Changing The Language Around Suicide

The primary reason we should use 'died by suicide' instead of 'committed suicide.'

I recently had the honor of addressing lawyer wellness at the law firm of Winston & Strawn.  I was telling my story and was at the part describing being suicidal in the summer of 2005.  I was about to say, “I decided to commit suicide.” I caught myself. Instead, I said, “I decided to end my life by suicide.” This might seem on the surface to be an inconsequential distinction.  Not long after I spoke, I received an email from a lawyer who attended the event.  It in part read: “…thank you for using the term “die by suicide” instead of “commit suicide.” 

The person went on to relate personal experience around suicide and why it meant so much that I used the language I did.

The evening after the event, I happened to read a recent article written for the ABA Journal. It is about suicide in the legal profession. An excellent article, with one exception. One of the headings was, “Why Do Lawyers Commit Suicide.”

I don’t blame the author for using the term. The conversation about how we describe suicide is not yet a mainstream discussion.  A search of articles I have written may very well reveal the use of “committed suicide.”  I continue to learn. This is simply a teaching moment.  Here is the primary reason we should use “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide.”

The term “committed” carries the historical implication that suicide is a crime or a “sin.”  Religious arguments aside, this takes it out of the mental health conversation and into a moral one. On the morality playing field, it can have the effect of stigmatizing those who have suicidal ideation and discourage them from seeking support.

So why “died by suicide” instead?  There is no morality or judgment embedded in the term. It is a simple description of a tragic event.

News reporting agencies are on board with this language. The AP Style guide instructs not to use the term “committed suicide.”  They provide other alternatives that are fine if for some reason “died by suicide” does not work within your framework.

Sponsored

As to the ABA article, I urge them to be part of the solution on this issue.  In the future, when reviewing submissions, if the term “committed suicide” is present, unless it is a quote to a source, ask the author to change the language.


Brian Cuban (@bcuban) is The Addicted Lawyer. Brian is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, The Addicted Lawyer: Tales Of The Bar, Booze, Blow & Redemption (affiliate link). A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, he somehow made it through as an alcoholic then added cocaine to his résumé as a practicing attorney. He went into recovery April 8, 2007. He left the practice of law and now writes and speaks on recovery topics, not only for the legal profession, but on recovery in general. He can be reached at brian@addictedlawyer.com.

Sponsored