Samuel Buser

During episode 49 : Juvenile Justice & Suicide, Part I, we discussed the negative effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Adolescents who suffer adverse events such as homelessness, abuse, or absent parents become more likely to have severe problems later. Incarceration is one of the devastating consequences related to experiencing ACEs.  ACEs Are Common Among the Incarcerated It is commonly held that we should protect kids from bad things.  However, research indicates that about one third of …

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In Episode 48: Celebrity & Suicide we discuss reasons why celebrities may choose to end their lives by suicide.  One might think that the happiness brought to celebs by fame and fortune would make them less likely to consider suicide. It turns out that success cannot prevent you from becoming suicidal. Being successful does not guarantee happiness. For some time Yale University has offered a course called Psyc 157: Psychology and the Good Life.  It essentially …

Is There Something Bigger Than Happiness? Read More »

In episode 46: Anger & Suicide, Part I and episode 47: Anger & Suicide, Part II, we noted that anger and suicide are related.  Of course, not everyone who takes their life has an anger management problem.  And, of course, not all angry people are suicidal.  It might seem that an angry person is more likely to pose a danger to others than to themselves. The portrayals of “bad guys” in movies and TV usually …

Are Suicide and Anger Actually Related? Read More »

In episode 46: Anger & Suicide, Part I we discuss how excessive anger can become lethal.  One of the worst versions of this already hard to talk about subject is murder-suicide. In this extreme situation, a person kills someone else, often a loved one, before taking their own life. Such events are usually the culmination of a pattern of extreme anger or rage. The vast majority of suicides result only in the death of the perpetrator. Although this …

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In Episode 45: You Say You Want a Resolution?, we discuss the old tradition of making a change in the new year.  “I resolve to…quit smoking, lose weight, be a better person, etc.”.  As we all know it is much easier to make resolutions than to keep them.  One of the resolutions that you may have made at some point or another is to do more to help others. It is often said that helping others …

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