MessagesHelp.org
Why People Think Of Suicide
Understanding allows you to help more precisely
Suicidal thoughts are most often driven by emotional pain, depression, and loss of hope. Isolation worsens the problem.
The aim is to ask gentle but sequential questions that give you some idea as to how high or low the risk is to your friend's life. Listen to your own internal responses or discuss with other people or professionals when things seem too difficult for you to keep coping.
Emotional Pain
Emotional pain can begin suddenly after events such as:
- •Relationship breakdowns
- •Serious conflict
- •Major loss
Asking someone to rate their pain on a 0–10 scale shows care and understanding.
Like grief, intense emotional pain often eases over time, especially with support.
Depression
Depression makes everyday life much harder, including concentration and reading. It causes slowly escalating emotional pain also.
It is commonly triggered by:
- •Stress
- •Pregnancy or childbirth
- •Relationship problems
- •Physical illness or viral infections
Depression can usually be treated effectively with therapy and, in some cases, medication.
Loss of Hope
Believing that life will never return to normal or that pain will never stop greatly increases suicide risk.
Ongoing support and reassurance are therefore crucial.
Clinical Perspective
Many people who were once convinced suicide was the best option later feel puzzled that they ever thought that way once they recovered.
The aim of this service is to build a supportive team around the person until their thinking returns to normal and suicidal thoughts fade.