Depression and Suicide

Based on how depression affects a person it can sometimes lead to thoughts of suicide and sometimes these thoughts can lead a person to committing the act itself. It is a final ending to the suffering that so many who live with depression contemplate. The trouble with it is that too often those surrounding the depressive do not understand what they are seeing when the person begins to contemplate killing themselves. Or they think it is nothing more than an attempt to focus attention on them. The myths that surround suicide and depression need to be dispelled.

Some people believe that if a person talks about suicide they will not take the steps. Actually talking about it is one of the first signs that someone is seriously thinking about doing it. If you know someone who is talking this way, do not turn away. See if you can get them to go to see their health care provider for help. The person thinking of taking their own life is not doing so because they feel they have nothing to live for. They usually do not feel either way about living or dying.

Do not believe that what a person does to him or her has no influence over their decision to take their own lives. More often than not the person under the influence of drugs or alcohol is more likely to take their own life. Some people think that only those who are poor and cannot buy themselves out of the depressive episode take their own lives. Suicidal thoughts affect depressives in every walk of life and every social standing.

Many people feel that speaking to someone who is very obviously suffering through a bad period of depression and talking to them about suicidal thoughts will spur them on and give them reason to think about taking their own lives. In actual fact facing them with these thoughts can sometimes have the opposite effect. They can often feel less anxious because their thoughts and fears about suicide have been voiced.

Never believe that a suicide attempt is a method to get attention. Any action taken to end one’s life is serious. While some think that a person purposely attempts suicide using a method they know will fail, as no more than a call for help, any attempt must be taken seriously. Get the person help.

Not every suicide crisis will include an attempt to kill oneself. It does not necessarily have to get to the point of trying to be considered serious. Likewise to assume that since there was no overt attempt to take their life that the depressive is feeling completely better is wrong. Thoughts and feelings that bring a person so low as to contemplate taking their own life do not disappear quickly. They can be eased but then it is possible that other stressful events prevent them from going away. Try to get the person some help do not just hope that the crisis will pass with time.