Girl Interrupted and Suicide
Girl Interrupted and Suicide
By: Kimberly Polly
English 102 Section 1
Professor Diane Emmolo
8/12/06 Outline:
I. Brief Film Synopsis
II. Suicide statistics
a.) men vs. women
b.) suicide rates for ages
III. Thesis Personal feelings caution
IV. Causes
V. Treatments a.) types
VI. Facts signs
VII. Conclusion
Kimberly Polly
English 102
Research Paper
Girl Interrupted and Suicide The 1999 Oscar winning film Girl Interrupted starring Angelina Jolie is based on the true story of Susan Kaysen’s 18 month stay in a mental hospital following a suicide attempt. The movie envelops a multitude of mental disorders so I am choosing to focus on the suicide attempt that brought Ms. Kaysen to the hospital because it is a subject that I have dealt with closely and still demands resolve. In 2001 suicide took the lives of 30,622 people. Although women attempt suicide three times more often than men, men are four times more likely to die from suicide attempts. Death from suicide is highest in Caucasians and is the third leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-14 year olds. Although there has been a slow decline since the year 1992, suicide rates are still too high and affect children far too young. (National) Many people scoff at those who attempt suicide, mocking them and claiming that they just want attention. The truth is that most people who attempt suicide do not want to die, but want their pain and suffering to end and do not know any other way to end it. Any attempt at suicide should be taken seriously because without proper treatment, it is likely that another attempt will be made and will possibly be “successful”. It is not always true that you will be able to tell that someone is depressed by their actions because more often than not depressed people hide their emotions. Any mention of suicide attempts or serious depressive wishes of dying should be taken with the utmost
By: Kimberly Polly
English 102 Section 1
Professor Diane Emmolo
8/12/06 Outline:
I. Brief Film Synopsis
II. Suicide statistics
a.) men vs. women
b.) suicide rates for ages
III. Thesis Personal feelings caution
IV. Causes
V. Treatments a.) types
VI. Facts signs
VII. Conclusion
Kimberly Polly
English 102
Research Paper
Girl Interrupted and Suicide The 1999 Oscar winning film Girl Interrupted starring Angelina Jolie is based on the true story of Susan Kaysen’s 18 month stay in a mental hospital following a suicide attempt. The movie envelops a multitude of mental disorders so I am choosing to focus on the suicide attempt that brought Ms. Kaysen to the hospital because it is a subject that I have dealt with closely and still demands resolve. In 2001 suicide took the lives of 30,622 people. Although women attempt suicide three times more often than men, men are four times more likely to die from suicide attempts. Death from suicide is highest in Caucasians and is the third leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-14 year olds. Although there has been a slow decline since the year 1992, suicide rates are still too high and affect children far too young. (National) Many people scoff at those who attempt suicide, mocking them and claiming that they just want attention. The truth is that most people who attempt suicide do not want to die, but want their pain and suffering to end and do not know any other way to end it. Any attempt at suicide should be taken seriously because without proper treatment, it is likely that another attempt will be made and will possibly be “successful”. It is not always true that you will be able to tell that someone is depressed by their actions because more often than not depressed people hide their emotions. Any mention of suicide attempts or serious depressive wishes of dying should be taken with the utmost
Cited: McCleary R, Chew K, Hellsten JJ, Flunn-Bransford M. Age-and Sec-Specific Cycles in United States Suicides, 1973-1985. American Journal of Public Health 1991;81: 1494-7. Dorpat TL, Anderson WF, Ripley HS. The relationship of physical illness to suicide. In: Resnik HP, editor. Suicide behaviors: diagnosis and management. Boston (MA): Little, Brown, and Co.; 1968:209-19. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s call to action to prevent suicide. Washington (DC): Department of Health and Human Services; 1999. Available online from: URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm. Anderson RN, Smith BL. Deaths: leading causes for 2001. National Vital Statistics Report 2003;52(9):1-86. All Statistics Taken From here http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Teen+Suicide§ion=Facts+for+Families http://www.save.org/basics/qna.html#1 Girl Interrupted, 1999, produced by James Mangold released by Sony