Suicide and mental illness

I had missed that Jesse Bering, who has written extensively for Scientific American and other  publications on homosexuality (he's gay himself) has a book out on suicide.  

There are many articles around about it, but I thought this recent column at Slate was pretty good.  The subtitle explains its main theme:

We’ve gotten too used to discussing suicide as a fleeting, temporary side effect of mental illness. We might better serve people in need if we could acknowledge the messier reality.

I think he makes his case out well. 

While I would say I have never felt the slightest bit like I could be susceptible to suicidal thoughts, I do find the topic of how and why some people do very interesting.   I also want my kids to think about it too - as I presume understanding the topic at a young age might empower them to recognize what is going on in their own head if ever they do start to feel that way?   Well, I hope that's a correct assumption.   Not that it really matters, because I have recommended both of my teenagers to read at least this short, clear article about how depression feels, but of course both react with suspicion as to why I am recommending it to them and won't read it anyway.