Effects of Suicide on Family and Friends

Suicide is a profound problem in today’s society.

It has many negative effects on the friends and family of the victim. Self-blame and guilt are a few of the negative effects that are felt by the family of the suicide victim. These effects can also be felt by the friends of the victim. The causes and effects of suicide are seen very prominently in the teen population, the family of the victim, and in the workforce.

The causes of suicide are something that everyone faces in today’s society. These causes are depression, anxiety, the death of a loved one, drug/alcohol abuse, and bullying. The reason that bullying is one of the biggest factors in suicide is that a person can say something to a person and make them feel completely worthless. Romeo (Vitelli) Ph.D. stated, “… of all the negative outcomes associated with bullying, suicide is the cause for greatest concern.” Even though bullying is often said to be the number one cause of suicide it is not.

In fact, “untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide” (Caruso). Suicide is a major problem and can severely damage families and friends.

Suicide can affect the friends and family of the victim very drastically or very little. An effect that it could have on a family is physical harm. What is meant by this is a family member could feel self-blame or even feel lonely without this family member who took their own life, and the survivor might think that their only resort is cutting their wrists or other forms of physical harm.

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The effects that suicide has on friends are almost the same. Friends that deal with suicide can also resort to physical harm and feel lonely. A classmate, Turney, lost her best friend/sister, Violet, to suicide. In an interview (Turney) said, “Nothing helps. I just try to drown it out with music, but some days I just have to cry it out. Some days are harder than others and three years later I still have trouble even watching movies that have to do with hanging because when I see it happen I see Violet’s face.” Later on in the interview (Turney) was asked if moving schools helped. She declared, “it helped with the depression and anxiety, but she still thought of Violet constantly.” Losing a loved one can affect people in many more ways than just physical harm. It can give them anxiety from being alone. However, the biggest effects that it would create are mental abuse and self-blame.

The suicide rate over the last year is rather intriguing. In 2017 alone “47,137 Americans committed suicide and 1,300,000 people attempted suicide” (“Suicide Statistics”). These suicides were caused in a variety of ways. The number one way that people committed suicide in 2017 was by gun. A study in 2017 showed that more males committed suicide than females. According to page (699) of the Britannica Encyclopedia, “suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for people between the ages of 15 and 24.” The fact that it is the second leading cause of death for this age group is rather disturbing.

Believe it or not, suicide does not only occur in everyday, ordinary people. There are a lot of famous people who have committed suicide. Some of these famous people include: “Robin Williams, Marilyn Monroe, and Jovan Belcher” (Ritely). Most people might know Robin Williams from the movies Jumanji or Mrs. Doubtfire. Some people might even know him from the old-time TV show Mork and Mindy or even the one everybody knows, Aladdin. Robin Williams had many health problems. According to Susan (Williams), his wife, “he suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and often had hallucinations.” Although he suffered from all of these things, he also suffered from depression and a mixture of all of these things led him to “take his own life on April 11, 2014”(CNN News). Williams left an impact on thousands of people, if not millions. (Reply) said, “Marilyn Monroe was the original bombshell girl and was even some people’s idol.” Monroe was highly attractive for her period and is even alleged to have had an affair with the former president, John F. Kennedy. She is also known for her many famous quotes that she left behind after he chose to take her life by overdosing on barbiturates. One of her most famous quotes says, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be ridiculous than absolutely boring.” (Monroe). She was also an actress that started in The Misfits and she even starred in How to marry a millionaire. Marilyn Monroe also had a huge impact on people’s lives during her period. Jovan Belcher was a star linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. According to, (Ritely) “he shot his wife nine times and later took his own life with a gunshot to the head in front of his coach and general manager.” Belcher ended his life too early. He still had a life to live and dreams to chase.

In conclusion, suicide has many causes and affects all kinds of people including famous people. If a loved one or close friend is having suicidal thoughts then feel free to tell a trusted adult and let them talk to that person. Another thing that could be done is just let them know that someone is always there to talk or rant to when they are feeling down. The person having suicidal thoughts or struggling with depression might not want to go to a counselor, but just remind them there will always be someone there if they ever decide they need a trusted friend or adult to talk to. A wise man by the name of Robin (Williams) once said, “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” No matter what someone is going through in life let them know someone is there.