Suicidality and Its' Management

As we struggle to keep up with a fast-moving world, the number of people suffering from loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts has gone up. Family members and well-wishers are often at their wits end when dealing with loved ones who have recurrent suicidal thoughts. Today’s article takes a look into the mind of a suicidal person and ways to deal with it.

Suicide attempts may be broadly classified as impulsive and pre-meditated.

Impulsive attempts at self-harming are spur-of-the moment decisions. They usually occur immediately after a rejection, setback or argument. The ones to attempt such rash acts usually display streaks of impulsivity in all domains of their personality. They often have intense mood swings, sudden anger outbursts, addiction issues, relationship problems and trouble keeping a steady job. It is the volatility in their personality that is the root cause of all problems. In their case, it is a more holistic approach that we take to healing. Once we are able to deal with the chronic feeling of emptiness and intense emotional vulnerability that haunts them, we achieve our purpose. There is no quick fix to such deep- rooted problems. It is imperative that patients and their well-wishers understand this at the outset and patiently follow their psychiatrist’s advice throughout the treatment duration. A healthy mix of medications and psychotherapy should see most patients getting better with time.

Pre-meditated attempts are usually the result of a severe depressive state. The person has given up on life and his/her future and sees no point in living. They make fool-proof plans. Warning signs that should put caregivers on high alert are preparation of a will, giving away gifts, setting business affairs in order, inviting family members for a family dinner and so on. Such sudden bouts of activity in a severely depressed person should raise suspicion. However, not all attempts come with a warning. Therefore, it is a rule of thumb to keep all patients suffering from depression under constant supervision. The importance of starting treatment early and adhering to the regime strictly cannot be overstressed.

Another condition that predisposes to suicidality is a psychotic outbreak. The person may be driven to suicide by imaginary voices that command him/her to commit suicide. Again, they may harbor strong erroneous beliefs, called delusions, that cause them to take their life. For example, they may believe that doing so may give them incentives in their afterlife. It is rarely possible to predict when they might make an attempt. As a result, psychotic patients are always considered high-risk and require constant treatment and monitoring.

Overall, suicidality is never an isolated problem. They are always the ultimate fate of a greater disorder, that needs to be addressed as a whole. Proper treatment by a psychiatrist, with regular medications and psychotherapy, added with continuous efforts from the caregivers are necessary to bring back a patient from the edge of disaster.

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

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