Linkblogging

[telophase]

MindHacks links to an interesting article in the New York Times on the myth that if a suicidal person is prevented from killing themselves they'll just find another way. It seems that only about 10% or fewer of those prevented from doing so actually go ahead with it, as most suicides are impulsive. Something as simple as putting pills in blister packs can reduce the suicide rate by adding time for the person to think about it and get over the initial impulse.

calixa is watching a cracked-out medical j-drama called Iryu Team Medical Dragon. "MEDICAL DRAGON IS TRAINING HIS BATISTA TECHNIQUE....BY... BY... STANDING SHIRTLESS ON THE ROOF... AND LETTING SMOKE SWIRL ABOUT HIS NAKED BODY...AND... DOING THE HAND MOTIONS OF SURGERY."

The Frontal Cortex quotes Robert Sapolsky on his baboon study and how violence and non-violence seems to be tied with culture.

The Outlaw Design Blog talks about how freelancer artists and designers can increase their referrals.

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Maybe bullets should be sold in blister packs. Individually wrapped. The impenetrable kind you need scissors and a vise grip to open.

[mscongeniality.livejournal.com]

The cynical (and somewhat experienced) part of me says that the Times article is probably true, but it depends on how many times that person has been stopped. If you're talking a half dozen or more, then yes, they will eventually succeed.

[janni.livejournal.com]

There's also the fact that depression itself can be transitory--if the stopped person can manage to either get into therapy, or be delayed long enough for the depression to resolve on its own, that could make a difference, too.

Of the two suicides I've known most directly, one seemed to be an impulse jump (so it was interesting to see that that in particular tends to be an impulse thing); the other was clearly the determined sort that planned it in advance, and would have tried again.

Unless, you know, we could have gotten her into therapy somehow. She was resistant to same, but if she could have been gotten there, there's a good chance it would have helped.

[kate_nepveu]

Further on impulsive suicides: DC gun ban in 1976 "correlated with an abrupt 25 percent decline in suicides." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070602118.html

[unrelatedwaffle.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded of reading that Elvis always used to keep the first chamber of his gun empty, because he knew his own temper, and when that gun went *click* instead of *bang*, it shocked him into realizing what he was doing. One wonders why he didn't just keep every chamber empty, but who can explain anything that crazy man did.