On March 14, 1932 George Eastman, founder of Kodak, industrialist, entrepreneur, and
fabulously wealthy philanthropist wrote these words: “To my friends – my work is done,
why wait?” He then pulled a handgun from his bedside table and shot himself to death.
Eastman's words convey the gritty self-determination that marked his life. However,
they mask other truths that made Eastman at such high risk for suicide – chronic and
progressive illness, pain, inability to care for himself, social isolation, loss of
identity and purpose, hopelessness, and demoralization.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 29, 2022
Accepted:
September 26,
2022
Received:
September 24,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
