The following comes from a mid-August story on Healthy Living.
Two years ago, suicide became the leading cause of death by injury in America, surpassing car accidents for the first time. And the major reason for that change was a cohort shift: Men and women between the ages of 35 and 64 are increasingly committing suicide. The latest addition to these statistics is Robin Williams.
Since nothing ever happens in America until it happens to a celebrity, perhaps this will be the moment when we notice that we’re living in the middle of a suicide crisis….
The group that has shown the highest increase in suicide rates is middle-aged men and women, for whom the number of suicides has risen by a horrifying 28.4 percent in a mere decade. The sharpest increase has been among men in their fifties, for whom the number has risen nearly 50 percent since 1999. Now nearly 30 per 100,000 American men in their fifties kill themselves. Suicides are increasing across the board, from college students to the elderly, but the increases for the middle-aged are shocking.
The reasons for this rise are unknown. The increased availability of prescription drugs may play some role. Suicide by poisoning was an increasingly common method. There have never been more guns in America and gun ownership also correlates to an increase in suicide. There has also been the brutality of the recession and the new reality of people in middle age taking care of elderly parents while they’re also taking care of young children.
Obviously, economic pressures are the most compelling reason. Suicides increase dramatically during recessions. They increased during the Great Depression and during the Asian financial crisis. Across Europe, suicides increased by 3.3 percent after the crash. There have been significant increases in suicides for men across the world, at over 10 percent for the European Union countries. But not a 50 percent jump as for men between 50 and 59 in America….
To read the entire story, click here.
In the Catholic Church, we were taught as children, that suicide is a MORTAL SIN– and that those who kill themselves, cannot be buried in the Catholic Church, either! Very sad, for the family of the suicide victims! We also were taught not to expect too much from the passing, temporal, material world, but to prepare our souls for Heaven, and to bravely endure all sufferings, for Christ, for our hope to enter Heaven someday, at death, and be with Him! God has a reason for all things. We must persevere bravely, in times of crisis, and God will see us through! All things, all troubles, do eventually pass! We may lose our worldly goods– but we must never lose our precious souls, to sin and the Devil! Christ and His Blessed Mother know how horrible it is, to suffer unjustly, and to endure all the sorrows of this world! Go to them, in all pain and sorrow! They can help!
The decision to believe in God and a life in heaven or hell after our death on earth helps one to hang on to hope when despair threatens.
Satan is capturing the culture, turning it into a culture of death: abortion, sodomy, euthanasia, suicide. Basically the Democratic Party platform.
Most Catholics today will not appreciate or agree with what I am about to write, but then, up until recently it was basic Catholic teaching. Suicide is a sin of despair, which is against the theological virtue of hope. It has been classified as a sin against the Holy Spirit, and therefore one that is very hard (impossible) to forgive, since the end result is death. We now believe that most people who commit suicide have mental problems, and therefore cannot be totally held responsible for their actions. Those who commit suicide are selfish because they love themselves m ore that God and their families and friends. They cause others to suffer because they would not put up with the crosses God gave them. About twenty years ago, TWIN CIRCLE, a Catholic newspaper that now no longer exists, would run a weekly piece on famous Catholics and Robin Williams was featured, so I surmise that he reverted back to the Episcopalian faith. Since Vatican II way too many practices which were once considered taboo are now generally held as proper and good. While only God can judge us, it is interesting to remember that Catholics who committed suicide were denied a Catholic Requiem Mass, and sometimes even being prohibited from being buried in a Catholic cemetery. Hopefully with proper catechism, more Catholics will learn the evils of suicide, and understand there is value in suffering, and that only God can take a life.
Father Karl I agree with you. Thou shalt not kill. Only God can give and take life. I disagree with your notion to blame Vatican II, I have lived longer than Vatican II to know that it is the culture we live in and pretty much this down fall has been happening since the roaring 20’s. Modern science and drug companies having more power, they often over drug, over prescribe leading patients to lose their ability to reason. Drug up the people, drug up their mind. I call it a junk mind, no longer to reason for its self.
And yet ‘opening the window’ to that downward slide let things in – like the smoke of Satan. But God does bring good out of bad. Maybe that was the whole point.
CCC: ” 2325 Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.”
Most Bishops and Priests do not give homilies about God’s 10 Commandments.
(Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21.)
This is a sin of omission on their part, and breeds evil and ignorance.
Let’s encourage everyone to read a Catholic Bible, and the “Catechism of the Church, Second Edition” in spite of many Bishops and Priests.
“What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE” –
https://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com/
It is a sorrow to hear of anyone’s death by suicide. The media reported that Robin Williams, talented actor and comedian, had many difficulties these last years–financial stresses related to his previous marriages; health issues related to Parkinson’s and depressive illness; and a long-standing substance abuse and addiction problem.
Sadly, in media interviews not long ago, Williams expressed antipathy towards the Catholic priesthood, mistakenly holding the opinion that celibacy rather than homosexual activity was the cause of the sex abuse scandal in the Church: He publicly condemned the Church for its teachings on sexual morality.
A recent blog about Williams’ death that stirred up controversy on the internet had questioned whether William’s substance abuse and addiction problems, taking hold in his early professional career, may have been related to an abortion in the 1970s that he and his girlfriend chose for their child.
While Williams had many difficulties in his life, research has shown a relationship between abortion and the development of subsequent substance abuse and addiction, anxiety and depression problems. This is true for both men and women. Was there ever anyone there to help Robin Williams at the time of the abortion or later on to recognize the possibility that he was experiencing post-abortion symptoms, including anxiety, substance abuse and depression? The answer will never be known, but recognizing and treating symptoms related to the negative and potentially long standing consequences of abortion may have been a great help to him in dealing with his difficulties.
(continued from above)
It is very possible that the dramatic rise in suicide rates among both middle age men and women (from the article: an increase of more than 28% for middle aged adults and almost 50% for men in their 50s) is in part related to legalized abortion. Abortion statistics alone point to potential for negative outcomes — 56 million abortions in the US since 1972 with 1 in 3 women experiencing an abortion in their lifetime. Evidence on the possible relationship remains unrecognized, suppressed or ignored with suicide rates climbing in part because pro abortion political correctness rules the day.
When the old, and perhaps still, rule about suicide were promulgated by the church it was believed that it was an act of cowards, people who didn’t exist any more for selfish reasons and many other similar concepts. Today we know that most of that level of knowledge has been supplanted by new knowledge based on science. There is even data that indicates that likely hood of depression is formed in the womb, it is in the genes. New knowledge tries to explain why someone who has everything and has everything to live for goes into depression. It is a medical issue, not one of personal weakness. I assume that the depression can, for many, lead to suicide. If all of the new science continues to test out, will the church have to change its teachings on suicide? Does new science lead to new theology?
Although there can be biological reasons for depression, – – – –
depression is also caused or exacerbated by one’s lifestyle,
or by putting oneself at the center of his/her own world rather than God.
Suicide is a very Self-Centered act, no matter what the cause.
CCC: ” 2325 Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.”
We are responsible for our own actions.
CCC: ” 2091 The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:
By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice – for the Lord is faithful to his promises – and to his mercy.”
CCC: ” 2092 There are two kinds of presumption.
Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God’s almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit)”
CCC: ” 2755 Two frequent temptations threaten prayer: lack of faith and acedia – a form of depression stemming from lax ascetical practice that leads to discouragement.”
CCC: ” 2733 Another temptation, to which presumption opens the gate, is acedia. The spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart.
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
The greater the height, the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy.”
Those who commit suicide must feel that it is the only way to escape their demons. When Jesus asked the demon’s name he said Legion. Robin Williams had many demons in his life that came out in his act. So many people today have pushed out God and made room for demons in their heart. I am sure it must be unbearably painful and scarey when the demon come for his pay. Those who are pursued by demons need more that counseling they need a priest.
lisag, I like your post.
Lisag you make sense. We need to return to God. Its a pity and a tragedy, all this.
Let us all pray for the soul of Robin Williams. We have all had to face “demons” in our lives, some through the grace of God overcome them and some do not. He did make us laugh at times and from what I have read, gave quite a bit to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for children with cancer. May God take all that into consideration in His judgment of him.
Judas Iscariot also committed suicide.
He did not repent of his sins.
Jesus said it would have been better for Judas if he had not been born. Mt 26:24; Mk 14:21; Lk 22:22;
While it is true that suicide is a mortal sin, and I am not in any way encouraging suicide, all I am saying is that none of us know what went through Robin Williams’ mind before he finally suffocated to death. Perhaps he did repentant and ask God’s forgiveness for all he did before his finally died.. Although I understand that some feel they cannot pray for him publically, there is nothing that I know about in Canon Law that forbids us to pray for him privately during Mass and offer up our Communions, etc. for his eternal soul.
Please forgive my typos; the post was written in a hurry.
When the media gives so much attention to celebrities who commit suicide, it encourages others to do the same.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/upshot/the-science-behind-suicide-contagion.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=1
Williams personal life was a mess due to his lack of Faith in God.
Drug addiction, Alcohol addiction, 3 wives, etc., etc., etc. – all self inflicted.
May God have mercy on his soul.
It is said that Robin Williams found out he had Parkinson’s. Sadly, perhaps that is what caused him to despair. He did a great job narrating the video about Fr. Damien. Perhaps St. Damien will see fit to put in a good word for him. We can only hope so.