Ben Madilynn
Why do some people choose to die by suicide?
The act of dying by suicide is difficult to understand but even as we attempt to understand it, we need to be aware of the myths that surround it.
Myth: If you think about suicide, you’re mentally ill.
Fact: While many people who die by suicide have struggled with mental health problems, not all people who die by suicide are mentally ill.
Myth: Those who die by suicide are weak.
Fact: Those who die by suicide feel unbearable sadness and pain.
Myth: Those who are suicidal want to die.
Fact: The majority of people who feel suicidal do not want to die. They just want the situation they are in to change but they don’t see any hope of that happening.
Myth: Talking about suicide is a bad idea.
Fact: Many people who feel suicidal feel unheard. Talking to someone directly about their suicidal thoughts gives them permission to unload their mental and emotional anguish to us. By listening to someone’s struggles, we are given the invaluable opportunity to present other options so they can rethink their decisions.
Many life challenges can cause people to take their lives: trauma from childhood physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to multiple trauma events in one’s life, loss of a loved one, chronic pain or terminal illness, academic, professional or personal failures, legal troubles, financial difficulties, relationship problems, social isolation due to loss of friends, self-esteem or social status, toxic work environments, bullying, discrimination, shaming or harassment.
While some of these may conspire to bring someone to the edge, severe depression is the biggest factor that drives people to take their lives. Severe depression creates intolerable levels of emotional pain and feelings of hopelessness.
Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, among other mental challenges, also increase the risk of dying by suicide.
It’s not true that we can’t help those who contemplate suicide. We can look out for the signs: expressions of pain and/or rage, verbalization of emptiness, worthlessness and/or hopelessness, cessation of activities once enjoyed, withdrawal from friends and family, declarations of wanting to take one’s life.
Sometimes, there can seem to be no signs. Or maybe, we just didn’t recognize them.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. September 10 was World Suicide Prevention Day. Experts advise against using the word “commit” alongside suicide as it stigmatizes the act of taking one’s life. It implies that a person has committed a crime.
The only crime committed in a suicide is against the person society has failed.
I know I can’t save everyone. But maybe I can start with just one. You.
If you have thoughts of suicide, please call these numbers which offer 24/7 free support services.
National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 0919-057-1553, 0917 899 8727
Tawag Paglaum – Centro Bisaya: 0966-467-9626, 0939-936-5433, 0939-937-5433
You are not alone.
