Any failure can be associated with the thought of death, and leaving one’s life seems to be a peculiar attempt to solve the difficulties. But if the situation is attributed to increased importance, the opportunities realized by the person are insufficient and the person prefers to deprive himself of life as the only way out, then his behavior is assessed as suicidal.
Myths and reality of suicide
The seriousness and complexity of resolving a problem gives rise to myths and prejudices. Non-specialists have a simplified opinion regarding suicide, seek to explain it with mental disorders.
As studies show, suicidal individuals are absolutely healthy people who have fallen into acute traumatic situations. Among those discussing the possibility of death in their personal diaries are well-known, quite successful personalities: I. S. Turgenev and M. Gorky, Romain Rolland, Napoleon, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Mann, Anthony Trollop.
A person is faced with depression of such magnitude that all the previous experience of life seems to be insufficient to exit it. A crisis can occur suddenly, combining several types of different emotions. They provoke anxiety, followed by hopelessness. Belief in oneself is lost, strength disappears in order to overcome troubles. There is a feeling of loss of the meaning of life.
The basis of suicidal behavior is conflict, and its composition includes:
- objective requirements of the situation;
- awareness of its significance by the subject;
- assessment of opportunities to overcome difficulties;
- real actions of the individual regarding the situation.
Denial of myths by reality:
- “Suicide occurs due to a deviation of the psyche from the norm”: in fact, about 85% of people who committed suicidal acts were healthy individuals.
- “Suicide cannot be prevented”: the crisis has some duration, and the need to commit suicide is temporary; a person who has received support in a difficult period of life changes his mind.
- “There is a category of people prone to suicide”: in reality, individuals of various psychotypes commit suicide; the outcome depends on an individual assessment of intolerance and severity of the situation.
- “There are no signs confirming the intention of suicide”: this is preceded by unusual behavior, which will attract the attention of people from the immediate environment of the suicidal individual.
- “A person declaring his desire to commit suicide will never do this”: many on the eve of the planned actions informed their intentions to their relatives, work colleagues, but they did not attach serious importance to this.
- "The decision to kill oneself comes suddenly": as analysis shows, suicidal actions are the result of prolonged trauma to the psyche; a crisis can last for weeks and months.
- “Attempted suicide is not repeated”: in fact, the risk of repeated action is very high; the highest probability is in the first couple of months.
- “Suicidal tendencies are inherited”: the statement is not proven; if there were cases of suicide in the close circle of a person, the likelihood of them being committed by family members increases.
- "Education helps reduce suicide": studies have shown that reports of deaths activate suicide. In fact, it is necessary to talk about ways out of conflicts.
- "Alcohol reduces suicidal feelings": drinking gives the opposite effect, as it increases anxiety, increases the significance of the conflict, which is why the likelihood of suicide is approaching.
Causes of Suicidal Behavior
The combination of external and internal factors provokes suicide attempts.
Prerequisites for suicidal behavior are:
- biological reasons: a decrease in the level of serotonin in the blood, a violation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis;
- heredity;
- psychological reasons: low stress tolerance, egocentrism, dependence on the opinions of others, emotional lability, inability to fulfill the need for security, for love;
- medical factors: alcoholism, drug addiction, mental disorders, oncological pathologies, AIDS, somatic diseases with disability, fatal outcome.
Potential factors that increase the risk of suicide:
- religious factors: suicide in some cults is regarded as purification and sacrifice; in individual movements, autocratic death is seen as a gesture of romanticism;
- family factors: children and adolescents from single-parent, asocial families, brought up in conditions of violence, humiliation, exclusion;
- the influence of society: a conflict atmosphere in communication with peers, problems of love relationships.
The immediate causes of suicide attempts are:
- stress: death of loved ones, accidental observation of suicide, rejection by the team, acquaintances, condition as a result of rape;
- the availability of suicide in a specific condition increases the risk of their use.
Types of Conflict
Conflicts underlying suicidal behavior can be classified:
- conflicts on the basis of professional activity and social interaction, including interpersonal conflicts, individual difficulties of an adaptive nature;
- regulated by the specifics of personal and family relationships (unrequited love, betrayal, divorce, illness or death of loved ones, sexual failure);
- in connection with antisocial behavior: fear of criminal responsibility, shame;
- due to health status: physical, mental illness, chronic illness;
- due to financial difficulties;
- other varieties of conflict.
A suicidal situation is created by the interaction of conflicts of various kinds. The loss of life values ​​is accompanied by an individual assessment, judgment, worldview. There is no personality structure specific to suicidal behavior.
The most vulnerable are individuals with psychopathic traits. In difficult conditions, against the backdrop of an age crisis, with the pointedness of certain qualities, a person comes to maladaptation.
Classification of suicidal behavior
Of the many classifications of suicidal behavior, attempts are related to goals and reasons.
There are three types of suicidal actions:
- True: carefully planned actions, which are preceded by the formation of relevant statements, behavior; a decision can be made on the basis of long thoughts about the meaning of life, purpose, futility of existence; signs of suicidal behavior dominate; other emotions and traits remain in the background, and the goal of dying is achieved.
- Demonstrative: suicide attempts are reminiscent of theatrical action, can be a way of dialogue with loved ones. Signs of demonstrative suicidal behavior - that they are made with the expectation of "the viewer", and their goal is to attract attention, to be heard, to receive help. Death is possible due to poor prudence.
- Masked: suicidal behavior of minors involves indirect methods of suicide - extreme sports, high-speed driving in vehicles, dangerous trips, the use of psychotropic substances; more often than not, the real goal is not fully understood.
Adult Attributes
A sign of adult suicidal behavior is inward anger. Heavy losses, poor state of affairs, lack of hope and options for help may indicate it. Another symptom is an all-consuming feeling of hopelessness, as well as, in fact, an attempt to escape from life.
Recognizing the signs of suicidal behavior, you can save a person’s life. Loss of energy, constant feeling of boredom, fatigue, prolonged disturbances of sleep and appetite, nightmares with pictures of disasters, evil creatures, loss of life - all this is included in the list of common symptoms.
Other signs: increased self-criticism, severe guilt, insolvency, shame, fear, anxiety, insecurity, deliberate audacity, aggression. Depression is manifested in the form of melancholy, as well as in insomnia, anxiety, resulting in "fatigue from life."
Signs of adult suicidal behavior:
- planning for a murder, voicing the intention to commit an act in relation to himself or another person;
- the presence of a murder instrument - a pistol and the like, access to it;
- loss of connection with reality (psychosis), auditory hallucinations;
- the use of psychotropic substances;
- talk about methods and objects of causing physical harm;
- persistent desire to be alone;
- giving away personal belongings;
- aggression or inadequate calm.
Any statement regarding suicide must be taken seriously. Observing the signs of suicidal behavior, it is necessary to find out as soon as possible whether a person has weapons, medicines to carry out the planned actions, whether the time of this act is determined and whether there is an alternative to him, another way to alleviate the pain.
If you cannot help, you must report the threat to the police and the hospital. It is recommended that you attend with someone who needs support and ask others to trust to do so. It is necessary to convince a person that he needs professional supervision of specialists.
Signs of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents
Attempted suicide is preceded by isolation, depression. As for the signs of suicidal behavior in children, this is accompanied by a loss of interest in games, entertainment, food. They prefer loneliness, refuse friendly activities, activities that brought them pleasure, visits to kindergarten.
Depressive manifestations look like physical activity disorders: body pains, sleep disturbances, appetite, and digestion appear. In boys, irritability is more often observed, in girls - tearfulness, depression. Death can be perceived as a dream or a temporary phenomenon.
The suicidal behavior of a child is expressed in his drawings and invented stories. Children can talk about the advantages and disadvantages of one way or another way of leaving life. They can discuss the dangers of drugs, falling from a height, drowning, or suffocation. Moreover, the child has no interests in the present, plans for the future. There is lethargy, poor school performance, insomnia, impaired appetite, and decreased body weight.
Among the signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents there are frank statements, phrases: "I do not want to live," "I want to die," "life is over." This obsession continues with the desire to watch movies or read books about committing suicide, to search for information on the Web. Any kind of work contains themes of death.
Other signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents:
- leaving home;
- instability of emotions, aggressiveness, rudeness;
- indifference to their appearance;
- estrangement from relatives, friends, although relations can be stable, school attendance is regular;
- dangerous hobbies;
- drunk driving;
- demonstrative contradiction to others;
- hazardous behavior for health and life.
Dangerous symptoms include:
- attempted suicide in the past;
- family suicide intentions;
- the presence of depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.
Diagnostics
Identification of signs of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents is carried out by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist. After the parents make complaints about the emotional state of the child - lethargy, depression - the doctor suggests depression and a tendency to suicide.
Inspection Methods:
- conversation: the psychiatrist clarifies the time of manifestation and severity of symptoms, their duration;
- questionnaires, testing: a variety of techniques are used, including direct questions about thoughts and attempts at suicide (Eysenck's questionnaire "Self-assessment of mental states of personality");
- projective methods: used for children of primary school age, adolescents who are not aware of suicidal tendencies (Luscher test, tests using drawings, "signal", the method of unfinished sentences).
As a result of a comprehensive examination of personality activity, signs of suicidal behavior in children are revealed, including hysteric, sensitive, excitable, accentuated, emotionally labile traits. The combination of depression, imbalance, impulsiveness is an indication of a significant risk of suicide attempts.
Complications of Suicidal Behavior
Suicidal behavior that did not end with the passing of life is complicated by specific diseases. These are various injuries, cuts, severe injuries, injuries to the hands, feet, ribs, larynx, esophagus, impaired liver and kidney function.
After suicide attempts, such people need hospitalization, and damage can lead to disability and restrictions, leaving a heavy psychological imprint on later life. There is a risk of social maladjustment.
Methods of suicide in different countries have a certain degree of prevalence:
- hanging: a leading method worldwide;
- firearms: in the USA it is assigned 60% of popularity; in Canada - 30%;
- poisoning: overdose of drugs, in the USA - makes up 18% of all suicides;
- Accident with a single victim: about 17%;
- farewell notes with the laying on of hands: 15-25%.
Tasks of a specialist, consultant
Crisis services relate to suicide in different ways. Some aim to find the location of the client and to prevent the killing. They can independently transfer client information to medical and police services. In order to prevent juvenile suicidal behavior, a special professional approach is needed.
The tasks of the hotline consultant are as follows:
- recognize signs of suicidal thoughts and tendencies;
- assess the degree of danger of behavior;
- show delicate customer care.
The principles of conversation with the client:
- do not neglect suicidal statements;
- express interest in the person and fate of the interlocutor;
- questions should be asked calmly and sincerely, actively listening;
- accurately find out the patient's ideas and plan of suicidal actions;
- find out if such thoughts were present in the past;
- find out the causes and conditions for the formation of suicidal thoughts;
- Encourage the interlocutor to express feelings in connection with the painful sphere.
Prohibited first aid measures:
- Do not enter into direct confrontation with the client upon his statement of suicidal intentions;
- Do not show your shock from what you hear;
- Do not enter into a discussion about the validity of the action;
- Do not resort to argumentation, given the depressed state of the client;
- not guarantee what cannot be done (family assistance);
- do not judge, show sincerity;
- Do not offer simplified schemes, like: "you just have to rest";
- Do not focus on negative factors, try to consolidate optimistic trends.
The priority action in assisting a suicidal client is the ability to maintain a conversation with him as long as possible. In further work, you should allow the client to express himself, throw out feelings, promise to be useful in the conversation, help structure the origins of the problem in his mind, and lead to the idea that such situations are quite common.
Forecast and Prevention
The prognosis and prevention of suicidal behavior of adolescents have a positive trend with the integrated assistance of doctors, psychologists, and the participation of parents. The relapse rate is approaching 50%, and repeated attempts are made only by individuals with mental illnesses who are members of dysfunctional families.
Confidence and a family-friendly atmosphere are important for coping with stress. If there are signs of suspicious behavior, you need to notify the psychologist, with significant deviations in behavior - the psychiatrist.
At the individual level, specialist assistance consists in promoting a positive attitude towards life and a negative attitude towards death, expanding ways of resolving conflict situations, effective methods of psychological defense, and increasing the level of socialization of a person.
Forms of expression of anti-suicidal personality factors:
- emotional affection for loved ones;
- responsibilities of parents;
- call of Duty;
- fear of causing bodily suffering;
- an idea of ​​the baseness of suicide;
- analysis of unused life opportunities.
The greater the number of anti-suicidal factors, the more powerful the barrier to suicide. The completeness and timeliness of identifying potential intentions plays a significant role.
The severity and relevance of the problems of suicidal behavior requires specialists to understand the essence of the phenomenon, to master the methods of its diagnosis and to organize preventive methods.