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| Suicide is a significant cause of death in many western countries,
in some cases exceeding deaths by motor vehicle accidents
annually. Attempts at suicide, and suicidal thoughts or feelings
are usually a symptom indicating that a person isn't coping, often as
a result of some event or series of events that they personally find
overwhelmingly traumatic or distressing. In many cases, the events in
question will pass, their impact can be mitigated, or their
overwhelming nature will gradually fade if the person is able to make
constructive choices about dealing with the crisis when it is at its
worst.
People usually attempt suicide to block unbearable emotional pain, which is caused by a wide variety of problems. It is often a cry for help. A person attempting suicide is often so distressed that they are unable to see that they have other options: we can help prevent a tragedy by endeavoring to understand how they feel and helping them to look for better choices that they could make. Suicidal people often feel terribly isolated; because of their distress, they may not think of anyone they can turn to, furthering this isolation. In the vast majority of cases a suicide attempter would choose differently if they were not in great distress and were able to evaluate their options objectively. Most suicidal people give warning signs in the hope that they will be rescued, because they are intent on stopping their emotional pain, not on dying. Does talking about suicide encourage it? What contributes to suicidal feelings? How to tell if someone is contemplating suicide How do I help someone who is thinking about suicide? Do suicide hotlines really work? How does suicide effect family and friends? above information is copyright 1994, 1995, 1996 by Graham Stoney |