Obviously the 50 Previous Attempts Don't Matter

Interesting case from my state:

Woman jumps from balcony in hospital and kills self

Powell jumped from a balcony in the hospital’s main lobby Monday after she broke free from two escorts who were taking her to a secure mental health facility, said Robin Henderson, director of behavioral services at the hospital. ~Bend Bulletin Newspaper~

This is going to bring about all kinds of interesting policy changes there I bet. Which irritates me. I'm all for patient safety, but sometimes you just cannot prevent something bad happening. Especially when the patient has attempted suicide 50 - yes FIFTY times before.

Cindy Powell’s sisters both say her 50 suicide attempts weren’t what they seemed. ~Bend Bulletin Newspaper~

She succeeded this time.

Someone who attempts suicide multiple times and finally plunges off a balcony is not just "looking for help" in my humble opinion.

I took care of a gentleman early in my career that had attempted suicide 4 times - and they were all major attempts. Not just a little pill popping here and there, but serious attempts.

1. tried to slash his own neck - nicked one major vessel and was found immediately by his wife
2. gunshot to the abdomen. Missed anything major. Found immediately by his wife
3. attempted to stab self in heart. Missed. Dug around with the knife in his chest for a little while. Nicked some major vessels but found immediately by his wife
4. gunshot to the head when wife finally left him. Used a .22. Wrong angle, bounced off skull and played around under the skin of his head

Now, wouldn't you think that if you had lived through those things, someone upstairs really wants you alive for some purpose? He didn't. He still wanted to die. I never found out what happened to him as I moved from the area, but I'm almost 100% certain he is probably dead.

When you want to go, you want to go.