Any failure can be associated with the thought of death, and passing away can be seen as a kind of attempt to solve the difficulties that have arisen. But if the situation is assigned increased significance, the possibilities realized by the person are insufficient and the person prefers taking his own life as the only way out, then his behavior is assessed as suicidal.
Myths and reality about suicide
The seriousness and difficulty of resolving the problem give rise to myths and prejudices. Non-specialists have a simplistic view of suicide, trying to explain it with mental disorders.
As studies show, individuals who commit suicide are absolutely he althy people who have found themselves in acute psychotraumatic situations. Among those discussing the possibility of deathin their personal diaries - well-known, quite successful personalities: I. S. Turgenev and M. Gorky, Romain Rolland, Napoleon, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Mann, Anthony Trollope.
A person is faced with a depression of such magnitude that it seems that all previous life experience is not enough to get out of it. A crisis can arise suddenly, combining several types of different emotions. They provoke anxiety, followed by hopelessness. Self-confidence is lost, strength disappears to overcome troubles. There is a feeling of loss of the meaning of life.
At the heart of suicidal behavior is conflict, and it contains:
- objective requirements of the situation;
- awareness of its importance by the subject;
- assessment of opportunities to overcome difficulties;
- the actual actions of the individual in relation to the situation.
Refutation 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 he althy individuals.
- "Suicide cannot be prevented": the crisis has some duration, and the need to commit suicide is temporary; a person who receives support during a difficult period of life changes his mind.
- "There is a category of people prone to suicide": in fact, suicide is committed by individuals of different psychotypes; the outcome depends on the individual assessment of intolerance and the severity of the situation.
- "There are no signs to confirmsuicidal intention": this is preceded by unusual behavior that will attract the attention of people from the immediate environment of the suicidal individual.
- "A person who declares a desire to commit suicide will never do it": on the eve of the planned actions, many reported their intentions to 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 traumatization of the psyche; the crisis can last for weeks or months.
- "Attempted suicide is not repeated": in fact, the risk of recurrence is very high; the highest probability is in the first couple of months.
- "Suicidal tendencies are inherited": assertion not proven; if there have been cases of suicide in the close environment of a person, the likelihood of them being committed by family members increases.
- "Education helps reduce suicide": Studies have shown that reports of passing away increase suicide. In fact, it is necessary to talk about ways to get out of conflicts.
- "Alcohol reduces suicidal feelings": Drinking has the opposite effect, as it increases anxiety, increases the significance of the conflict, which increases the likelihood of suicide.
Reasons for suicidal behavior
The combination of external and internal factors provokes suicide attempts.
Preconditions for suicidal behavior are:
- biological causes: decreased levels of serotonin in the blood, disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis;
- heredity;
- psychological reasons: low stress resistance, egocentrism, dependence on the opinions of others, emotional lability, inability to fulfill the need for security, love;
- medical factors: alcoholism, drug addiction, mental disorders, oncological pathologies, AIDS, somatic diseases with disability, death.
Potential factors that increase the risk of suicide:
- religious factors: suicide in some cults is regarded as purification and sacrifice; in some currents, one's own death is regarded as a gesture of romanticism;
- intra-family factors: children and adolescents from single-parent, asocial families brought up in conditions of violence, humiliation, alienation;
- influence of society: 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;
- availability of means of suicide in a specific condition increases the risk of their use.
Types of conflicts
Conflicts underlying suicidal behavior may beclassified:
- conflicts based on professional activities and social interaction, including interpersonal conflicts, individual difficulties of an adaptive nature;
- regulated by the specifics of personal and family relationships (unrequited love, infidelity, divorce, illness or death of loved ones, sexual failure);
- due to antisocial behavior: fear of criminal liability, shame;
- due to he alth conditions: physical, mental, chronic diseases;
- due to financial difficulties;
- other types of conflicts.
A suicidal situation is created by the interaction of conflicts of various types. The loss of life values is accompanied by an individual assessment, judgment, worldview. There is no personality structure specific to suicidal behavior.
People with psychopathic character traits are most vulnerable. In difficult conditions, against the background of an age crisis, with the sharpening of certain qualities, a person comes to disadaptation.
Classification of suicidal behavior
Of the many classifications of suicidal behavior, attempts related to goals, causes are of interest.
There are three types of suicidal acts:
- True: carefully planned actions, which are preceded by the formation of appropriate statements, behavior; decision is made on the basis of longreflections on the meaning of life, purpose, futility of existence; signs of suicidal behavior dominate; other emotions and character traits are left in the background, and the goal of death is achieved.
- Demonstrative: suicide attempts resemble a theatrical action, can be a way of dialogue with loved ones. Signs of demonstrative suicidal behavior - that they are made with the expectation "on 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 suggests indirect methods of suicide - extreme sports, high-speed transport, dangerous travel, use of psychotropic substances; most often, the real goal is not fully realized.
Signs of the adult population
A sign of suicidal behavior in adults is inward-directed anger. Heavy losses, a bad state of affairs, a lack of hope and options for help can also indicate it. Another symptom is an all-consuming sense of hopelessness, as well as, in fact, an attempt to die.
Recognizing the signs of suicidal behavior can save a person's life. Loss of energy, a constant feeling of boredom, fatigue, prolonged sleep and appetite disturbances, nightmares with pictures of catastrophes, evil creatures, death of people - all this is included in the list of common symptoms.
Other signs: increased self-criticism,pronounced guilt, failure, shame, fear, anxiety, insecurity, deliberate impudence, aggression. Depression manifests itself in the form of melancholy, as well as insomnia, anxiety, resulting in "life fatigue".
Signs of suicidal behavior in adults:
- planning a murder, voicing the intention to take an action against oneself or another person;
- presence of a murder tool - a gun and the like, the availability of access to it;
- out of touch with reality (psychosis), auditory hallucinations;
- substance use;
- talking about methods and objects of causing physical harm;
- persistent desire to be alone;
- giving away personal items;
- aggression or inadequate calm.
Any statement about suicide should be taken seriously. Observing signs of suicidal behavior, it is necessary to find out as soon as possible whether a person has weapons, medicines to perform the planned actions, whether the time for this act is determined and whether there is an alternative, another way to quench the pain.
If it is not possible to provide assistance, it is necessary to report the threat to the police and the hospital. It is recommended to be present with the person who needs support, ask others to do this, whom you can trust. You should convince the person that he needs professional supervision of specialists.
Signs of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents
Suicide attemptspreceded by isolation, depression. As for the signs of suicidal behavior in children, this is accompanied by a loss of interest in games, entertainment, and food. They prefer solitude, refuse social activities, activities that brought them pleasure, kindergarten visits.
Depressive manifestations look like physical activity disorders: there are pains in the body, sleep disturbances, appetite, digestion. In boys, irritability is more often observed, in girls - tearfulness, depression. Death can be perceived as a dream or a temporary phenomenon.
The child's suicidal behavior is expressed in his drawings and invented stories. Children can talk about the advantages and disadvantages of one or another way of dying. They may discuss the dangers of drugs, falling from heights, drowning, or suffocation. At the same time, the child has no interests in the present, plans for the future. There are lethargy of movements, deterioration in school performance, insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss.
Among the signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents are frank statements, phrases: "I don't want to live", "I want to die", "life is over". Such an obsession continues with the desire to watch movies or read books about committing suicide, to search for information on the Web. Creativity of any kind contains themes of death.
Other signs of suicidal behavior in teenagers:
- leaving home;
- unstable emotions, aggressiveness, rudeness;
- indifference to one's appearance;
- alienation from relatives, friends, although relationships can be stable, school attendance is regular;
- dangerous hobbies;
- drunk driving;
- demonstrative contradiction to others;
- behavior endangering he alth and life.
Dangerous symptoms include:
- past suicide attempts;
- suicide in the family;
- presence of depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.
Diagnosis
Identification of signs of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents is carried out by a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist. After the parents complain about the emotional state of the child - lethargy, depression - the doctor suggests the presence of depression and suicidal tendencies.
Survey methods:
- conversation: the psychiatrist specifies the time of manifestation and severity of symptoms, their duration;
- questionnaires, testing: a variety of methods are used, including direct questions about thoughts and suicide attempts (Eysenck's questionnaire "Self-assessment of mental states of a person");
- 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 incompletesuggestions).
As a result of a comprehensive examination of personality activity, signs of suicidal behavior in children are revealed, including hysteria, sensitive, excitable accentuated, emotionally labile traits. The combination of depression, imbalance, impulsivity is an indication of a significant risk of suicide attempts.
Complications of suicidal behavior
Suicidal behavior that does not end with death is complicated by specific diseases. These are a variety of injuries, cuts, severe injuries, damage to the arms, legs, ribs, larynx, esophagus, disruption of the liver and kidneys.
After suicide attempts, such people need to be hospitalized, and injuries can lead to disability and limitations, leaving a heavy psychological imprint on later life. There is a risk of social exclusion.
Methods of suicide in different countries have a certain degree of prevalence:
- hanging: world leading method;
- firearms: 60% of popularity in the US; in Canada - 30%;
- poisoning: overdose of drugs, in the US - accounts for 18% of all suicides;
- Accident with a single victim: about 17%;
- Self-Laying Farewell Notes: 15-25%.
Tasks of a specialist, consultant
Crisis services treat suicide differently. Some make it their goal to find the location of the client and the task of preventing the murder. They can independently transfer information about the client to medical andpolice services. In order to prevent suicidal behavior of minors, 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.
Principles of conversation with a client:
- do not neglect suicidal language;
- express interest in the personality and fate of the interlocutor;
- questions should be asked calmly and sincerely, actively listening;
- carefully find out the patient's ideas and plan for suicidal actions;
- find out if similar thoughts have been 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 area.
Prohibited first aid actions:
- do not engage in direct confrontation with a client when they claim suicidal intent;
- don't show your shock at what you heard;
- do not enter into a discussion about the admissibility of the action;
- do not resort to argumentation, given the depressed state of the client;
- do not guarantee what cannot be done (family assistance);
- don't judge, show sincerity;
- do not offer simplistic schemes, like: "you only have to rest";
- do not focus on negative factors, try to consolidate optimistic trends.
The first step in helping a suicidal client is to keep the conversation going for as long as possible. In further work, you should allow the client to speak out, throw out feelings, promise to be useful in a conversation, help structure the origins of the problem in his mind, lead to the idea that such situations occur quite often.
Forecast and prevention
Prognosis and prevention of suicidal behavior in adolescents have a positive trend with the comprehensive assistance of doctors, psychologists, and the participation of parents. The relapse rate is approaching 50%, and retrying is only done by individuals with mental illness who are members of dysfunctional families.
Trusting relationships and a supportive family environment are important to deal with stress. If there are signs of suspicious behavior, you need to notify a psychologist, with significant deviations in behavior - a psychiatrist.
At the individual level, specialist assistance consists in promoting a positive attitude towards life and a negative attitude towards death, expanding ways to resolve conflict situations, effective methods of psychological protection, and increasing the level of socialization of the individual.
Forms of expression of anti-suicidal personality factors:
- emotional attachment to loved ones;
- duties of parents;
- sense of duty;
- fear of hurting yourself;
- the idea of the vileness of suicide;
- analysis of untapped life opportunities.
Thanthe greater the number of anti-suicidal factors, the more powerful the barrier in terms of committing suicide. A significant role is played by the completeness and timeliness of identifying potential intentions.
The urgency and relevance of the problems of suicidal behavior requires specialists to understand the essence of the phenomenon, master the methods of its diagnosis and organize preventive methods.
