Reasons why People commit Suicide

I am not obsessed with Suicide.

 

My effort in putting ou these posts is for people to read , to gain information , be alert  and  be better equipped to interract or intervene when face to face with suicidals.

 

So What are , or What could be the Reasons for People Attempting Suicide?

It could be any of those cited below;

 

• They’re depressed.
• They’re psychotic.
• They’re impulsive.
• They’re crying out for help, and don’t know how else to get it.
• They have a philosophical desire to die.
• They’ve made a mistake.

87% of persons committing suicide were diagnosable with a mental disorder based on history from their friends and family following their death.

The factors correlated with suicide risk, include drug addiction, availability of a means to commit the act, family history of suicide, or previous head injury.

 

Socio-economic factors such as unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and discrimination may trigger suicidal thoughts. Poverty may not be a direct cause, but impoverished individuals are a major risk group for depression, itself a risk factor for suicide.Recent research shows that, controlling for own income and individual characteristics, individual suicide risk rises with others’ income.A history of childhood physical or sexual abuse or time spent in foster care is also a risk factor.

Hopelessness:-The feeling that there is no prospect of improvement in one's situation---is a strong indicator of suicide.

Perceived burdensomeness:- The feeling or thought that is one a burden on another, coupled with other sensitive points is a strong risk factor.

Feelings of loneliness:-

 

A lack of social support, a deficit in feelings of belongingness and living alone are or could be crucial predictors of a suicide attempt.

People who feel or find themselves as socially cut-off or isolate themselves either totally or by maintaining only the least and unavoidable social contact are yet a major risk factor group.

Substance Abuse:-

 

Substance abuse is the second most common risk factor for suicide after major depression and bipolar disorder.Both chronic substance misuse as well as acute substance abuse are associated with suicide.This is attributed to the intoxicating, disinhibiting, and dissociative effects of many psychoactive substances. Substance Abuse could be ; Alcohol , Benzodiazepines, Cigarettes, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Opioids [ Drugs like Heroin, Opium, etc] .

Medical conditions:-

 

Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, sleep apnea.

50% of individuals with a serious mental illness "have general medical conditions that are largely undiagnosed and untreated and may cause or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms."

Sometimes ailments which may or may not be life threateneing , yet that are perceieved by a sensitive patient as socially avoidable, could bea major risk factor.

 

Mental disorders:-

Certain mental disorders are often present at the time of suicide.

• mood disorders.
• substance abuse
• schizophrenia.
• personality disorders.

Major depression and alcoholism are the specific disorders most strongly correlated with suicide risk. Risk is greatest during the early stages of illness among people with mood disorders, such as major depression or bipolar disorder

Depression is among the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders. Within the next twenty years, depression is expected to become the leading cause of disability in the nation and possibly the second largest cause of disability.

While the psychological and medical communities no longer classify acts of self-harm as suicide attempts, recent research has indicated that the presence of self-injurious behavior may be correlated to increased suicide risk.While there is a correlation between self-harm and suicide, it is not believed to be causal; both are most likely a joint effect of depression.

This may also be classified as deliberate self-harm and is most common in younger people, but has been increasing in recent years in people of all ages.

Most people who attempt suicide do not complete the act on their first attempt. However, a history of suicide attempts is correlated with increased risk of eventual completion of a suicide.

 

Biology:-

 

Some mental disorders identified as risk factors for suicide often may have an underlying biological basis.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor;

Dysregulation of Brain Deprived Neutrophotic Factor[BDNF] functioning has been shown to be a possible factor in several mood disorders associated with suicidal behavior, including major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and it could also be an independent factor for suicide.

There is evidence that there may be an underlying neurobiological basis for suicide risk independent of the inheritable genetic factors responsible for the major psychiatric disorders associated with suicide. Having a parent / relation who has committed , or attempted suicide is a strong predictor of suicide attempts.

 

Problem gambling:- Early onset of problem gambling increases the lifetime risk of suicide.

Media coverage:-

 

Studies have suggested that how the media presents depictions of suicide may have a negative effect and trigger the possibility of suicide contagion also known as the Werther effect.The risk is greater in adoloescents who may romantacize death. It appears that while news media has a significant effect, that of entertainment media is equivocal.

Prevention:-

 

Suicide prevention is a term used for the collective efforts to reduce the incidence of suicide through preventive measures. Various strategies restrict access to the most common methods of suicide, such as firearms or toxic substances like pesticides, and have proved to be effective in reducing suicide rates. Adequate prevention, diagnosis and treatment of depression and alcohol and substance abuse can reduce suicide rates, as does follow-up contact with those who have made a suicide attempt.

Screening:- 

to detect those at risk of suicide may be one of the most effective means of preventing suicide in children and adolescents.various screening tools in the form of self-report questionnaires to help identify those at risk. however, a high rate of false-positive identification and those deemed to be at risk should ideally have a follow-up clinical interview.

Treatment of mental illnessThere are various treatment modalities to reduce the risk of suicide by addressing the underlying conditions causing suicidal ideation, including, depending on case history, medical,pharmacological, and psychotherapeutic talk therapies.
The conservative estimate is that 10% of individuals with psychiatric disorders may have an undiagnosed medical condition causing their symptoms,upwards of 50% may have an undiagnosed medical condition which if not causing is exacerbating their psychiatric symptoms. Illegal drugs and prescribed medications may also produce psychiatric symptoms/ Effective diagnosis and if necessary medical testing which may include neuroimaging to diagnose and treat any such medical conditions or medication side effects may reduce the risk of suicidal ideation as a result of psychiatric symptoms, most often including depression, which are present in up to 90-95% of cases.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) reported varying degrees of clinical effectiveness in reducing suicidality. Benefits include a reduction in self-harm behaviours and suicidal ideations.Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) is a form of DBT adapted for adolescents at high risk for repeated suicide attempts