Suicide

Suicide is a major public health problem. It is the process of purposely ending one’s life. Societies view suicide differently. Some believe that it is the worst thing that a human being can do while others like the Japanese can see it as a means of restoring one’s honor after doing dishonorable acts.

What are the Causes of Suicide?

There are many reasons why people commit suicide and the society has a huge part to play in the choice.

Some people commit suicide due to personal or psychological issues. They may feel depressed and think there is no way out of their current personal situations. For example, stock traders are known to commit suicide when the stock market is not performing very well.

Some will do it due to health issues. Some diseases can be very debilitating and the person may feel that they are better off if they took their own life. In some countries, this has become such a big debate with health care providers helping out in such suicides. This is normally known as assisted suicide.

The causes vary very much and there is no one reason for suicide cases with each case being different from another.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Suicide?

There are no symptoms per se but there may be signs that an individual is contemplating suicide. Most suicide victims rarely communicate their plans but there may be signs that are normally identified after the act.

A person may make a will, visit family and friends one last time, buy the instruments of suicide like ropes, guns, or medication, start getting their affairs in order or write suicide notes.

Individuals who take their lives tend to suffer from;

• Severe anxiety,
• Alcohol abuse,
• Insomnia,
• Severe agitation,
• Hopelessness, and
• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy

The problem for mental health workers is identifying when any of these and other behavior will lead to the suicide attempt. For family members who are not properly trained, it can come as a shock as they might think that the person is just going through a rough period.

Coping with Suicide

There is no treatment for suicide since the person will be dead. However, people with suicidal thoughts can be helped to cope with these thoughts. This may be through;

• Engaging the help of health care professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists,
• Admission into mental health crisis centers,
• Scheduling stress relieving activities,
• More family and society interactions ,
• Removing any suicide instruments such as medication or guns that can lead to impulsive suicides,
• Avoiding the use of alcohol and other drugs, and
• Writing down feelings to figure out what causes the suicide behavior

Suicides can be very challenging to family members. In addition to grieving for the loss of a loved one, most family members will be filled with the guilt of not having prevented them from killing themselves.

In such cases, family members may seek professional mental health care help and also avoid situations where they grieve on their own. It may be important to join suicide support groups and refrain from hiding the real cause of the loss of life as is usually the case.

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