Psychology of Suicide - Coursework Example

Psychology of Suicide At some point of life most people fell vulnerable and unable to bear painful cognitive activity and self-awareness. Life ordeals, failures, physical and emotional pain, problems in relationships can either give people valuable experience or make them psychologically unstable. Though some manage to live through this state with help of different mechanisms others may feel trapped. A combination of different factors such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia can make people consider suicide as the only possible solution in the situation of unbearable psychological pain. Others abuse drugs and at some point of life can find themselves unable to resolve their life problems and choose death as more adequate. If some of the factors are combined a person may fell close to killing himself. Despite evident inability to rationalize suicide people still consider this as an option and only professional help can influence their choice. Medication along with psychotherapy can help a person fid a vitality and sense of existence however it is important that they are in time. Introduction Suicide is one of the most ancient phenomena of human existence which probably appeared as soon as life appeared itself. It is impossible to regard it as purely psychological; problem, it is also a social impairment and a serious philosophical issue to solve. As an ultimate denial of life, it is the easiest way of managing with fears, depression, social pressure for those who find it impossible to endure present and future. In a broader sense, suicide is complete inability of adaptation to reality (Crichton-Miller, 1931). Suicide is covered with a number of myths and prejudices, and each culture has a specific attitude to this phenomena. The most influential world religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism condemn suicide and regard it as a violation of natural order of things. Though most people find it strange, sinful or illogical to kill oneself being given a precious life, the number of those who attempt to do it and do it does not decrease over years. And the consequences for those who survived the suicide and the relatives of those who managed to commit it are very serious. For instance only in the United States more than thirty thousand people kill themselves and more than two hundred thousand attempt to commit a suicide every year (Davidson & Neale, 1994). The numbers of the victims of suicide in the world are even more drastic - suicide is considered to be a 10th major cause of death on the planet. There is no distinct answer on the question: who commits a suicide most commonly. However, it is estimated that men are more prone to killing themselves as much as young adults between 15 and 24. Developing countries have the leading place in the number of suicides (Hawton & Heeringeen, 2009). So obviously there must be certain constant reasons that do not change over centuries that push people to commit a suicide. And it is already proved that severe physical pain, different psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and depression, along with substance abuse are the most popular reasons of suicide. Some of these factors can be combined which raises the chances of suicide. Though it is impossible to explain the suicide to the full extent, it is still possible to notice suicide warning signs that can help stop a person before it is too late. I this paper I am going to analyze the influence of each factor on the possibility of the suicide and will try to explain how the concept of suicide is shaping in the mind of a person. Additionally I will try to structure the most typical Causes of Suicide Physical Pain So the motives for committing a suicide are very different by their nature and by the suffering a person goes through. Though it is considered that psychological pain can sometimes be more unbearable than physical pain as it can damage our self-esteem badly and echo through years, real physical pain caused by incurable diseases or serious traumas is probably the worst experience for many human beings (Winch, 2014). In the case of physical pain it is necessary to mention that more people kill themselves anticipating pain more than experiencing pain. It is in nature of a human being to adapt easier to serious physical pain rather than to be afraid of horrible death (Crichton-Miller, 1931). It is estimated that the diagnosis of cancer doubles the chance of suicide for the patients especially on the terminal stages. While such serious impairments as brain injuries, HIV, kidney failure in older people increase the chances of fatal resolution (Manthorpe & Liffe, 2010). Thus, extra attention must be paid to psychological state of people who suffer from physical pain and relevant psychological support must be provided in time. Psychological Disorders Depression When speaking about suicide it is impossible not to stop on the issue of depression or major depressive disorder if to be precise. There is a number of theories which regard suicide attempt, suicidal threats, and suicidal thoughts as the symptoms of depression. Almost 50% of all those who attempted to commit a suicide were estimated to suffer from depressive disorder (Chehil & Kutcher, 2012). However, the depression can be regarded as the cause while the motive of escape from terrible state of mind caused by it proves to be the most common. Depression can be provoked by numerous factors starting from relationships failure and ending with inability to fit into the society. Close perception of death triggers depression very often: loss of a close person, witnessing death, and abortion are the most common reasons of depression. Other factors that can provoke suicidal thoughts include loss of a job, move to another country, domestic violence. These factors are “attributed internally” which means that they are experienced deeply and accompanied by grief, guilt, fear, anxiety. Guilt is one of the most certain attributes of depression which provokes aversion to oneself. A person later feels unable to bear painful self-awareness and sees the only possible solution of his problem- deconstruction of consciousness (Beck, 1970). Unable to recognize and analyze his feelings a person may experience recurrent ideas and feelings. It is noteworthy that a person himself does not notice that he/she is trapped into a closed circle of thoughts and feelings and experiences a loss of energy. According to Solomon, depression is not sadness itself it is a loss of vital energy and the person who suffers from serious chronic depression is unable to perform the simplest daily tasks and find any attempts worthless. Having lost all the interest to outside world a person perceives his state as truthful and real and sees no sense in living. DSM -5 defines the following symptoms of chronic depression: Anehdonia –inability to receive positive emotions from habitual activities. Significantly reduced interest in search for delight and pleasure through any activities during the day for a certain period of time marked by the patient himself or by close people; Change of eating habits: loss of appetite or unnatural appetite. Obvious weight loss not connected to dieting (e.g., a change of more than 5 percent of body weight in a month); Change of sleeping habits: permanent insomnia or hypersomnia; Alternations in normal psychomotor activity: daily retardation or agitation (noticeable by others, not simply personal feelings); Exhaustion or permanent lack of physical energy; Permanent feeling of uselessness or unreasonable and excessive guilt (which can be not grounded) almost consistently (not connected to the present state of depression); Inability or reduced ability to concentrate and think critically, feeling of uncertainty, inability to take decisions, doubts (personal observation or testified by others) (Criteria for Major Depressive Episode DSM-5, 2012). That is how suicidal thoughts appear, and then much depends on the person and his surroundings. If he/she is able to ask for help or if close people notice that he needs pharmacological and psychological treatment than he has a chance to escape suicidal thoughts and suicide. Bipolar Disorder There other common psychological disorders that can lead to suicide among which bipolar disorder is regarded as one of the most dangerous. Bipolar disorder which is officially called manic-depressive disorder is a severe mental illness which is characterized by extreme cycles in person`s mood, psychic energy level, behaviour, and cognitive processes. Mania can be described as atypical excitement which is manifested as elevated or even euphoric mood during some period (more than one week on average). People with mania act in unexpected and unpredictable way, they are full of ideas that change each other rapidly, have high level of energy and do not need sleep. The behavior of people with mania is self-destructive and risky. Additionally they can have hypersexuality, the impulsive desire to have big amount of sexual contacts, and can abuse substances and spend excessive amounts of money. The desire to take drugs is explained by low control of behavior and inability to make clear judgments. The image of themselves of people with mania is distorted: they are extremely inflated and feel themselves almighty. They build grandiose unrealistic plans and are ready to pursue them immediately. About half of people with bipolar disorder of this type have hallucinations. Their perception of reality is impaired that is why their delusions prevent them from seeing things as they are. Most frequently the period of mania lasts for several weeks, in more serious conditions it can take several months (Barnett & Smoller, 2009). Most people can have long breaks between the episodes of mania and the episodes of depression; however some can suffer from rapidly changing phases. The most difficult is when people have various episodes during one day or when different states are mixed (Bipolar Disorder Health Center, 2011). However, after a mania episode people have an episode of depression which is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and sorrow. The episode of depression in bipolar disorder does not differ from chronic depression, however, in case of bipolar disorder it is more difficult for a patient to adapt to the extreme and unpredictable changes. And recent episode of exhausting mania may look depression episode more serious and contrasting. Patients with bipolar disorder of the first type lose energy and are unable to perform their habitual activities having no interest in the hobbies, work, and communication. The lack of psychic energy becomes the reason why people lose motivation to do something or to change something and become apathetic. Depression also has direct physiological symptoms: people usually suffer from insomnia, decreased sexual activity, and loss of appetite. Depression may also cause psychosis, a state when a person sees the world in a distorted way and is lost in delusions, in more difficult cases it can also be hallucinations. In severe cases depression provokes thoughts of worthlessness and suicide as the only possibility of escape. The episode of depression can last from several weeks for half a year depending on the methods of treatment. In cases of severe depression episodes many people regard suicide as one of the options to end suffering (Sorento, 2013). Schizophrenia Schizophrenia can provoke suicidal thoughts and attempts due to unbearable emotional pain it inflicts on a person. The predictors of suicide in patients with schizophrenia can be male sex ad young age, higher education can also be an additional factor influencing a person. Among the factors that are caused by the illness itself it is possible to name hallucinations, and constant painful delusions. If schizophrenia is accompanied by drugs abuse than the chances of suicide are very high for such patients and a psychiatrist should be very attentive to such patients (Hawton et al., 2005). Substance Abuse Most people who commit suicide suffer from drugs intoxication, it is estimated that 15%- 40 % of all suicides are committed under the influence of various hard drugs. Surely, suicide is usually a final stage of drugs abuse and it is often committed in the state of complete loss of control. And it is rarely the influence of drugs alone: drugs misuse is often accompanied by psychological disorders and painful feelings of loss, grief, and anxiety. People who misuse alcohol have more chances to commit a suicide, and it is interesting that in the countries in which alcohol drinking is a culturally accepted phenomenon, alcohol-related suicides are more frequent. It is also noteworthy that almost 3% of those who undergo treatment from alcohol dependency commit or attempt to commit a suicide once in a life time. Heroin is the second cause of suicides as the number of those who die from heroin overdose does not decline over years. In general it is estimated that up to 35 % of those who consume heroin regularly die because of sever intoxication. The reason is that people using such addictive drugs do not know where to stop and keep experimenting with narcotics until their body refuses to work. Cocaine and methamphetamines are not related to a suicide to such an extent as alcohol and heroine however the chances that a person can harm himself in the withdrawal stage are very high. Withdrawal from hard drugs has all the attributes of depression: grief, emotional pain, sadness, loss of vitality, however when it goes along with physical pain the suffering can seem unbearable for many people (Vijayakumar & Vijayakumar, 2011). Suicide as a Choice Not all the cases of suicide are connected to psychological impairments and substances abuse. Some may be attributed to romanization of death and low adaptability to life. That is why most teenagers and young adults attempt or commit a suicide under the influence of some powerful image of death having disappointed in relationships. There is also a possibility of logical suicide which can be popular in some cultures. It is impossible to ignore the concept of kamikaze which belongs to Japanese culture. These people commit a suicide voluntarily and it is considered an honorable act or an obligation. The reason of such an act is the difference of perception of life and death- in Eastern culture living is dishonor is more desirabl than committing a suicide (Eliason, 2009). Conclusion Despite different reasons which push people to commit a suicide it is impossible to justify this act logically and therefore it is important to be aware of the factors that can help to predict a suicide. It is also necessary to know the symptoms that can hint on someone`s desire of a suicide to prevent it. Most often a person who plans to kill himself is unable to help himself and requires urgent intervention. Long and tiresome depression, psychological disorders, romantization of death, drugs abuse are the most obvious risk factors. But it is important to mind that some inexperienced and young adults and teenagers can be vulnerable to life problems and such things as domestic violence, serious life failures, and abortions in people require additional psychological consultation. Sometimes it is relatives and friends who can assist a person who has suicidal thoughts but in most cases he requires professional help. Psychotherapy and medication treatments give effective results. References Barnett, J. & Smoller, J. (2009). The genetics of bipolar disorder, Neuroscience, 164. Beck, A. (1970). Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Chehil, S.,& Kutcher, S. (2012). Suicide Risk Management A Manual for Health Professionals. (2nd ed.). Chicester: John Wiley & Sons. Crichton-Miller, H. (1931). The Psychology of Suicide, British Medical Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2314382/pdf/brmedj07452-0009.pdf Criteria for Major Depressive Episode DSM-5 (2013). National Alliance of Mental Illness. Retrieved from: http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Intranet/Homefront/Criteria_Major_D_Episode.pdf Eliason, S (2009). Murder-suicide: a review of the recent literature, The journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 37 (3). Hawton, K., & Heeringen, K. (2009).Suicide, Lancet, 373 (9672): 1372–81 Hawton, K., Sutton, L., Haw, C., Sinclair, J., Deeks, J. (2005) Schizophrenia and suicide: Systematic review of risk factors, Br J Psychiatry, 187. Manthorpe, J. & lliffe, S. (2010) Suicide in later life: public health and practitioner perspectives, International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 25 (12): 1230–8. Bipolar Disorder Health Center (2011). WebMed. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-1-disorder Solomon, A. (2002). The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression. Chicago: ScribnerWinch, G. (2014). 5 Ways Emotional Pain Is Worse Than Physical Pain, Psychology. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201407/5-ways-emotional-pain-is-worse-physical-pain Vijayakumar, L; Kumar, MS; Vijayakumar, V (May 2011). Substance use and suicide, Current opinion in psychiatry, 24 (3). Read More