Review of Related Literature Definition The psychology of stress dictates that it can be self-generated by the inability to accept uncertainty,

pessimism, negative self-talk, and other outside factors. This leads a person to put high demands on himself and forces them to adjust to a certain situation which leads them to have a hard time coping. (www.helpguide.com/mental/stress signs! "tress changes a person# it alters how their body works and indirectly, their brain as well. They may respond to stress as they do an allergy# they can become sensiti$ed, or acutely sensitive to stress. % stress of high magnitude when you are young may permanently rewire the brain&s circuitry. 't may throw the system askew and leave it less able to handle normal, everyday stress. (www.physcologytoday.com! "tress is a descriptive term that our culture uses to normali$e unconscious anger, a fear of love, a lack of forgiveness, a desperate clinging to a vain identity and an absence of spiritual life. 't is the typical reaction to the changes happening in one&s life. (hange may lead to stress seeing as how it contains within it the )demand* that we have adapt to a certain situation. +ow we perceive change really determines how we manage to adapt to it# positive change leads to relief, while negative change sees it as a threat with a variety of physiological responses. (www.guidetopsychology.com/stress!

(auses of "tress % common mistake many make is to blame stress symptoms or illness on things unrelated to stress. ,hat may be a stress signal for one individual may be a sign of disease for another or even a normal response for someone else. "tress symptoms or signals can be divided into - main categories. physical, emotional and behavioral. (/reaking the "tress +abit, 0123 p. --! "hort term stress like a job interview, taking a test or run a race is normal. 4ong-term stress is caused by stressful situation or events that last over a long period of time, like conflicts at work or family. "ome e5amples of personal problems that can cause stress are bad health, emotional problems, relationships with others, major life changes, conflicts with beliefs and values, stress in your family, job issues, social situations, and financial situations.

(www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management! 6oise, bad weather, pollution and natural disasters are all sources that create stress through environmental factors. 7loomy skies can mean more depressed moods# and for some, high noise levels can be more insidious. /y learning to appreciate improvements when they do occur, you will be able to develop a greater ability to retain realistic e5pectation and avoid stress-making disappointments. The fact that major stressful events can affect a person&s physical and mental well-being has been well known for some time. (umulative effect of a number of small stresses can cause the same amount of damage. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor 0112, p. 9:!

;ffects of "tress <ajor psychological reactions to stress include an5iety, burnout, traumatic reaction, and post traumatic stress disorder. %mong the major source of stress in our lives are life changes, hassles, job settings, home life and acculturation. There are two main types of stress, acute stress and chronic stress. %cute stress is defined as the )fight or flight response*# it is the body&s immediate reaction to a significant threat, challenge or scare. (hronic stress, on the other hand, can spur you into action. 't can motivate and energi$e you to face a situation, seeing as how problems occur when acute stressors pile up and stick around. (=sychology of "tress, 0112 p. >?@! The degree to which people respond to stress and the e5tent to which they are affected depend on the intensity and the duration. There is no easy way to predict how much stress is )too much* because stressors often work together to magnify our response and increase the intensity of reactions. %ccording to doctors, even pleasant changes or e5periences can create stress and make one more susceptible to resulting illness. "tress response is really a group of reactions set off during any kind of stressful event. ,hat is upsetting for one person may concern someone else very little. There are certain events, however, that seem to be universally stressful for people throughout the world. (/reaking the "tress +abit, 0123 p. :0!

"tress %mong Teens "tress overload can cause depression, an5iety and affect the young adult&s performance in school and in social situations. The pressure to get good grades and choose the right e5tracurricular

activity can cause stress on a daily basis. Aelationships that center on infatuation, jealousy and sadness can accompany young and immature relationships towards frustration. /usy schedules with job, school and family obligations may overwhelm teenagers and lead them to burn out. %rguments in the family are a major cause of stress# firm rules and guidelines are important to help your teen know what to e5pect in the family. "elf-esteem may also be affected because of school or social status, which leads them to face stress with less strength. (www.livestrong.com!

=ressure put on teens are a risk factor for the development of depression or other serious conditions that carries an increased risk of suicide. The presence of intact and strong social support networks among friends and family can help reduce the subjective e5perience of stress during the teenage years. The same mechanism that turns on the stress response can turn it off. Teenagers generally have the reaction of )fight, flight or free$e.* The )rela5ation response* and other stress management skills feel less helpless and have more choices when responding to stress. (www.medicinenet.com! The presence of good stress is when it can help keep one on their toes, and ready to rise to a challenge. /ad stress may come from on going or long term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new school. 4ong term stressful events can wear out a body&s reserves and overwhelm or even weaken a person. 't depends on what conte5ts the child moves in and what e5pectations are for him or her. (hanges of adolescence, family issues, school, social issues, college applications, transitions, fear, and responsibility are the main causes of stress among teenagers. (www.kidshealth.org!

Boung people must balance the need to develop apart from their families with the desire to retain their childhood security. Teenagers are pressured to conform with their peers, to perform well at school, and to meet the challenges of becoming competent in an adult world. The adults in teenager&s lives need to be alert for signs of irritability, aggression or withdrawal, and to make it clear that they are always available for their teen. %t difficult times, perhaps when a relationship goes bad, adolescents are best taught to deal with emotional upset by e5ample. The major challenge of this period in an adolescent&s life is to take full responsibility for finding one&s own direction in the world. 8or an individual who does not know what he/she would like to do, schools often have guidance counseling, which may help. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor 011>, p. 1>!

Aeasons for Teenage "tress Together with the difficult transition from the dependency of childhood to the independence and autonomy of adulthood, adolescents are faces with new challenges psychologically. %dolescents develop new relationships with their families and culture that surrounds them in light of these challenges. %dolescents who have not developed successful coping skills may suffer stress related disorders. ;5pression of these disorders is often related to social pressures (e.g. depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse!. ((hildhood "tress, 011@ p. :92! The young adult e5periences numerous Cuantitative shifts that take place, at this time, which at times assume the character of a radical break with previous interests, routines, and relationships. Teenagers begin to have sharpened sense of his/her own dignity, he/she sees himself as

someone who may not be coerced, humiliated and deprives of the right to independence. (www.pysple5us.com! 'llustrated by feelings of nervousness, irritation, an5iousness, dimness, and e5traction that commonly lasts for a few our or a few days characteri$es the period of stress in an adolescent&s life. Depression is viewed by e5treme stress and feelings of hopelessness, sadness, frustration, etc. ;motional stress has been recogni$ed among many aspects that can degenerate a person&s health stability. The risk that teens will smoke, drink, get drunk, and use illegal drugs increases sharply if they are highly stressed. % teen suffering from depression, learning disability, drug abuse, etc. can often be found in those with high stress levels.

(www.troubledteensparents.net/teen issues/teen stress!

Teen&s Aesponse to "tress 8or the young adult, it is important to remember that regular e5ercise, a healthy diet and a good night&s sleep help cope with problems and with any stress that they are currently e5periencing. 8or teenagers who does not routinely handle stress well, mental health professions, i.e. guidance counselors and psychiatrists, can be helpful. =arents are advised that a pediatrician can be a good source if they need help managing their child&s level of stress.

(www.pediatrics.about.com! % freCuent reaction to stress is when an individual becomes angry at the person or object that is causing him stress, and he may e5press his anger openly. This reaction is known as )anger-out.* %nother reaction to stress known as )anger-in* puts the individual in a situation where in he is angry with himself and blames himself for his predicament. %nother reaction to stress would be

not to react to the stressful stimulus with evidence of strain, people who respond on this manner could not properly be said to have e5perienced stress at all. (=sychology and +uman =roblems 01?3, p. >:-! %dolescents who react to stress with an5iety tend to view their mother as the primary source of all three influences. authority, role model and affection. Those who react by anger-out mechanism tend to view their fathers as the primary authority figures and role models in their families, but they regard their mother as the primary source of affection. Those who react by anger-in had much the same view of their parents, but there was simply less differentiation in the views, i.e. mother and father are viewed as sharing authority. (=sychology and +uman =roblems, 01?3 p. >:>! The first level of help for teens is simply having a way to e5press what is going on. +aving both a language to name the feelings and safe place to vent out one&s feelings would be the best way to deal with the situation. =arents are the main support system, second support may be provided by siblings, friends, or even a journal. Teenagers should e5ercise and eat regularly, avoid e5cess caffeine and illegal drugs intake, learn practical coping skills, decrease negative self talk, learnt to feel good about doing competent jobs, and take a break from stressful situations. (www.familyfirstaid.org!

(oping =rocesses and Defense <echanisms The first reaction to a stressful situation is not coping but the use of defense mechanisms. The two major changes the individual can readily make are to modify the environment that he is in or to change his own behavior. (hanging the environment involves a forthright attempt to

modify the e5ternal situation in a constructive way that has a reasonable high probability of success. 't is viewed that a person might attempt to cope with her situation by changing her own behavior. (=sychology "cience and Dnderstanding, 011> p.>>?->>3! %n individual response to stress is influenced by what they learn, how they act, and how often they do things whenever they encounter stressful events. %lmost from the start your body automatically begins to respond to stress of a certain situation without you even being aware of it. 'f you are an over responder, your response Cuickly builds until your body signals the stress with some kind of symptom that lets you know something is wrong. % slow responder may not get the signal until he/she is at home or going to bed. (/reaking the "tress +abit, 0123 p. 0?! ,hen confronted with stress, people sometimes give up and withdraw from the battle. This response of apathy and inaction tends to be associated with emotional reactions of sadness and dejection. =eople learn helplessness involving behavior produced by e5posure to unavoidable aversive events. 'n some cases, people tend to deal with a situation through aggression. %ggression is always due to frustration# people often lash out at others who had nothing to do with their frustration usually because they cannot vent out their anger at the real source of frustration. Defense mechanisms are largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as an5iety and guilt. Defense mechanism shield one from the emotional discomfort elicited by stress. The main purpose of this reaction is to ward off unwelcome emotions or reduce their intensity. =eople use defenses to suppress dangerous feelings of anger or an5iety so that they do not e5plode into acts of aggression or even depression. (=sychology %pplied to <odern 4ife, 0113 p. 0@?!

The two major coping mechanisms are palliation and direction action. =alliation is a defensive process in which an individual alters their reaction to emotional events. Direct action, on the other hand, works on solving the problem that is currently being faced. These are actions directed, or probable solutions to a problem or stressful situation. (oping may be observed in defensiveness and the degree of attempted personal control. (=sychology, "cience and Dnderstanding 0112, p. 92:! "ometimes people have to face an5iety and depression in line with stress. "ome degree of an5iety and fear is a natural human response to challenge. 'n the right circumstance, they will help you spring into action. (onstantly heightened levels of an5iety and fear can lead to physical as well as emotional problems especially if they are caused by situations in which you are powerless or have impossible schedules or deadlines that you can not meet. "ometimes stress is so intense that it precipitates a panic attack. This is a brief period of acute an5iety, characteri$ed by profuse sweating, light-headedness, palpitations, tight feeling in the chest and a sinking feeling in the stomach. These reactions usually happen when faces with a stressful event. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor 0112, p.>9!

"tress <anagement There are three distinct stages of stress. %larm E ,hen stress occurs, the adrenal hormone production increases to combat it. 'f it becomes successful, adrenal functions returns to normal. Aesistance E,hen you do not get any relief from the first stage of stress, you slowly start feeling a reduction in your energy levels.

;5haustion - ,hen stress continues beyond the second stage and you do not adhere to remedial measures, the final stress stage of e5haustion settles in. Bou are now totally tired and drained out of all energy. (=hilippine Daily 'nCuirer :3 8ebruary :@@?! The fact that stress is not always negative should be kept in mind. % number of studies

have shown that some degree of stress is important for human development. Aesearchers have discovered that increased stress can sometimes lead to improved performance and efficiency. %t certain times and at certain conditions, stress helps to improve your self-esteem and competence, enhance your personal development and relieve boredom. 'n many activities, you may need some level of stress to perform well and meet new challenges. %n area in which stress has been shown most clearly to help performance is athletics. Aesearchers have discovered that batters who showed both high and low levels of anciety did not perform as well as batters who displayed a moderate amount of stress. (<anaging "tress from <orning to 6ight, :@@0 p. 1! =eople need a certain amount of stress to perform at their best. +owever, too much stress produces many negative effects. Therefore, many people look for ways to better manage the stress in their lives. "ome people practice rela5ation techniCues. "tress can be produced by thinking about stressful things in a different way. (,orld /ook ;ncyclopedia, 011? p. ->>! ,e too can develop the kind of stress tolerance these people have without changing our personalities and without having to be preoccupied all the time in order to feel good. The way in which we perceive and interpret events and situations is what makes us either tolerant of or prone to the effects of stress reactions. 4earning to do this is one of the most critical elements in stress management.

,e sometimes hear people say, )' work better under pressure.* or )' thrive on competition.* These teenagers perform much better when they&re under the gun. They seem to be more satisfied when they&re meeting deadlines ore doing anything else that enhances the e5citement of their lives. ("tress Tolerance, 0123 p. ??! /ecause prevention is the best cure, it&s best to be aware of personal stress levels before they become too high. Feeping a daily diary of stressful times may enable you to pinpoint those situations that you find most troublesome. Gnce you have identified them, you can take steps to eliminate them from your life, perhaps by changing your situation or simply organi$ing your time better. Bou may at least diffuse problems by learning to rela5. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor, 0112 p. :@! There are three major approaches which can be used to manage stress. %ction-oriented E in which you seek to confront the problem causing the stress, changing the environment or the situation ;motionally-oriented E in which you do not have the power to change the situation, but you can manage stress by changing your interpretation of the situation and the way you feel about it %cceptance-oriented E where something has happened over which you have no power and no emotional control, and where you focus is on surviving the stress (+ealth =sychology (8ourth ;dition!, 0111 p. :?! /y anticipating stressful situations, you can prepare for them. /y making sure of your facts and getting a complete understanding of the situation, you ensure that you are properly prepared and

that t you are not wrong-footed by predictable situations and events. (+ealth =sychology (8ourth ;dition!, 0111 p. :?! =sychologists believe that people who actually manage stress are less likely to develop infectious diseases and perhaps even cancer. 't appears that the way in which teenagers handle stress has an important influence on their immune system. (<anaging "tress from <orning to 6ight, :@@0 p. :@! Turning 6egative "tress into =ositive ;5periences Turning negative stress into positive e5periences reCuires that we make adjustments in the way we act. (onditioning ourselves to cope with stress through changes in our attitudes and behavior is the key element in developing a stress-tolerant lifestyle. "omewhere within all of us, however, lies the ability to bring out the best in ourselves. ,e have the power to turn bad stress into good. +ow we perceive life events, how we behave in response to stress encounters, and how we condition ourselves to look at negative situations in a positive way all determine how Cuickly and easily we can begin to break the stress habit. (/reaking the "tress +abit, 0123 p. ??! ,e can fight stress by changing our attitudes in order to perceive negative events in a positive way. %nother way is to modify some of our behaviors pattern, so it becomes easier for us to change these attitudes and make them fit our own personality. Gur attitudes and behavior are closely linked# behavior can control our attitudes and attitudes can certainly drive our behavior. (hanging some of our behavior patterns is critical in stress

management and can make the different between our being able to develop stress tolerance or not. (Turning /ad "tress into 7ood through /ehavior <odification, 0123 p. ?0!

+ow (an "tress by AeducedH % few behavior changes which can help reduce stress are the ff. -Talk to yourself in a positive way. This helps relieve tension and promotes rela5ation. -Ialue positive stress results and not negative ones. -/e fle5ible enough to change. Through this, we can find a better method of accomplishing our goals and organi$ing our lives. -6ever try to be perfect as long as you&re the best you can be. (/reaking the "tress +abit, 0123 p. ?0! Aegular e5ercise

Gf all the natural stress beaters, regular e5ercise is one of the best. 't helps dissipate tensions, makes you sleep better and can aid concentration. <oderate e5ercise also has a beneficial effect on the heart and circulation, helping to ward off illness. ,hen stressful situations arise, you will be better able to rela5 and take them your stride if you are fit. 'f you Cuickly become e5hausted in everyday situations, you will almost certainly benefit from e5ercise. Then, when you face additional challenges, you will have the energy to handle them better. (<anaging "tress from <orning to 6ight, :@@0 p. -@! (rying

Tears, in theory, may help remove chemicals that build up during an emotionally stressful situation, thereby restoring the body&s chemical balance. (rying is an effective way to reduce psychological tension. "eventy-three percent of the men and eighty-five percent of the women who were Cuestioned asserted that they felt better after crying. %nother study compared a group of men and women with stress-related disorders to a group of healthy teenagers of similar age and background. Aesearchers discovered that one difference between the two groups was that subjects who were ill tend to regard crying as a sign of weakness or loss of control while members of the healthy group were not ashamed to cry. %lthough crying won&t entirely remove the source of stress, it aids rela5ation and helps clear the mind so that we can begin to cope with stressful events. (<anaging "tress from <orning to 6ight, :@@0 p. ::! 4aughing

"ubseCuent research has shown that laughing can indeed be thought of as )internal jogging.* 4aughing increases respiratory e5change, heart rate, muscular activity and body temperature, and it stimulates the production of beta-endorphins, the chemicals which some of the researchers believe are responsible for what is known as )runner&s high.* Aecent studies at the Dniversity of (alifornia at "anta /arbara found that laughter was an effective in reducing stress as comple5 biofeedback training programs. Aesearchers also noted that laughter reCuires no special training or eCuipment E just a sense of humor. (<anaging "tress from <orning to 6ight, :@@0 p. :0-::! ;5posure to 6ature

"tudies have found that even brief e5posures to nature can reduce stress. Gne may not be lucky enough to have a view of the grass and trees from where they re, but one can get the same benefit by looking at a picture of nature scenes. They can be in the form of a calendar, wall painting, computer screen saver, aCuarium, etc. =laying a (D or tape with the sound of waves, birds or whales is also rela5ing. ;ven if you can&t take the afternoon off for a round of e5ercise, take regular nature breaks throughout the day right at your desk. (=hilippine Daily 'nCuirer :2 <arch :@@0! "ocial "upport

"ocial support from teenagers& family, relatives and friends can greatly contribute to helping them reduce the stress being e5perienced in their life. The ff. are the different types of social support. ;motional support E when others provide comfort, concern, reassurance and love to the individual Tangible support E direct assistance to the needy person 'nformation support E occurs when the individual receives guidance or advice that helps her cope with the problem ;steem support E the kind of social support that increases an individual&s confidence and sense of competence 6etwork support E comes from the feeling of belonging to a group that shares similar interests (%merican =sychological %ssociation, :@@0 p. :09!

=ost-Traumatic "tress Disorder =T"D is a mental illness that follows a markedly distressing and often physically injurious event. ;5amples of such events include severe beatings, rape and car accidents. (haracteristic features include re-e5periencing of the trauma, psychic numbing and increased arousal. Traumatic re-e5perience involves recurrent memories and nightmares. =sychic numbing involves withdrawal from social activities, loss of interest in ordinary activities and restricted ability to e5perience emotions. The course of =T"D may be divided into three stages. 8irst is response to the trauma, including e5treme an5iety and preoccupation with the event. %fter about a month, feelings of helplessness, restricted emotionality and nightmares can occur. The third stage can involve demorali$ation and despondency. ((ollier&s ;ncyclopedia, 011> pp. --2---1! Grdinary events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks or intrusive images. % flashback may make the person lose touch with reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds or hours, or very rarely, days. % person having a flashback, which can come in the form of images, sounds, smells or feelings, usually believes that the traumatic event is happening all over again. <ost people with =T"D repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. The nightmares or recollections may and go, and a person may be free of them for weeks at a time, and then e5perience them daily for no particular reason. They may also e5perience sleeping problems, depressions, feelings of detachment, numbness or being easily startled.

They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy and have trouble feeling affectionate. They may feel irritable, more aggressive than before, or even violent. "eeing things that remind them of the incident may be very distressing, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories. %nniversaries of the traumatic event are often very difficult for teenagers who are e5periencing this type of disorder. The ff. are symptoms of =T"D. Ae-e5periencing symptoms E ways in which the person persistently re-e5periences the traumatic event, include intrusive memories of the traumatic events, reluctant dreams about the event and mental and physical discomfort when reminded of such event %voidant symptoms E person tries to avoid anything associated with the traumatic event, )numbing effect*, include avoiding thoughts or certain people associated with the traumatic event, reduced interest or participation in significant activities, feeling disconnected from others, showing a limited range of emotion "ymptoms of increased arousal E similar to symptoms of an5iety or panic attacks, include difficulty in concentrating, e5aggerated watchfulness and wariness, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty falling or staying asleep =T"D can be treated, usually with a combination of psychotherapy and medications. =eople with =T"D should seek out a therapist or a psychologist with specific e5perience and background in treating =T"D. (=erformance =sychology in %ction, :@@1 p. 0@0!

(onseCuences of =T"D The event may be re-e5perienced in the form of unprompted memories. There may be disturbed sleep or nightmares, or even vivid flashbacks during waking hours, when sufferers feel and react as if the events were taking place all over again. The traumatic events could become unreal to them, seeming like dreams, and they may begin to feel detached from the rest of the world. =ersonal relationships suffer, often as a result of the victims& desires to avoid anything that symboli$es or recalls the traumas they have endured. %s a conseCuence, they may begin using or increasing their consumptions or alcohol or narcotics. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor, 0112 p. 092! +ow Does =T"D %ffect TeenagersH Dnpleasant physical sensations, such as headaches and abdominal pain, are common too. 'n addition, there may be periods of palpitations, trembling, breathing difficulties, di$$iness, tightening in the chest, menstrual disorders, nausea or diarrhea. %s symptoms can occur sometime after the actual even has triggered them, the link between the symptoms and trauma may not be obvious. 'f they remain unrecogni$ed and untreated, these symptoms have the power to destroy lives by changing the sufferer&s personality and damaging social and family relationships. 't is important to seek immediate help from health professionals and support groups when symptoms of stress from a traumatic event first begin to surface. (+ealth and +ealing the 6atural ,ay. The "tress 8actor, 0112 p. 092!

2.1 Literature Review

%mong the "ociologists two major theoretical positions are currently popular-the psychoanalytic J Durkheim&s sociological theory .8reud, an e5ponent of psychoanalytic theory if suicide proposed two major hypothesis to account for suicide- one is an e5pression of his theory of depression J the other theory postulates that death instinc can turn inward J make the person looses someone who he has loved and hated J if these murderous feelings are strong enough, the person will commit suicide.

;mile Durkheim&s monograph K4e suicide& published in 0213 and translated into ;nglish in 01>: is the pioneering and the most important sociological contribution to the problem of suicide. Durkeim after analy$ing the records of different countries distinguished three types of suicide namely, egoistic, altruistic J anomic. ;goistic suicide is committed when a person helps to few ties to his society and community. 't is the effect of the individual lack for concern for the community and his inadeCuate involvement with it. This includes most suicides to physical and mental illness as well the suicides of the deprived. %ltruistic suicide includes the suicides of the old J the sick who want to relieve the society and this includes the +indu women who used to sacrifice their lives with the death their husbands, the sacrifice of the martyrs as well as the

)+ara-kiri* of Lapanese officers. This type of suicide inspires people&s respect and admiration. This was common in primitive than in highly developed societies. This sort of suicide takes place for the sake of a noble cause or a larger social unity. %nomic suicide is the type that follows catastrophic social changes. 4ife is adjudged to be not worth continuing. ,hen the society fails to control and regulate the behavior f individuals, when religious beliefs decline J when there is e5cessive rela5ation of professional and marital codesa "tate which Durkheim calls anomie, the incidence of suicide becomes freCuent. "uicide results from loneliness and from the feeling that nobody cares for him. 't may also result from e5cess individualism.

%ccording to Durkheim serious faults in social structure leads to an increase in the suicide rates. %ccording to him heredity is not a sufficient e5planation of suicide climatic factors and waves of imitation are also insufficient and inadeCuate e5planations. Durkheim repudiated most of the accepted theories of suicide. +is theory takes little care of psychological factors. +e gives emphasis on group cohesion. <int$ has summari$ed the following motivations for suicide. aggression turned inward# retaliation by inducing guilt in others# efforts to make amends for perceived past wrongs# the desire for reincarnation, the desire to rejoin a dead loved one J the desire or need to escape from stress, deformity, pain or emotional vacuum. "ome see suicide as a legitimate matter of personal choice and a human right (colloCuially known as the right to die movement!, and maintain that no one should be forced to suffer against their will, particularly from conditions such as incurable disease, mental illness, and old age that have no possibility of improvement. =roponents of this view reject the belief that suicide is

always irrational, arguing instead that it can be a valid last resort for those enduring major pain or trauma. This perspective is most popular in continental ;urope, where euthanasia and other such topics are commonly discussed in parliament, although it has a good deal of support in the Dnited "tates as well.

% narrower segment of this group considers suicide something between a grave but condonable choice in some circumstances and a sacrosanct right for anyone (even a young and healthy person! who believes they have rationally and conscientiously come to the decision to end their own lives. 6otable supporters of this school of thought include 7erman pessimist philosopher %rthur "chopenhauer, and "cottish empiricist David +ume. %dherents of this view often advocate the abrogation of statutes that restrict the liberties of people known to be suicidal, such as laws permitting their involuntary commitment to mental hospitals. (ritics may argue that suicidal impulses are often products of mental illness rather than rational self-interest, and that because of the gravity and irreversibility of the decision to take oneMs life it is more prudent for society to err on the side of caution and at least delay the suicidal act.