Suicidality and Suicide

Value of life
Everyone must have uttered these words at some low phase in their life: 'Oh God, I’m fed up this life is just not worth living.' These are momentary and transient thoughts that change as soon as the situation changes, and then suddenly life seems livable all over again. However, for some, this thought may constitute a suicidal ideation, which can easily progress to a suicide plan, suicide attempt, and sometimes-completed suicide. Suicide is a dangerous act, which is consciously undertaken with the attempt to harm oneself with full and complete awareness and consciousness.
Risk factors
The risk factors associated with suicide include life stresses, a weak social network, impaired family ties, depression, low resistance to strain, and oversensitivity to rejection. Everyone faces setbacks, many have endured failure; and still emerged strong. There are few who have never experienced emotional catastrophes. However some people’s supply of prowess fails to meet the demands of the stressors. These people are at high risk for perceiving stressors as overwhelming. They presume that there’s no way out of it. Major psychiatric illness of all categories (like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, some of the personality disorders, and virtually all mental disorders) can raise the possibility of suicidality.
Do they mean it when they say it?

A suicide threat is never to be taken lightly. Contrary to the popular myth, that those who say it will not actually do it; completed suicides are common among people who have voiced their suicidal idea. At the same time, non-fatal suicidal behaviors also exist. These range from an extreme intent to die; to varying degrees of cry for help. These people are looking out for a helping hand and want a way to end their suffering; not essentially their life. Needless to say, one must always pay attention to distress signs among their dear ones to prevent devastating consequences of neglect.

Extreme stress

Stressors can be of multiple varieties- financial, work related, relational, adjustment problems; all of them tend to overpower the person who stands helpless, dejected and has exhausted all psychological defenses and coping mechanisms to bear the pain anymore. Such people lose hope, cannot look beyond their grief, and choose to escape. Suicide seems like a viable option to them since they see no other feasible choice.

Psychological argument

There are people who know they can make it ahead in life. Survival is no challenge, and if it is, they are willing to face it. They have no suicidal thoughts. They wish to exist. Like Shakespeare put it in Hamlet: 'To be'.  Then there are those who feel they cannot, will not and do not want to survive. They usually have completed suicides that end in self-annihilation. They want: ‘Not to be’. Some of them have casual last conversations with loved ones and go ahead and end themselves. And then there are some who are unsure about it: ‘To be/Not to be’. They have the incomplete suicide attempts at self-harm. They are the ones who want an escape from life, but do not essentially wish to embrace death. . It becomes very difficult to understand the mental state of those who decide to do things consciously to themselves to never come back to this world.

Hopelessness to hope

It is important to building defenses and strengthen coping mechanisms to bear the stresses and strains of life. Instilling positivity among individuals and enabling them to deal with stress helps build resilience and prevent the suicidal move. At the same time, supportive psychotherapy and crisis management aim to create positive perceptions and perspectives in life. Everyone needs a shoulder for support. It is quintessential to enhance family and friend support for people who find it hard to cope with stressors, help them find purpose in life, and make them see its worth…

A Happy New Year 2013 to everyone!