Why Do People Suicide?

Suicide is a complex issue involving numerous factors and should not be attributed to any
one single cause. Not all people who die by suicide have been diagnosed with a mental
illness and not all people with a mental illness attempt to end their lives by suicide.

People who experience suicidal thoughts and feelings are suffering with tremendous
emotional pain. People who have died by suicide typically had overwhelming feelings of
hopelessness, despair, and helplessness. Suicide is not about a moral weakness or a
character flaw. People considering suicide feel as though their pain will never end and that
suicide is the only way to stop the suffering.

Many factors and circumstances can contribute to someone’s decision to end his/her life.
Factors such as loss, addictions, childhood trauma or other forms of trauma, depression,
serious physical illness, and major life changes can make some people feel overwhelmed
and unable to cope. It is important to remember that it isn’t necessarily the nature of the loss
or stressor that is as important as the individual’s experience of these things feeling
unbearable.

Suicide is Complex:
 Suicide is the result of actions taken to deal with intolerable mental anguish and pain,
fear or despair that overwhelms an individual’s value for living and hope in life.
 While there is a well established link between suicide and depression, each suicide
occurs in a unique mix of complex interconnected factors, individual, environmental,
biological, psychological, social, cultural, historical, political and spiritual, including
psychological trauma (both developmental and intergenerational).

How Can Suicide Be Prevented

The majority of suicides can be prevented. There are a number of measures that can be
taken at community and national levels to reduce the risk, including:

 reducing access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, medication, guns);

 treating people with mental disorders (particularly those with depression, alcoholism,
and schizophrenia);
 providing follow-up to people who have made suicide attempts;
 responsible media reporting;
 training primary health care workers;
 mental health promotion.
At a more personal level, it is important to know that only a small number of suicides happen
without warning. Most people who die by suicide give definite warnings of their intentions.
Therefore, all threats of self-harm should be taken seriously. In addition, a majority of people
who attempt suicide are ambivalent and not entirely intent on dying. Many suicides occur in
a period of improvement when the person has the energy and the will to turn despairing
thoughts into destructive action. However, a once-suicidal person is not necessarily always at
risk: suicidal thoughts may return but they are not permanent and in some people they may
never return. Source: World Health Organziation (WHO) How can suicide be prevented?

How can I protect myself from suicide?

No one can say that they will never have thoughts of suicide. You can do two big things to
help prevent suicide. The first is to build connections with other people. The second is to find
help for mental health problems.

1. Build connections with other people

Feeling connected to others is a big part of protecting yourself from suicide.

Here are ways to build connections:

 Spend time with family and friends.

 Go to cultural or religious events.

 Get involved in your community. For example, sign up for classes at your community
centre or college.

 Help others. For example, help out a charity or other group.

2. Get help early for mental health problems

Mental health problems are a big part of suicide. You can help protect yourself by finding
help for mental health problems early.

Here are common signs of mental health problems:

 Feeling like nothing makes you happy anymore.

 Feeling very sad or hopeless for many weeks.

 Feeling like you cannot cope with things that happen in your life.

 Feeling very stressed or scared for many weeks.

 Noticing strange thoughts or noticing strange things that do not go away. Some people
hear voices that other people do not hear.
 Sleeping less or more than usual.

 Eating less or more than usual.

 Drinking more alcohol or using more drugs than usual.

 Taking a lot of time off work or school.

 Avoiding family and friends.

 Feeling “run down” or sick often.

Talk to your doctor if you notice these signs. Your doctor can see what may be causing the
problems.

What are warning signs of suicide?

Some people talk openly about thoughts of suicide, but many people keep their feelings
secret.

There are warning signs to show that someone needs help. You often see many warning
signs happening at the same time. Here are some warning signs:

 The person talks about wanting to kill themselves.

 The person uses more drugs or alcohol than usual.

 The person says they have no reason to live.

 The person seems very scared or worried.

 The person says that they feel like there is no way out of a situation.

 The person cannot see hope for the future.

 The person does not want to spend time with others.

 The person has a hard time controlling their anger.

 The person does things that may be dangerous and does not think about what might
happen.

 The person’s mood changes in a big way.

How can I help someone who is thinking about suicide?

If you are worried about someone else, it is important to talk about suicide. Talking about
suicide will not give them ideas. You need to talk about it to figure out how you can help.
Listen.

Many people feel like they are all alone with their painful feelings. Listening shows them that
they are not alone. You do not have to say much at all. You just have to be there for them.
Here are some important things to remember:

 Take the other person seriously. They are in pain and they need help.

 Show the other person that you are a good person to talk to. Do not judge them or make
fun of them.

 Trust is very important. Do not make promises that you cannot keep.

 Show that you understand they have a serious problem. Do not give advice like, “cheer
up” or “pull yourself together.”

 Say things like, “You are really important to me” or, “I don’t want you to die.” You can also
say, “It makes sense that you feel like you do, but I can help you find other solutions.”

Types of Suicide

Egoistic suicide.

Altruistic suicide.

Anomic suicide.

Fatalistic suicide.

Egoistic suicide relates to the person being alone or an outsider and subsequently they see
themselves alone within the world. This type of person has a low social interaction with others.

Altruistic suicide is when social group involvement is too high, expectation from a group is
being met at a very high level such as a sacrifice for a cult or religion. Another example
would be a Marta or a suicide bomber.

Anomic suicide relates to a low degree of regulation and this kind of suicide is carried out
during periods of considerable stress and frustration. A good example would be great
financial loss or when the financial market that person controls collapses with severe
consequences for many involved.

Fatalistic suicide is when people are kept under tight regulation such as in Korea. Where
there is extreme rule in order or high expectations set upon a person or peoples in which
lead them to a sense of no self or individuality.
Bakit Nagpapatiwakal ang mga Tao?
Ang pagpapakamatay ay isang komplikadong isyu na may kinalaman sa maraming mga
kadahilanan at hindi dapat maiugnay sa anumang isang solong dahilan. Hindi lahat ng tao
na namatay sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakamatay ay na-diagnosed na may sakit sa isip
at hindi lahat ng mga taong may sakit sa isip na pagtatangka upang tapusin ang kanilang
buhay sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakamatay.

Ang mga taong nakaranas ng mga pag-iisip at damdamin ng paghihirap ay nagdurusa na

may matinding sakit sa emosyon. Ang mga taong namatay dahil sa pagpapakamatay ay
kadalasang nagkaroon ng napakaraming damdamin ng kawalan ng pag-asa, kawalan ng
pag-asa, at kawalan ng kakayahan. Ang pagpapakamatay ay hindi tungkol sa isang moral
na kahinaan o isang kapintasan ng character. Ang mga taong isinasaalang-alang ang
pagpapakamatay ay tila na ang kanilang sakit ay hindi magtatapos at ang
pagpapakamatay ay ang tanging paraan upang pigilan ang paghihirap.

Maraming mga kadahilanan at pangyayari ang maaaring mag-ambag sa desisyon ng

isang tao upang wakasan ang kanyang buhay. Ang mga kadahilanan tulad ng
pagkawala, pagkalito, trauma ng pagkabata o iba pang anyo ng trauma, depression,
seryosong pisikal na sakit, at mga pangunahing pagbabago sa buhay ay maaaring
makaramdam ng ilang mga tao na nalulumbay at hindi makayanan. Mahalagang tandaan
na hindi ito kinakailangang ang likas na katangian ng pagkawala o pagbibigay-diin na
mahalaga bilang karanasan ng indibidwal sa mga bagay na ito na hindi nasisiyahan.

Ang pagpapakamatay ay Complex:

Ang pagpapakamatay ay ang resulta ng mga aksyon na ginawa upang harapin ang di-
mapipigil na sakit ng pag-iisip at sakit, takot o kawalan ng pag-asa na pinalalaki ang halaga
ng indibidwal para sa pamumuhay at pag-asa sa buhay.
Bagama't may mahusay na itinatag na link sa pagitan ng pagpapakamatay at depresyon,
ang bawat pagpapakamatay ay nangyayari sa isang natatanging halo ng mga
kumplikadong magkakaugnay na mga kadahilanan, indibidwal, kapaligiran, biological,
sikolohikal, panlipunan, pangkultura, makasaysayang, pampulitika at espirituwal, kabilang
ang sikolohikal na trauma (parehong pag-unlad at intergenerational ).