My death wish project (http://deathwish.stevechandler.com) deals with primary, dramatic, life-threatening addictions like alcohol and drugs . . . but it will also look at the other addictions we get stuck on, and how they, too, can lead to suicide.
Such as the addiction to security.
(You can never get enough of what you don't need.)
David P. Goldman wrote an article recently about the massive number of suicides occurring at France Telecom.
He identified sloth as "...the mortal sin that motivated two dozen suicides in 2009 at France Telecom, the dullest place in the habitable world, where people go to do nothing and make a living at it. Twenty-four employees at the French monopoly killed themselves in the past 18 months, and another 13 have attempted suicide."
Goldman goes on to say, "... the global economic crisis has shaken the foundations of state finances in Europe, and bloated entities such as France Telecom must adjust. A consistent pattern informs the suicide notes of France Telecom workers: the fear of downsizing, demotion and reassignment is too much for them to bear. The desire for security is an addiction: the more security one obtains, the less secure one feels."
That last observation reminded me of Helen Keller's observation that "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."