Singer Mindy McCready's death highlights role guns play in suicides

[spanone]

Country singer Mindy McCready, whose troubled personal life often overshadowed her music, made several suicide attempts using pills in the past decade. She died this time when she used a gun.

The role of guns in suicide is receiving renewed attention in the national debate over firearms violence after the shootings in Newtown, Conn. About 19,000 of the more than 31,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S. each year are due to suicide — far outnumbering gun-related homicides.

About 85 percent of suicide attempts with guns prove fatal, making firearms the leading method of suicide in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In comparison, pills result in death in 2 percent of cases.

“It’s access to weaponry that turns desperate people into suicides,” says psychiatrist Kenneth Duckworth, medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, interviewed before McCready’s death.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130219/NEWS08/302190005/Singer-Mindy-McCready-s-death-highlights-role-guns-play-suicides

[graham4anything]

1. Not to mention it is being thought that she might have shot her husband and his dog

It is far too easy when one has a gun and bullet, manufactured solely to kill something
is available.

[hack89]

2. How do you keep guns out of their hands?

short of a complete ban and confiscation?

A mental health data base perhaps?

[pipoman]

3. Too bad it isn't highlighting

the lack of access to mental health and addiction services..but alas..

[spanone]

4. i suspect that anyone who shoots themselves in the head highlights mental health

[pipoman]

15. Apparently in this case, after other attempts,

the only focus is on the impossibility of a complete gun ban..nothing short can have any effect..that is if one actually believes this or any suicide is actually caused by the presence of guns..

[cbdo2007]

7. True. Someone who is going to kill themselves is going to do it with or without a gun.

The real problem, like you said is the lack of mental health and addiction services.

[pipi_k]

14. Agree 100%

One of my uncles killed himself with carbon monoxide fumes from his car.

Mr Pipi's niece...17 years old did the same thing.

A local boy...19 years old... hanged himself two weeks ago.

Three men I know...a son-in-law, my brother, and a cousin...all committed suicide by alcohol.

People slowly kill themselves every day by eating shitty, greasy, artery-clogging food.

They kill themselves and others by texting and driving.

Smoking.

People bent on killing themselves will find a way to do it.

[pipoman]

16. We all owe a big thanks to Raygun

who defunded mental health services, among his other stellar accomplishments..

[Not Me]

5. I don't believe when she bought the weapon

that she said to herself, "Gee, I need to get me a gun so I can kill myself."
But, like so many other cases, it was there. It was within reach in a moment of despair.

A moment of despair. A moment of anger. A moment of curiousity of a child. All reasons why there will never be a gun in my home.

[laundry_queen]

12. That's exactly it

I cannot tell you how many stories I've heard of people who decide to kill themselves and take a bunch of pills, then as the pills start to take effect, they change their minds and call 911. People who choose suicide by gun don't have that choice. Plus, the 15% who don't succeed in killing themselves with guns have a long road ahead of them. A guy in my school, gorgeous guy, very popular, for unknown reasons shot himself in the mouth. Blew off half his beautiful face. He survived. I'm not sure what ever became of him....but I can guess his life wasn't easy after that. One moment is all it takes when there's a gun in the house.

[HappyMe]

6. What this should do

is highlight the need for better and stigma free mental health care and addiction recovery.

People at the end of their rope will find a way to kill themselves, with or without a gun.

[spanone]

8. maybe she could have stabbed the dog to death, then or forced her dog to take sleeping pills?

or jumped off a bridge holding her dog....

guns kill easily.

[HappyMe]

11. Yeah, just sweep the reasons for suicide

under the rug. Shitty health care kills easily.

Better health and addiction care is needed right now.

[laundry_queen]

13. both

they are not mutually exclusive. I can advocate for less guns AND good mental health care/addition help at the same time.

[Quantess]

9. Yeah, and...

I think it also highlights the negative effects of putting troubled people on a reality show.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. Because doing something useful that actually helps people is too hard, I suppose.

She didn't beed an internvention she needed gun control!