A Chosen Death:
The Dying Confront Assisted Suicide
Dr. Lonny Shavelson offers a powerful, wonderful, and rare insight into the medicalization of death in America. He chronicles several terminally ill individuals and their attempts to die with dignity. I couldn't put the book down.
--Courbet Anderson, Gerontologist
A Chosen Death After Suicide
Customer Comments:
1) After my fathers sudden depression and suicide a friend who is a counselor sent me this book. It really put some issues into perspective.
2) This book was extremely helpful to me in coming to terms with my father's suicide four years ago. Families need so much help with healing following this type of death with which so much shame is associated.
3) Fourteen years ago my mother took her life after suffering from a lifetime of depression. I found After Suicide and it was the one thing that helped me live. My hope is that this book can be given by someone at the time of the suicide to families immediately so the healing can start right a way.
After Suicide Anorexia, Murder, and Suicide:
What Can Be Learned from
the Stories of Three Remarkable Patients
Presents the stories of three patients in psychotherapy or psychoanalysis who recovered from severe disturbances, each of which was followed for over 20 years. The cases are discussed in terms of such themes as the patients' needs to be rescued from destructive or self-destructive behavior and their constructive use of life experience.
The author notes the importance of management, an atmosphere of warmth, dedicated but objective concern, and a therapeutic alliance in therapy.
--Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Anorexia, Murder, and Suicide Art and the Wish to Die
This book surveys visual art of all civilizations, from the last 2000 years, and describes the wisdom these artists have implied in their works. These works document prevailing orientations to suicidal behavior in different times and places. An interesting aside is the inverse relation between those who painted suicide versus those who died from self injury behavior.
Art and the Wish to Die Choosing to Live:
How to Defeat Suicide
Through Cognitive Therapy
Anyone who has contemplated suicide and anyone with a suicidal loved one will profit from the straightforward and helpful suggestions in this book.
This easy-to-read book can help suicidal people understand their suffering while they take charge of their own healing.
Choosing to Live Coping with Teen Suicide
If you are teenager who is having thoughts of suicide, this may help to change your feelings and your situation, find constructive ways to cope with stress and frustration, overcome depression, not think of killing yourself and, instead, to want to live and to enjoy life.
If you are a teenager who is not having thoughts of suicide, being aware of what leads to thoughts of suicide will help you understand those who are.
Coping with Teen Suicide Cosmic Suicide:
The Tragedy and Transcendence of Heaven's Gate
This is one of those rare gems that is both informative, and interesting. It covers a lot more ground then just the history of the heavens gate cult. There are Ideas on why our society is causing a rise in such splinter groups.
Most books about cults tend to be either biased, or boring; this is neither. First rate journalism, unpretentious writing, concise and to the point style, make this an enjoyable must read for any one who desires to be socially aware.
--R. M. Engstrom
Cosmic Suicide Cry of Pain:
Understanding Suicide and Self-Harm
Dr. Williams provides insight for the surviving loved ones to understand the Cry of Pain our loved ones felt. It is the only book that brought me some TRUE understanding about my own husband's suicide. This book is helpful in dealing with the full range of emotions families are left to cope with for years to come. I still re-read it regularly and receive new benefits as I pass through different stages of coping.
Reviewer: avjoye from Los Angeles, California
Cry of Pain Death by Denial:
Studies of Suicide in Gay and Lesbian Teenagers
Compilation of various studies about the incidence of suicide by gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered teens. Includes the report that 30% of teen suicides are by g/l/b/t youth. This representation, supported by the other studies included in the work, indicates a terrible suicide epidemic among g/l/b/t teens. Overall, an excellent work that brings together obscure studies that might otherwise be hard to find.
--cnelson@crisislink.org
Death by Denial Drug Use in Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Presents opinions, cases, and commentary on drug use for euthanasia and assisted suicide, discussing ethical and regulatory issues in the US and other countries, as well as practical concerns such as choice of drugs.
Overviews the psychiatric, medical, and social perspectives, and looks at issues including depression, pain, and organic mental disorders. Of interest to medical professionals, persons suffering from fatal diseases, and their families and friends.
--Annotation by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Drug Use in Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide
(For and Against)
The moral issues involved in doctors assisting patients to die with dignity are of absolutely central concern to the medical profession, ethicists, and the public at large. The need for a sophisticated but lucid exposition of the two sides of the argument is now urgent.
This book supplies that need. Two prominent philosophers, Gerald Dworkin and R. G. Frey present the case for legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide:
Killing or Caring?
In this brief but informative work, author Michael Manning describes the historical background and conceptual framework within which the current debate over euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is taking place.
Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Fatal Freedom
In this eloquent defense of every individual's right to choose a voluntary death, renowned psychiatrist Thomas Szasz asks some of the most significant ethical questions of our time.
Fatal Freedom Final Drafts:
Suicides of World-Famous Authors
When I first picked up the book, Final Drafts, I thought it would be a series of depressing tales of writers who led desperate lives, ending them because of hopelessness, drug addition or failure.
Although many fit this criteria, Seinfelt managed to bring out an empathy towards these writers. He also managed to convey the fact that their lives were not wasted or thrown away, but even though wracked by pain, guilt or other strong emotion, many created works of art that endure today.
Final Drafts Final Exit:
The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance
and Assisted Suicide for the Dying
An updated edition of a controversial best-seller shows people looking to end their suffering from unbearable pain due to terminal or incurable illness how to prepare for and commit suicide, and offers other relevant information.
A controversial guide advocating assisted suicide for the terminally ill and dying also provides practical advice on how to plan and carry out a suicide.
Final Exit Final Exit Supplement
This little book is a supplement, or an 'add-on' to the main volume of the book Final Exit (above). It does not replace what has become the standard textbook on euthanasia, just brings it up to date politically, legally, and ethically.
Of considerable interest to readers will be the explicit chapter on how to take one's life with HELIUM GAS if suffering unbearably at the end of life. This is a new development, and made important by the clamp-down by all Western governments on the prescribing of barbiturates by doctors.
Final Exit Supplement Video: Final Exit:
The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance
and Assisted Suicide for the Dying
This video is better than the book Final Exit itself (see above), because the video shows in detail how to go about the various methods of suicide. The bottom line is it's a very well done video that could help a lot of people.
A controversial guide advocating assisted suicide for the terminally ill and dying also provides practical advice on how to plan and carry out a suicide.
Video: Final Exit History of Suicide:
Voluntary Death in Western Culture
Medicine and Culture
Minois's book follows the religious, philosophical, literary, and judicial debate for and against self-murder from antiquity to the end of the Enlightenment, demonstrating the close connection between political power, religious authority, social status, and the freedom to die.
The conclusion is clear: suicide is the last refuge of the free man. Death, after all, is not only a land of no return, it is the line delimiting the power of state and church. Minois's study is detailed and thorough. It may be too thorough for the casual reader, but gory anecdotes and effective reference to overreaching intellectual trends make the book edifying and morbidly enjoyable.
History of Suicide In the Wake of Suicide:
Stories of the People Left Behind
Deeply moving, wonderfully written, inspiring stories told by people whose lives have been touched by the suicide of someone close to them, a book of wisdom, inspiration and emotional healing.
In the Wake of Suicide Making Sense of Suicide:
An In-Depth Look at Why People Kill Themselves
An introduction to the background and prevention of suicidal behaviours. For nurses, hospital staff, crisis workers, teachers, police, and other professionals likely to encounter those considering suicide.
Making Sense of Suicide Man Against Himself
In this landmark book the impulse toward self-destructiveness is examined as a misdirection of the instinct for survival, a turning inward of the aggressive behavior developed for self-preservation. The self-imposed illness, despair, even suicide, that result from this conflict are compassionately yet objectively analyzed and documented through case histories.
Man Against Himself Night Falls Fast:
Understanding Suicide
Kay Readfield Jamison (the author) is a mental health professional. This is a wonderfully informative book that can help people with mental illness and their families understand what is going on in the mind. It was very helpful to read when not depressed, but I question the safety of reading it if someone is seriously contemplating suicide.
This book leaves nothing to the imagination of exactly how to kill yourself. It is very descriptive. It could not have been written by anyone who had not actually walked the halls of depression.
Night Falls Fast No One Saw My Pain:
Why Teens Kill Themselves
More than 5,000 teens commit suicide each year in the U.S. Andrew Slaby, a psychiatrist specializing in depression and crisis intervention, and Lili Garfinkle, a parent educator, shed light on this perplexing phenomenon, analyzing the signs missed, the despair overlooked, the shock, the horror, and the fear.
No One Saw My Pain No Time to Say Goodbye:
Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One
The author's husband took his life in 1989. She wrote this comprehensive book for people recovering from the suicide of a friend, relative, spouse, or someone close. The appendix includes information about organizations, resource materials, and support groups for suicide survivors.
No Time to Say Goodbye On-Scene Guide for Crisis Negotiators
Recently retired FBI Special Agent Fred Lanceley gives us the benefit of his expertise in this highly detailed book on the actions a crisis negotiator must take in the field.
Lanceley describes techniques that will be of benefit to any police officer, tactical dispatcher, hostage negotiator or crisis counselor who is confronted with a barricaded subject, a mentally disturbed individual or a potential hostage taker.
--Dave Larton
On-Scene Guide for Crisis Negotiators On Suicide:
Great Writers on the Ultimate Question
Each philosopher, writer, or poet has contributed his or her own thoughts regarding suicide. Some of the selections are whimsical, such as a poem which discusses different ways of doing it.
Others are thought provoking and emotional pieces, which bring up thoughts about why people commit suicide, and the feelings felt by those they leave behind. This book is suitable for scholars, teachers, professionals of all sorts, and especially those who may think twice before answering their own Ultimate Question.
--Caroline Riegel
On Suicide Or Not to Be:
A Collection of Suicide Notes
Oddly fascinating, a collection of suicide notes by the famous, including Kurt Cobain, Vincent Van Gogh, Diane Arbus, Sylvia Plath, and Virginia Woolf. Also included are poignant last words from the utterly obscure.
Of particular interest in the collection are suicide notes by Dorothy Parker, who survived, and Ken Kesey, who was pulling a prank on the feds. Etkind also offers much factual material in the annotations to the many selections.
Or Not to Be Out of the Nightmare:
Recovery from Depression and Suicidal Pain
I am alive today because of this book. Many therapists and counselors have theories about suicide that were formed in classrooms and laboratories. David Conroy's approach was formed in the real world, and it's a real-world, practical approach to true relief from the nightmare of suicidal pain.
Shows how many people often actually make a suicidal person's pain worse, and deter them from seeking help. He offers concrete suggestions from his vast experience for how to help a suicidal person, and empowers the suicidal with permission to resist the harm that is unwittingly inflicted on them.
--resonant@nyct.net
Out of the Nightmare Step Back from the Exit:
45 Reasons to Say No to Suicide
This easy to read book sensitively treats a very troubling issue, and meets its goal of identifying reasons someone considering suicide might want to reconsider. The book is honest and not condescendingly flowery. It realistically and frankly treats the concerns and problems that have driven depressed individuals to suicide, and offers diverse reasons and rays of hope that will provide comfort to almost anyone.
Step Back from the Exit Suicide and Attempted Suicide:
Methods and Consequences
SICK, PERVERSE, DISGUSTING, EVIL, and even NAUGHTY is what some people are saying about this book
It is each person's right to commit suicide, and this is THE guide on how to commit suicide.
Not sure of the best method? which method is quickest? which is the least painful? what is the percentage of failed attempts using a particular method? are the survivors of certain types of attempts, so horribly disfigured and mutilated that they must spend the rest of their days being circus freakshow attractions?
SUICIDE, it's easy, it's FUN, FUN, FUN, and now you can learn everything you wanted to know about it in one book. Asphyxia, cutting and stabbing, drowning, drugs, chemicals, poisons, electrocution, gunshot, strangulation, hypothermia, and jumping. Includes explicit instructions on how to go about each method, and what the likely physiological damage will be if the attempt fails. But wait, there is more, descriptions of autopsy results, and strange ways people hurt themselves. The technical information here is accurate and descriptive. The kids will love reading it before bed.
BONUS, for those who just want attention without any permanent injuries, or scars, there is information on how to make a relatively safe suicidal gesture that is sure to make that special someone notice you, especially if they find your bleeding unconscious body on their doorstep one morning at about 7 A.M.
Suicide and Attempted Suicide Suicide:
A Study in Sociology
Written by Emile Durkheim in the 1800s. This was the first book on all of the problems and issues of suicide, he combined many of the already known scientific methods in one, and to call it sociology. One, who reads it today, can't help but notice that human nature and human problems have largely remained the same.
Suicide Suicide Survivor's Handbook:
A Guide to the Bereaved and Those Who Wish to Help Them
The title may be a little misleading; though I initially read the book because of a suicide, I discovered later that it could apply to any death that a reader may be coping with.
This guide addresses: What do you say to a grieving parent? Is it best to not say anything and avoid bringing up hurtful feelings? What about holidays and special occasions?, and more.
--Patricia Jackson
Suicide Survivor's Handbook The Enigma of Suicide
An excellent survey of the subject, with heartbreaking case studies interwoven. This book is very well written, deals a lot with historical treatments and perceptions of suicide, as well as current scientific thinking. Lots of facts, not a how-to-cope book but very useful if you're looking for information.
The Enigma of Suicide The Harvard Medical School Guide
to Suicide Assessment and Intervention
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Guide for determining the risk for and intervening against suicide. For clinicians.
Topics include: working with adolescents and the physically ill, and major mental illness, Also addresses somatic treatment of the suicidal patient. Includes an account from a professional who has attempted suicide herself.
The Harvard Medical School Guide The Lost Soul Companion
Susan Brackney writes with quirky candor and a sense of humor. But more than that, she writes with great warmth and compassion for those who may feel like a square peg in a round-hole world. The Lost Soul Companion is a book of honesty, hope and promise, and it will make you smile.
Includes personal anecdotes; short biographies of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Vincent Van Gogh, and John Kennedy Toole; recipes; discussions of suicide, depression, creativity, poverty, hope; and much more. Also includes illustrations.
Bob Zaltsberg, Editor, The Herald-Times
The Lost Soul Companion The Peaceful Pill Handbook
The book compares different methods utilized in voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. Includes information about the use of nembutal, helium, propoxyphene, manufacturing homemade suicide pills, and more. Written by end-of-life physician, Dr. Philip Nitschke.
The Peaceful Pill Handbook The Power to Prevent Suicide:
A Guide for Teens Helping Teens
This powerful book is geared towards teenagers to help each other but it is also an excellent resource as well for parents, teachers and para-professionals.
The Power to Prevent Suicide The Suicidal Mind
Three case studies from a UCLA thanatologist demonstrate in chilling detail that killing oneself is no easy matter. Proposes the not especially novel idea that psychological pain, or psychache, is the primary cause of suicide. Concludes that most suicides fall into five need clusters.
Case studies demonstrate three of these clusters: the need to be loved, the need to strike first, and the need to belong. The first case study consists mostly of transcribed audiotapes from Ariel, who chose self-immolation but survived with horrible burns over most of her body. Beatrice, the second case, her choice was knives and starvation. Castro, the third case, was unable to speak to Shneidman, having blown away most of his face while trying to blow his brains out, but he wrote out for him a long account of the episode, as well as many notes and letters.
The Suicidal Mind Waking Up, Alive:
The Descent,
the Suicide Attempt, and the Return to Life
Interviews 50 people, who live meaningful lives after having failed in their suicide attempts. In their own words, his subjects reveal the devastating effects of traumatic loss, extreme family dysfunction, and alienation. Many of the interviewees relate early experiences of loss and trauma, such as the death of a parent or sexual abuse, that they were not able to mourn.
But when suicide attempts fail, survivors are forced to face the reality of their self-abuse and the crisis that they were trying to resolve. In addition to grappling with the more recent calamity.
--Copyright, Kirkus Associates
Waking Up, Alive