Why Suicide? Questions and Answers About Suicide, Suicide Prevention, and Coping with the Suicide of Someone You Know

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in our lifetimes 80 percent of us will have some up-close experience with the suicide of someone we know. And more than 20 percent of us will have a family member die by suicide. Journalist Eric Marcus knows this better than most people. In 1970, his father took his life at the age of 44. In 2008, his 49-year-old sister-in-law took her life as well.

In a completely revised and updated edition of the landmark original Why Suicide , Eric Marcus offers thoughtful answers to scores of questions about this complex, painful issue, from how to recognize the signs of someone who is suicidal to strategies for coping in the aftermath of a loved one's death.

No matter what the circumstances, those of us who are affected by suicide are left with difficult and disturbing questions:

• Why did they do it
• Was it my fault
• What should I tell people when they ask what happened
• Is someone who attempts suicide likely to try again
• What should I do if I'm thinking of killing myself

Drawing from his own experience, as well as interviews with people who have been touched by suicide, Eric Marcus cuts through the veil of silence and misunderstanding to bring clarity, reassurance, and comfort to those who so desperately need it.

“This book is a must have.”

"A must-read book for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide. It's compassionate, informative, and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and start the healing with this splendid book!" -- Dear Abby

"It would have been such a comfort to have read this book after I lost my husband Edgar to suicide." -- Joan Rivers

"" -- Surviving Suicide, a publication of the American Association of Suicidology

Eric Marcus is the author of Making History, Expect the Worst (You Won’t Be Disappointed), and Is It a Choice? and coathor of Breaking the Surface, the Autobiography of Greg Louganis. He lost his father to suicide in 1970. He lives in New York city.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in our lifetimes 80 percent of us will have some up-close experience with the suicide of someone we know. And more than 20 percent of us will have a family member die by suicide. Journalist Eric Marcus knows this better than most people. In 1970, his father took his life at the age of 44. In 2008, his 49-year-old sister-in-law took her life as well. In a completely revised and updated edition of the landmark original Why Suicide ?, Eric Marcus offers thoughtful answers to scores of questions about this complex, painful issue, from how to recognize the signs of someone who is suicidal to strategies for coping in the aftermath of a loved one's death. No matter what the circumstances, those of us who are affected by suicide are left with difficult and disturbing questions: Why did they do it? Was it my fault? What should I tell people when they ask what happened? Is someone who attempts suicide likely to try again? What should I do if I'm thinking of killing myself? Drawing from his own experience, as well as interviews with people who have been touched by suicide, Eric Marcus cuts through the veil of silence and misunderstanding to bring clarity, reassurance, and comfort to those who so desperately need it.

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