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A beach community, Malibu is best known for its relaxed lifestyle and its 21 miles of beaches. It is also home to many Hollywood stars and other celebrities. Malibu has a population of about 13,000 residents.
As is the case with all communities in the greater Los Angeles area, residents are confronted from time to time with the reality of people taking their own lives. A couple of cases, within about a week of one another, particularly stunned the community in Malibu.
Two Young Men Take Their Lives in Malibu
Two young men committed suicide in Malibu within a week’s time. One of the young men was a 21-year old college student, the other a 17-year old high school student. The first of these young men to take his life was a college student. He went to the 100-year old Rindge Dam, located at Malibu Creek. The young man leaped 100-feet to his death from the top of the dam.
According to reports in the LA Weekly, investigators from the Malibu sheriff’s substation concluded that the college student took his life in response to poor grades at the end of the semester.
The Malibu Times reported that about a week later, a male high school student took his life. In this case, the young man took his life by driving his car off Piuma Road, near Cold Canyon Road.
Iconic actor Brian Keith, a Malibu resident, shot himself to death in Malibu. He took his life after spending an extended period of time battling emphysema and lung cancer. He took his life in his home.
Misconceptions About Suicide
Malibu residents harbor a number of misconceptions about suicide. For example, people typically presume that the suicide rate shoots upwards during the wintertime holiday season. In fact, suicides spike in April. Researchers are struggling to determine why a spike in the suicide rate occurs in April of each year.
Another misconception is that a traumatic event is what triggers suicide. In reality, a traumatic event can be something of a final straw that results in a person taking his or her life. However, a psychiatric disorder is the true underlying cause that results in a person attempting to take or actually taking his or her life.
There are also misconceptions based on gender. These are quite extensive and varied. The fact is that three times as many women attempt suicide than do men. With that said, more men end up dying by suicide. The reason this occurs is that men are more likely to use more lethal methods in their efforts to take their lives. More lethal methods include firearms and knives.
The Aftermath of a Suicide by Firearm or Knife
Following a suicide by firearm or knife, the owner of the residence (or business) faces the daunting task of biohazard cleanup. The same holds true for a landlord that has a tenant that took his or her life.
The biohazard cleanup process does not begin until law enforcement and the coroner’s office release the suicide scene. What that means is that the sheriff and the coroner undertake an investigation of the scene to confirm that the death was the result of suicide and not homicide.
If a family member has taken his or her life, a loved one needs to seriously consider engaging the assistance of a professional to clean up the aftermath of the death. One reason the recommended course is to hire a professional is to ensure that the cleanup process is safely and thoroughly undertaken.
In addition, losing a loved one to suicide can result in profound, even traumatic, grief. Multiplying that grief by personally cleaning up the aftermath of a suicide can result in a bereavement process that becomes an even more devastating experience. Guarding against this is vital and this is accomplished through professional biohazard remediation.
Suicide Survivors Support Resources in Malibu
There are therapists in Malibu that work with survivors of suicide. These include therapists that provide one on one counseling and therapy. In addition, these professionals can assist survivors of suicides in finding appropriate grief and bereavement support groups that focus on the issues experienced by survivors of suicide.
E. Hitchcock Scott
28990 Pacific Coast Highway
Building A, Suite 205
Malibu, California 90265
(310) 896-4985
Richard Stephen Miller
29170 West Heathercliff Rd, Suite B
Malibu, California 90265
(424) 625-3331
Kriss Smylie
21225 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite A
Malibu, California 90265
(424) 256-0992
Jeremy Fink
Malibu, California 90265
(310) 906-2738
Jeffrey Titcher
21225 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite A
Malibu, California 90265
(424) 256-1790
