Step Back from the Exit: 45 Reasons to Say No to Suicide

Suicide rates continue to rise. Assisted suicides continue to grab headlines. Why shouldn't we call it quits when the world is a painful place and the future seems non-existent? Direct, practical, accepting, at times humorous--this book offers support for those facing the blind alleys, bottomless pits, and concrete barriers of life. Arising from the author's struggle with suicidal thoughts, these 45 short essays range in diversity from Marilyn Monroe to William Styron, from guilt to vitamins, and from bad manners to bad genes. While acknowledging the depth of pain that brings people to consider suicide, this book asks them to wait. The format is easy to read wherever opened, intelligent, yet fitting to a short attention span. When someone can't imagine one reason, this book offers 45. Additionally, the rare glimpse into this other world has helped physicians, counselors, police, teachers, chaplains, family, and friends further understand the suicidal psyche.