Thomas Joiner, MD has an amazing book called “Why Do People Die by Suicide.” He proposes many theories on the why.  People who die by suicide have a desire to die and have overcome the natural instinct we all have for self-preservation.  With that desire, he found two things often occurred:  there is a perception of being a burden to others and a social disconnect to something larger than oneself (a sense of isolation). Combine that with an acquired capacity, learned ability, or fearlessness, you have someone with a very elevated risk of suicide.  Continue reading →