O n Friday I saw that the Daily would have a feature on suicide. I was interested in what would be said and how the stories would be presented. The article dealt with the increase in suicide, which may be alarming, but it dealt very poorly with the reasons for the increase. I seriously disagree with this theory. For the most part, people who commit suicide suffer from clinical depression, a physiological condition which is not caused by homework or a bad grade.
Depression leaves people feeling empty, with a general apathy toward life.
Students suffering from this illness probably won't care about their homework and grades. The real problem facing depressed people is deciding how they will get through the day. I have suffered from clinical depression for four years now, and without my fear of damnation, I might have killed myself. Medication and counseling have helped to control my illness, but while I was depressed my life was a void. I had no reason for feeling down and couldn't even begin to rationalize my feelings.