about topics you do not find a lot of other writers using. Sus writes, “His ideas are presented both in the form of philosophical treatises and in the form of works of art: stories, novels, and plays. The style is sometimes figurative and metaphorical. His narrative plots revolve around the individual and his relationship with the surrounding world, whether it is social or natural”(Sus). Camus knew from the very beginning death was going to be very apparent in his writings.
Camus never wanted to emphasize that suicide is something one should do (Sus). He tried to get different points across, but he never wanted his writings to advocate for suicide. Sus writes in her article that, “He is trying to get us to see that the issue of death is something we must come to terms with if we want to understand what it means to be truly alive” (Sus). Alfred Camus believes that facing up to the inevitability of our own death can help us appreciate life’s value (Sus). “In other words, we can learn to appreciate life all the more by understanding that death is inevitable”(Sus). CamusÅ› take on suicide almost makes us want to value life more. If there is really no meaning to life in Camus' eyes then we should appreciate the good things that come along.
Albert Camus pointed to suicide in his writings. He expressed his feelings and actions towards suicide and death. Camus views on religion don’t help him with having any meaning to life. For some people, faith is the reason they are living. Faith can almost be like the whole meaning to life; however, to Camus he does not see any meaning to anything at all. Sus writes in her article, “However, Camus points out that even religious beliefs are ultimately based on faith, not evidence. And even if there was a God, it is doubtful that he would be concerned with our lives or that he would have any grand plan for us (Sus).” Camus understood that people don’t see meaning to life either, so when someone commits suicide it almost as if they were just tired of living their meaningless life. Albert Camus spent his whole life viewing life as absurd. Suicide is viewed differently to everyone, but to Albert Camus it is not something unordinary.
Works Cited
Hendricks, Scotty. “Albert Camus on
Suicide, Absurdity, and the Meaning of Life.” Big Think, 20 Mar. 2023, https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/th e-meaning-of-lif e- albe rt -camus-on-faith-suicide-and-absurdity/.
Olivier, Todd. “Albert Camus Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, 1997, https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Camus-Albert.html.
Popova, Maria. “Albert Camus on the Will to Live and the Most Important Question of Existence.” The Marginalian, 12 Jan. 2022, https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/11/07/camus-myth-of-sisyphus-suicide/.
Sus, Viktoriya. “Albert Camus on the Meaning of Life: Faith, Suicide, and Absurdity.” TheCollector, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.thecollector.com/albert-camus-meaning-of-life/.
Project 1
Suicide as a Social Epidemic
If someone in your life committed suicide,who would be to blame? Suicide prevention need to be talked about more. In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide. Over one million Americans attempted suicide that same year. The American foundation for Suicide Prevention gives the statistics, Gabbie Roberts writes, "On average there are around 130 suicides per day. Ninety-three percent of adults believe that suicide could very well be prevented.” Many places in the United States are trying to advocate for helplines and numbers for people to call if they are putting their life in danger. Although suicide will always be a social epidemic, there are several solutions to help people in these turbulent times to better to understand their mental and get help reducing the suicide rate.
First, undiagnosed depression is one of the key causes of why some humans commit suicide. In addition, some parents in the United States, unfortunately, do not support therapy. Teens can go through so much of their lives struggling and in need of help, but there is nowhere to get that help; therefore, the U.S. suicide hotline was established for anyone struggling with their mental health (Gould et al.). The most popular suicide helpline is the 988 lifeline which was created on July 16, 2020. Since 2005, over twenty-three million people have called the help line. 988 helpline website states that, "Every year in the U.S., more people die by suicide than in car accidents, and more suicide deaths occur than homicide and AIDS deaths combined” (Gould et.al). The 988 helpline has helped save so many lives in the United States and they have so much information over what just their number has done for America. "Within forty-five seconds of calling, a professional counselor will be on the phone with the person to guide people through the situation (Gould et al.)". Most people do not want anyone to know about their suicide attempt. The 988 lifelines typically do not call any type of paramedic to arrive at the situation (Gould et al.). Helplines are preventing suicides in the U.S. and proving mental healthcare to those who need it. This 988 lifeline program proves that the government needs to play a larger role in suicide prevention for the sake of the vulnerable.
On the other hand, social media warns people not to use the 988 lifeline. Some people believe the 988 lifelines create negative effects for the caller. They took this case to social media trying to warn young adults and teens to not use this line (Pattani pg.1). Aneri Pattani writes about the negative effects this 988 website can cause the person. The author says, "After calling this helpline, some people are involuntarily sent to psychiatric hospitals (Pattani pg.1)". Pattani states, "Research shows suicide rates increase drastically in the months after people are discharged from psychiatric hospitals." However, on the 988 lifeline website it writes that, "When emergency services are involved, over half of these emergency dispatches occur with the caller's consent." When emergency services are called it is only in the case of a serious threat to someone's life. USA Today writes a research article about this same hotline. Researchers found that over 150,000 lives were saved in the first month with the new transition that the lifeline provided (Rodriguez pg.1) . With more people using the hotline, more updates and counselors have had to get involved. Adrianna Rodriguez writes, "The agency also reported a significant reduction in response times, plunging from 2.5 minutes to 42 seconds." With more modifications being completed on the lifelines, they are hoping for an abundance of more lives saved (Rodriguez pg.1). The negative remarks found on social media regarding the 988 lifelines are often misinformation. In an article titled “ 100,000 People Called 988 During It’s First Week, A Historic moment In Suicide Prevention”, the author Didi Hirsch writes, “The launch of 988 is a historic moment for suicide prevention and crisis care in this country.” Statistics prove that the 988 lifelines are helping in the fight against suicide. With continued support, this 988 service will lower the suicide rates.
Additionally, suicide Risks have fallen tremendously when therapy becomes a resource in a person’s life. Barbra Benham of John Hopkins School of Health performed a suicide study on a small group of students. Benham writes, "Repeat suicide attempts and deaths by suicide were roughly 25 percent lower among a group of Danish people who underwent voluntary short-term psycho social counseling after a suicide attempt." With the help of therapy many people in the world are beginning to recognize their mental health and are being able to be treated for it. Therapy is helpful to people out there who are struggling and needing to have someone to talk to. In an article titled, "Number of U.S. adults who received mental health treatment or counseling in the past year from 2002 to 2021", John Elfein writes, "In 2021, around 41.7 million adults in the United States received treatment or counseling for their mental health within the past year." Therapy has so many other pros such as helping children, teens, and adults who are struggling. Although, some causes of people not being able to use therapy would be money, stigma, and accessibility. Most of these problems can eventually be solved. Therapy helps one express who they are and can help to understand people's emotions. Understanding your personal emotions is important so that it becomes easier to express yourself. Therapy has been seen to change the way people see themselves and situations around them. Access to mental healthcare needs to be available for all. Society needs to stop stigmatizing mental health problems and classify them as medical illnesses just like physical illnesses.
Another factor, depression, often leads people to begin to consider suicide. In an article titled “More Than 37 Million Americans Take Antidepressants, Authors Say'', Michael Hastings writes, “By our calculations, more than 37 million Americans are on medications like sertraline, escitalopram, bupropion, trazodone and fluoxetine.” Antidepressants have been seen to help with the way people think. Antidepressants have been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for relieving symptoms quickly, however they can have many side effects (Hastings pg.1). When taking antidepressants, a person has to keep up with their dosage or else it will negatively affect them. It can take time to find out which prescription will work for an individual, and the amount they need to take. Today more and more people are seen to be using antidepressants because of stressful workplaces (Hastings pg.1). When taking medication, being careful is the main priority. Medication is easy to get addicted to, especially if it's changing the way people think. However, antidepressants can affect people in a positive way if taken with serious caution. Taking the proper drug can be a tool against the mental health crisis many are experiencing. Better insurance coverage and more mental health professionals will help diminish the mental health ccrisis and suicide epidemic in America.
Finally, suicide can be prevented, but it takes the suicidal person committing to get help. Prescriptions, therapy, and suicide lifelines can all be effective ways to save someones life. With suicide being discussed more today, more avenues are open to help prevent it. Depression signs can be diagnosed early and getting help quickly is always the best decision. Suicide is a social epidimic, but with more resources and an open discussion about mental heath concerns, the epidemic may be reduced.
Sources page
Benham, Barbra. “Suicide Risk Falls Substantially after Talk Therapy.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014, https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2014/suicide-risk-falls-substantially-after-talk-therapy.
Elflein, John. “Mental Health Treatment or Therapy among American Adults 2002-2021.” Statista, 16 Jan. 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/794027/mental-health-treatment-counseling-past-year-us-adults/#:~:text=Mental%20health%20treatment%20or%20counseling%20among%20U.S.%20adults%202002%2D2021&text=In%202021%2C%20around%2041.7%20million.
Gabeia, Robbert. “Suicide Statistics.” American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 17 Feb. 2023, https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/.
Gould et al. “By the Numbers.” Lifeline, 2020, https://988lifeline.org/by-the-numbers/.
Hastings, Michael. “More than 37 Million Americans Take Antidepressants, Authors Say.” Winston-Salem Journal, 12 Mar. 2020, https://journalnow.com/more-than-37-million-americans-take-antidepressants-authors-say/article_36f2f74b-e268-5731-bdc0-d92a036d2cd4.html.
Hirish, Didi. “100,000 People Called 988 during Its First Week, a Historic Moment in Suicide Prevention - Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.” Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services -, 6 Aug. 2022, https://didihirsch.org/media/recent-coverage/100000-people-called-988-during-its-first-week-a-historic-moment-in-suicide-prevention/#:~:text=988%20duri...-,100%2C000%20people%20called%20988%20during%20its%20first%20week,historic%20moment%20in%20suicide%20prevention.
Pattani, Aneri. “Social Media Posts Warn People Not to Call 988. Here's What You Need to Know.” NPR, NPR, 25 Aug. 2022, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/11/1116769071/social-media-posts-warn-people-not-to-call-988-heres-what-you-need-to-know.
Rodriguez, Adrianna. “Calls to Suicide Prevention Hotline Increase by 45% after Transition to New 988 Number.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 19 Sept. 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/09/17/suicide-prevention-hotline-988-sees-rise-calls-reduced-wait-times/10386012002/.