Reasons
There are many reasons that people die by suicide. Five common reasons include:
- Depression is a common problem for people considering suicide. Though there are treatments for depression, when left untreated, it can be a significant issue that can lead to suicide. Remember that Warren has been living with depression for a while now. This could be a driving factor behind his thoughts of suicide.
- Mental Health Conditions That Lead to Psychosis, like hearing voices, can also be a reason for suicide. For this reason, patients living with mental health conditions, like schizophrenia or a personality disorder, are at a higher risk than the general population for suicide.
- Mental Health Conditions That Lead to Impulsive Thoughts can also lead to suicide. A person who has low impulse control, such as those living with bipolar disorder, might make decisions when feeling temporarily low or when under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This could lead to impulsively deciding to die by suicide.
- Feeling Like There is No Other Option is another common reason for suicide. People who feel helpless or don't see another option don't actually want to die, but attempted suicide is the only way they know how to ask for the help they need. Unfortunately, attempted suicide can sometimes backfire, leading to actual suicide. Thoughts of suicide can be overcome, and suicide is not the only option.
- Terminal Illness can sometimes lead people to make a rational decision to take their own lives, as opposed to slowly and painfully dying of an illness.
Triggers
There are many reasons that may influence a person to complete suicide. There are also many risk factors, or triggers, that can lead to suicide.
Let's go back to Warren. He has depression, which is both a cause and a trigger of suicide. In fact, one of the main risk factors for suicide is a mental health condition. Whether it's depression or schizophrenia, having a mental health condition significantly raises the risk that a person will complete suicide.
Warren is also feeling hopeless. He's lost his job, and his home is about to be foreclosed. He doesn't know how he'll pay the bills or provide for his family. Hopelessness is another trigger for suicide. Warren doesn't really talk to his wife about his depression or his thoughts of suicide. He feels like it's unmanly and that he needs to hide it. He's isolating himself, and isolation, too, is a risk factor. People who have few friends or aren't able to talk to their friends or loved ones are at a higher risk for suicide.
A stressful life event, like the fact that Warren has lost his job or the fact that he might lose his home, is another trigger for suicide. Other triggers include unhealthy substance use, a family history of mental illness or suicide, and previous suicide attempts.
Prevention
Warren is at a serious moment in his life. Thoughts of suicide are not to be taken lightly. But what can he do? What can his wife and other loved ones do to help prevent Warren from taking his own life?
Suicide prevention focuses on treating thoughts of suicide. This makes sense. If Warren isn't thinking about dying by suicide anymore, he's probably not going to complete suicide. But how can Warren's thoughts of suicide be eradicated?
There are four main channels for suicide prevention:
1. Therapy
Talking with someone is a cornerstone of suicide prevention. Whether Warren talks one-on-one with a psychologist, attends a group therapy session led by a mental health professional, or talks on the phone with a trained volunteer counselor at a prevention hotline, talking through the issues he is having is an important first step in prevention.
2. Medication
Many people living with depression and other mental health conditions have biological issues. Depression like Warren's, for example, could be partly caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. Taking medication to correct this chemical imbalance could help Warren begin to feel better and leave thoughts of suicide behind.
3. Substance Use Treatment
Though Warren does not have a substance abuse disorder, this is a major trigger for some people. Getting treatment for unhealthy substance use can help some people avoid thoughts of suicide or attempting suicide.
4. Family Therapy
Warren's wife is an important part of his life, and she too might need therapy. Her therapy can focus on her own reactions to Warren's depression, as well as helping her develop skills to support Warren through his darkest hours.
Lesson Summary
Suicide is the act of taking your own life. There are five main reasons that people take their own life, including depression, mental health conditions that lead to psychosis, mental health conditions that lead to impulsive thoughts, feeling like there is no other option, and terminal illness. Triggers, or risk factors, for suicide include depression, hopelessness, isolation, stressful life events, substance use disorders, a family history of suicide, and previous suicide attempts. Prevention focuses on treatment of thoughts of suicide and is approached through therapy, medication, addiction treatment, and family therapy.
