I feel as though these two books have contributed to a significant shift in my own outlook, as I have been holding on to a series of beliefs that were both painful and erroneous: that suicide is selfish, that suicide is spurious or done on a whim, that a suicide does not care for those he leaves behind. Throughout, Joiner uses data to reinforce his theory that suicide is related to three specific traits: belongingness, burdensomeness, and tolerance to pain/self injury. He covers things as varied as the effects of genes, suicide notes, and whether antidepressants contribute to suicide. Here Joiner is looking specifically at common ideas (often wrong, thus "myths") people have about suicide that impede understanding, treatment, and even compassion. This book is more accessible than Joiner's first (Why People Die by Suicide), but as it is based on his theory about suicide set forth in the previous, I'm glad I read them in order. An eminent expert whose own father's death by suicide changed his life, Joiner is relentless in his pursuit of the truth about suicide and deeply sympathetic to such tragic waste of life and the pain it causes those left behind. Most important, suicide can be prevented. Vulnerability to suicide may be anticipated and treated. The risk for suicide, Joiner argues, is partly genetic and is influenced by often agonizing mental disorders. People who are prevented once from killing themselves will not necessarily try again. Threats of suicide, far from being idle, are often followed by serious attempts. It is not a manifestation of "suppressed rage" or a side effect of medication. He shows that suicide is not easy, cowardly, vengeful, or selfish.
Drawing on a fascinating array of clinical cases, media reports, literary works, and scientific studies, Thomas Joiner demolishes both moralistic and psychotherapeutic clichés. This clear and powerful book dismantles myth after myth to bring compassionate and accurate understanding of a massive international killer. Yet many of us know very little about a tragedy that may strike our own loved ones-and much of what we think we know is wrong. Around the world, more than a million people die by suicide each year.
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