Suicide is an act that affects a circle of people around the victim. Parents, children, siblings and friends are forever touched by the loss of an individual to suicide. Feelings of sadness, regret, guilt, anger and bewilderment all emanate from the question of "Why?" While each circumstance is different, there are several common causes for suicide in America.
Depression
The majority of people who commit suicide are depressed. Often, the depression is untreated or ongoing for years. The negative self-worth found in depression can cause the individual to devalue her life or feel that others would be better off without her. Hopelessness---colored by depression---and despair that a problem cannot be solved also leads some to take their own lives.
Physical Pain
Chronic, physical pain can cause an individual to take his life. Untreated or poorly-managed pain can overwhelm an individual's coping skills, causing them to seek relief in death. This is more common in the elderly and those with chronic disability.
Significant Loss
Many people turn to suicide after losing their mate, job, home or former lifestyle. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a precipitating event such as marriage dissolution often precedes a suicide attempt. These losses seem insurmountable to the individual experiencing them leaving suicide as the only perceived answer.
Alcohol and Drugs
People who abuse drugs and alcohol are significantly more likely to attempt suicide. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that substance abuse is, in itself, a risk factor for suicide. This may be due to one or more of several factors: The abuser may be more impulsive than the general population, the drugs may cloud decision-making abilities or the drugs may act as depressants. Individuals with another concurrent mental disorder in addition to substance abuse are even more likely to attempt suicide.
Embarrassment
A fear of severe embarrassment fuels some suicide attempts. This may occur just as criminal activities are about to be divulged, a scandalous relationship is about to be revealed or a fall in economic status is about to become evident. A significant business failure, especially one that harms others such as investors, may cause the owner to commit suicide rather than deal with the embarrassment and perceived shame of being a failure. A typical victim is an older woman who has always had an upper-class lifestyle but, due to poor investments, must now face life as a pauper. A man who can no longer provide for his family is also at risk for this type of suicide.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention
- American Association of Suicidology: Suicide in the USA
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Risk Factors for Suicide
- "Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice;" Mary C. Townsend, M.N., A.P.R.N.; 2006
