There are different types of suicide:

Death Seekers - People with a clear intent to kill themselves. They will most likely use a lethal way, such as shooting or hanging. They will most likely suceed.

Death Initiators - People who kill themselves because they believe that they are already dying. Usually people with a terminal illness. They want to speed up the dying process.

Death Ignorers - People that feel killing themselves will not really cause them to die - only move on to a better place. An example of this is the "Heaven's Gate" cult. Children also fall into this category. Often after a parent dies the child will committ suicide to "join" their deceased parent.

Death Darers - People that are usually not sure if they want to die. They take the steps to kill themselves but may use a way that may/or may not result in death. May take pills/drugs. Sometimes these people are looking for attention (a cry for help) and will alert someone after they've taken the pills.

We lose many wonderful and talented people to suicide every year.

Enough about celebrities. I lost a close friend a few years ago to suicide. Ed had suffered with manic depression most of his life. He was a kind, considerate and funny person loved by everyone. I saw him a few days before his death. He seemed okay - even happy. As we parted ways he kissed me gently on the lips (something he had never done before) and said "See ya later." I never saw him again. He shot himself. I felt that I should have seen it coming. Usually when someone has a clear intent to kill his/or herself, he/or she will act as if everything is fine. They don't want to alert anyone and have their plans foiled. I miss Ed and think of him often. I'll never forget what a great friend he was.

Often there *are* signs that someone may be thiking of taking their life - and their is a way to help prevent this. Follow this link to read the signs to watch for and ways you can help:
What to do if someone becomes suicidal

Please - if someone you know seems depressed - try to urge them to receive help. Suicide is *not* the answer. If anoyone wants to chat about this topic, you can e-mail me (see below e-mail address).