SUICIDE

SUICIDE

Suicide is not a natural instinct and defies reason. Most of us have a survival instinct. There are those who live in fear everyday of bombs, possible torture, potential rape, etc. There are those who have cut off a limb just to survive a situation in which they are pinned by something in the middle of nowhere. And then there are those who are faced with stressful situations and have no desire to live. Sometimes it is a relationship problem. A death wish is common among those living in distress, and that still falls in the normal category, but suicide does not.

Logic says that many situations change whether or not we want them to change. Granted, some take us by surprise. A person who wants to kill themselves rather than trying to work through a situation or situations is not thinking logically. They forget about the things they enjoy. They forget about the people who love them and how badly their loved ones will be affected. They forget that their favorite season is just around the corner. They don’t take into account that new members will be added to the family either through birth or marriage.

Drugs play a role in many suicides. They cloud a person’s thinking process. Drugs give misguided advice. When the drugs take over, the suicidal one is no longer in control. They begin to hate themselves and don’t see a way out. They want to be free again but find it is too painful and stressful. Or they may think they are perfectly normal and anything people say that suggests they are not normal will cause them to be defiant and those people will be alienated. They may also alienate loved ones because they are ashamed of themselves. Depression often goes along with drugs. The drugs may cause depression and the depression may cause people to turn to drugs. It’s a vicious cycle.

It isn’t unusual to hear about celebrities who try to commit or do commit suicide. They may have everything a person could want going for them: money, fame, luxurious homes, fancy cars, good looks, talent, etc. and yet they cannot live with themselves. Again, that’s unnatural and is void of logic.

Mental illness may play a role in the suicide epidemic. It’s as if the survival instinct is backfiring. The synapses that are firing in the brain are in reverse in a part of the reasoning area. Could it be that the brain cells in that area have been damaged or were never there? Could it be that drugs or food additives have killed the cells in that area. 

It is important that we pay attention when someone even mentions taking their own lives. Don’t let the subject pass. Ask questions. See if they already have a plan in mind. “If you did it, how would you do it?” Find out if they have the means (gun, knife, razor blade). Ask if they would do it at home or go to a favorite area. Ask them how much rest they have been getting lately and if they have been eating. Are they giving their belongings away? Have they been depressed? Hug them and tell them you care about them and hope they are just joking. But follow up checking on them and by all means tell their parents or ones close to them even if they think you’re nuts. If they are on the verge of committing suicide in your presence, stop them if you can and take them to a hospital for evaluation.

Becky Wall
beckyowall.blogspot.com