Suicide is one tragic thing done to escape the harsh realities of being a human being. In the United States, suicide is currently the eighth leading cause of death, and for young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, it ranks third (Crosby, Han, Ortega, Parks, & Gfroerer, 2011) This is extremely alarming due to the fact that suicide is one of the most preventable forms of death. There are quite a number of?allegories and misguided common beliefs that surround the subject of suicide. An example is that people who commit suicide don’t give warning signs; when someone is contemplating suicide, they almost always show warning signs of being suicidal. There have also been numerous misconceptions about the leading cause of suicide. Although there are a number of things that can cause someone to commit suicide, there is one main reason that has been proven to be the principal cause; untreated depression. Some other leading causes of suicide include mental illness, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual and physical abuse. Causes of Suicide Many cases of suicide are attempted because the person feels they are in a tough situation and their only way out is to kill themselves. However, this is not the only factor that causes suicide. The number one known cause of suicide is depression, which leads to the person feeling like they are failures at everything and that they do not belong. You are not depressed when you feel sad for a day or two; you are depressed when you experience a prolonged period of sadness that interferes with your ability to function. Depression occurs because of an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. It is an illness and it is highly treatable. (Caruso) It calls attention to the negative aspects of their life and they view everything in a pessimistic way. According to the Harris County Psychiatric Center in Texas, about 75% of those who commit suicide are depressed. (Caruso) A person diagnosed with depression can’t find solutions to their temporary problems and therefore, they do not realize that suicide is permanent. Many suicidal individuals do not even realize that its depression causing them to feel this way, not their situation. (National Institute of Mental Health) Studies have shown that over 90% of people who die from suicide have one or more psychiatric disorders at the time of their death. (National Institute of Mental Health) People with bipolar disorder have the highest risk, especially when they are in mixed episodes (simultaneous presence of ups and downs). Also, there is a 4% lifetime risk of suicide in people with schizophrenia. Suicide may be more likely to occur during the earlier years of schizophrenia, with even higher risk right after a hospital discharge. The risk continues throughout life, and seems to be higher in schizophrenics with a chronic illness, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, or a previous suicide attempt. Studies have shown that 40%-53% of people with schizophrenia have had suicidal ideation at some point in their lives, and 23%-55% reported previous suicide attempts. (National Institute of Mental Health). ?Suicide may be more likely to occur when the person is in a period of improvement after a relapse, or during periods of depressed mood. Studies have shown that one o