Why do people commit suicide?
Suicide is a common cause for many complex reasons and is often connected to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse. Suicide can also occur as a result of traumatizing circumstances like the death of a loved one. Many people are discouraged and believe their challenges seem impossible. They believe suicide is the only way to end their suffering, despite financial difficulties, relationship problems, and chronic illnesses.
Also, stigmatization, discrimination, and social isolation can contribute to suicidal behavior. The importance of recognizing that suicide is preventable cannot be overstated, and getting assistance from mental health specialists and support from loved ones can have a significant impact.
Mental Illness
Many people who commit suicide suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Mental illness includes bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorder. Mental illness can cause discomfort, as mentioned earlier, or induce a state of delusionality. A person feels compelled to commit suicide because of an unobservable force.
For those who have been left to mourn, the reasons the loved ones committed suicide are crucial to coping with the loss. It is crucial to recognize that we will never be able to fully understand the motives of someone who has lost their life. Ultimately, it is not the individual who committed suicide. Suicide is not rational. It is logical, and knowing the reasons does not mean it is an acceptable choice. Forgiveness, acceptance, and moving on are essential.
Depression
Approximately 2/3 of suicides are caused by depression, and around 15% of those with depression choose to die by suicide. Patients who experience sleeplessness are more vulnerable to suicide. Unlike popular belief, being the most depressed is not the one with the greatest risk of dying. You’ll need to be determined and have willpower to commit suicide to succeed.
People who suffer from severe depression and are not motivated to do anything may not have the courage for suicide. The greatest risk may be when someone begins to recover from depression. Those who have recently been diagnosed with depression have a greater risk. It is less likely for patients who have been battling this illness for an extended period to decide to stop living.
Schizophrenia
In people with chronic auditory hallucinations, suicide is extremely common. Patients may still experience “voices” telling them to commit suicide and ultimately succumb to these instructions. In spite of the fact that the “voices” may not demand suicide, they can be difficult to deal with, and patients sometimes feel that suicide is their only option.
Those recently diagnosed with depression are more likely to develop the illness than those who have had schizophrenia for a long period of time, and schizophrenia is often associated with depression.
Addiction
One-third of suicides are caused by psychoactive substances. Alcohol is one of the most prevalent addictions, and those who abuse alcohol usually commit suicide. Alcohol consumption and suicide are not directly related.
Through family conflicts and the loss of love from loved ones, alcohol can indirectly affect suicide, but long-term alcohol use can also result in physiological and cognitive changes. It is common for people who drink and commit suicide to have a significant other go missing before their death or to be experiencing interpersonal conflict.
Substance Use and Impulsivity
People with suicidal thoughts may be affected by alcohol and drugs. Become more impulsive and likely to act on their wishes than sober people. Alcohol and substance abuse may also contribute to suicide for other reasons, such as losing a job or a relationship.
It is also more likely for people who suffer from depression or other mental disorders to suffer from substance abuse and alcohol-related disorders.
Personality disorders
There is approximately a sevenfold increase in suicide risk associated with personality disorders. People with Borderline Personality Disorder are more likely to suffer from impulsive behavior, frequent feelings of emptiness, abandonment anxiety, and extreme, ambivalent feelings.
Suicide: Social Factors
The human body requires close bonds and support as a social being. When faced with difficulties in life, this is especially important. When a person knows that he or she is not the only one experiencing these issues, they are more resilient. They are also more likely not to conclude that death is the only way out.
The stress of social relationships, such as family disputes, is one of the main reasons people commit suicide, as I mentioned earlier. The loss of a loved one could trigger this kind of act. The more a person relies on the person they lost, and the fewer support others offer him, the more likely they are to commit suicide.
Traumatic Stress
People who have experienced traumatizing experiences, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, or war trauma, are more likely to commit suicide, even years after the trauma has passed. It is more likely to be prone to suicide if you are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) or if you have experienced multiple trauma-related incidents. This is due to depression being common after trauma. Also, people with PTSD can feel hopeless and despair, which may lead them to commit suicide.
Hopelessness
Suicide victims often feel helpless and overwhelmed in their current situation, unable to see the potential for improvement no matter what actions they take. This feeling of despair may stem from a lack of hope for the future, though research suggests that suicidal people have no more negative thoughts about it than those in control groups. However, everyone is encouraged to contemplate the achievable outcomes and focus on potential positives.
The people who choose to end their lives, however, are not able to consider the positive things that might happen. They tend to be in despair and doom. It is also difficult for them to recall their positive experiences from their past, and a negative attributional style might also result in a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.
Adverse experiences are blamed on the individual, and the circumstances won’t change, while positive experiences are blamed on external factors.
Chronic Pain and Illness
When someone suffers from chronic pain or illness with no hope of finding a cure or relief from suffering, suicide might be a viable option to gain control and dignity over their lives. In some states, assisted suicide is legal.
Several health conditions have been associated with an increased risk of suicide, according to a study published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine:
- Asthma
- Back pain
- Epilepsy
- High blood pressure
- Congestive heart failure
- Parkinson’s disease
Research indicates that those who suffer from chronic pain tend to be four times more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression than those who do not suffer from pain. Chronic pain can cause depression, anxiety and depression, which may increase your chances of suicide.