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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
On the more technical/research side, what we know from research is that it's a complex relationship between mental illness and suicide.
You can have a mental illness and never even think about suicide. You can suicide and never have a mental illness.
But also suicide is a more common way to die for people who have major depression or schizophrenia than it is for the general population.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
Thanks for the welcome all!
As for the question:
Everyone who completes suicide is mentally ill, right? What do you think? Are there other reasons that someone might attempt suicide?
I definitely don't think someone had to be mentally ill to attempt to take their own life. There can be life issues at play. And going back to what Jo said before about a person might feel like people or the world would be better off without them. You don't have to be mentally ill to feel that way. Feeling hopeless, or lonely would play a big part.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
@graphiqual wrote:
Everyone who completes suicide is mentally ill, right? What do you think? Are there other reasons that someone might attempt suicide?
Without the labels of "mentally ill" or not, I think (to put it simply), a person who commits suicide is someone who is in such a dark place that they feel they can't continue. And I suppose that could be due to a variety of reasons, major stress caused by an event, or clinical mental illness
Hey graphiqual, thanks for joining us
I definitely agree that there could be a whole heap of reasons why someone might attempt or complete suicide - stress, like you mentioned, is a huge one - whether this is as a result of social or economic factors, life events, physical or mental illness... & then there are things like drugs and alcohol which can lead to/heighten suicidal behaviours in people who might not have a mental illness; chronic illnesses or pain that lead a person to believe that suicide is a 'better option'; reckless behaviour...
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
I guess some people can feel so stuck in a crisis and feel like it's their only way out. Like suddenly having to learn to live with pain or finding out your terminally ill.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
@_sagira_ wrote:
I guess some people can feel so stuck in a crisis and feel like it's their only way out. Like suddenly having to learn to live with pain or finding out your terminally ill.
Exactly this! And I don't think that people need to have a clinical mental illness to feel stuck - we all go through that at times, and it can lead to feeling really helpless and hopeless, whether or not mental illness factors into that.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
_sagira_ wrote:
I guess some people can feel so stuck in a crisis and feel like it's their only way out. Like suddenly having to learn to live with pain or finding out your terminally ill.
Exactly this! And I don't think that people need to have a clinical mental illness to feel stuck - we all go through that at times, and it can lead to feeling really helpless and hopeless, whether or not mental illness factors into that.
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I guess that's why it can be so important to be able to talk openely and honestly about suicidal feelings. If you are feeling alone or hopeless, talking it out with someone could make a big difference.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
that's right, sagira. And it's not so hard to imagine how someone who is feeling trapped can also get caught in that tunnel vision I mentioned earlier that usually accompanies a suicide attempt.
There's also an effect that goes on when you get sick, depressed and possibly even really stressed out. It's called the 'help negation' effect. What that means is that there's some psychological-biological changes in your body & brain that make you less likely to reach out for help at the moment you need help the most! It's another reason why it's important we all look out for one another and if you see someone withdraw socially, seem really down, or change their behaviour drastically then ask them how they are doing. Also don't be afraid to ask them directly 'are you thinking about suicide?'.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
Ok so our next question....
When people think about suicide, self harm often also comes to mind. Do you think there is a link between self harm and suicide? Are all people that self harm suicidal?
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
When people think about suicide, self harm often also comes to mind. Do you think there is a link between self harm and suicide? Are all people that self harm suicidal?
I'm sure there have been many who have used self harm as a coping mechanism pre-suicide attempt. But overall I do not believe that all who self harm are planning on going down that road. Many use self harm as a way of easing stress and tension, or allowing themselves to feel something and distract themselves.
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Re: INFOBUS: Suicide: overcoming the myths
When people think about suicide, self harm often also comes to mind. Do you think there is a link between self harm and suicide? Are all people that self harm suicidal?
I think self harm and suicide can often go hand in hand, but one doesn't necessarily mean the other. Self harm is a coping strategy for a lot of people, whereas suicide is a last resort solution. Someone who self harms in order to cope with something may never have considered suicide as an option. I've also heard of situations where self harm has saved a person from suicide because it allowed them to cope for a while and delay their decision to end their life.
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