The Tragic Reality of Suicide: Why People who Consider It Don't Really Want to Die

Introduction

If you’ve never experienced depression, it can be difficult to understand how someone could consider suicide. Even if you have struggled with depression, there are many reasons why someone who’s depressed would choose to end their life – including the fact that suicide isn’t really about wanting to die, but more of an extreme decision based on some very real and painful factors in that person’s life. Whether you suffer from depression or not, here are some important truths about suicide and mental illness that will help you be more compassionate toward those who have to live with these realities every day.

You may not want to die

It is hard for those experiencing mental illness and depression to understand that there are many factors alongside and including their mental health that can influence a person’s decision to go through with suicide. The tragic thing is that many of those who consider suicide don’t really want to die; they are just struggling with guilt, trauma, or chronic ill health, among other things.

Chronic Ill Health

Chronic illnesses can create feelings of guilt in a person, for example, if they are unable to work or care for their children. In some cases, people with chronic illnesses feel like a burden on loved ones and friends. They may also feel ashamed or guilty about how others perceive them. Mental illness is another factor that can lead someone to suicide, especially if the illness has gone untreated for many years and the person has grown frustrated or hopeless about living with it.

Guilt

Suicide is a terrible thing, and it’s also completely preventable if we understand the factors that lead people to consider it. One common theme in suicide cases is guilt. When someone has a chronic illness, for instance, they may feel guilty because they believe their family would be better off without them. Or if there’s been trauma in their life, people can feel guilty about surviving when others didn’t. Guilt can also arise from substance abuse or loss.

Trauma

People with mental health conditions often experience trauma as well. This can be any type of event that would be classified as traumatic, such as war, natural disaster, physical or sexual assault, and abuse. Trauma is an emotional response to a deeply disturbing event that has happened in the past. These events can cause depression and other mental health conditions because it alters a person’s normal life in some way.

There are many factors alongside and including depression and mental illness that influence a person’s decision to go through with suicide: chronic ill health, guilt, substance abuse, or loss, for example. The tragic thing is that many of those who consider suicide don’t really want to die; they just want the pain they feel inside them goes away.

Substance Abuse or Loss

When someone has lost a loved one or is struggling with addiction, it's common for them to want relief from their pain. This relief can come in the form of the drugs that caused their problems in the first place. Drugs are temporary relief and often lead to more misery in the long run. Sometimes people will turn back to drugs because they are afraid that if they stop using, their problems will come back worse than before. Others believe that drugs have helped them feel better than they would have ever felt sober, so they think it's what they need; these people are addicted on top of everything else.

Depression Can Lead Someone To Feel Life Isn't Worth Living

Depression is a disorder that causes negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Depression can lead someone to feel life isn’t worth living. The negative thoughts and feelings from depression can be so strong that a person may end their own life. A person with depression might stop taking care of themselves and isolate themselves from friends, family, and loved ones because they believe these people will reject them or hurt them again. They might also have suicidal thoughts or a plan for suicide.

But depression is not just about feeling down or sad all the time; it's also about how you think about yourself and your future prospects.

How To Help Someone At Risk Of Self-Harm Or Suicide

If you know someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, it's important that you take their emotions seriously. Here are a few steps you can take:

• 1) Listen to them. Let them know that they are not alone in the pain they're feeling and don't judge their feelings or tell them what they should do about it.

• 2) Offer to go with them for support when contacting a crisis line, going for a walk, or meeting up with friends and family. Sometimes just having someone there may be enough for someone feeling suicidal; other times it may help if you offer specific suggestions on how they can cope with their feelings more effectively.