Suicide
Who hasn't considered suicide as an option? Okay maybe there are a few. This information is for those who may have thought about it and the people who might want to help that person. It is interesting to note that there are some common feelings and perceptions regarding suicide. Some people, who are thinking, seem to be trying to hurt someone else in the process. Meaning they are trying to create fear, pain, suffering, and emotion in another person whom may have harmed them. They tend to imagine or picture the other person crying at their funeral and regretting their actions. Typically, this is the "they will be sorry when I am gone" syndrome. The individual appears to be seeking revenge, but that is not usually the case. Actually, they are searching for acknowledgement, acceptance, and attention. This is common among young adults searching for guidance, love, and involvement from their peers and family.
Another type of suicide is the person who wishes to "end it all." This is attributed to personal stress, suffering, and a feeling of helplessness. Many people with this have had traumatic experiences to trigger these feelings, like the death of a loved one, loss of employment, a negative medical diagnosis, or have overburdened themselves with obligations. This person usually expresses a low self worth, lack of self-esteem, and bitterness towards life in general. This is the "better off dead" or "worth more dead than alive" school of thought. A person suffering from this type needs to be convinced that he/she can manage the situation and improve on the quality of life.
In either case, there are signs the affected person exhibits before attempting suicide. Some may start abusing drugs. It doesn't matter what kind of drug; it could be prescription, alcohol, marijuana, or OTC medication. This behavior shows they are trying to dull the emotional or physical pain. They also tend to lose interest in social activities among friends and family. This is the classic withdraw from society. The individual feels like the ring of support may convince them not to follow through, so they recoil in defense. Other common behaviors are fluctuations in eating habits, constant irritability, compulsive actions, and abrupt emotional changes.
There is a bit of good news regarding this topic; most people do not wake up one morning and decide to place a bullet into their heads. Suicide is a process of thinking, planning, designing, and executing. It takes time for the individual to consider all of his or her options. They will spend time contemplating on which form is less messy, or most dramatic, or least painful, or even least expensive. They will methodically plan their execution and imagine how they will be discovered and by whom. This process could take several weeks. If you suspect someone of having suicidal tendencies, this is the time for you to get involved. Please talk to counselors on the best ways to help.
I will admit that I have had attempts in my life. I am not ashamed; it is a part of my past. I was one of those teenagers who had a fairly dysfunctional youth. I was full of hate, resentment, anger, and I thought suicide would be my revenge. I pictured my family at my funeral, their suffering, and their regrets. I actually followed through twice, unsuccessfully of course. What happened? The first time, I was in my bedroom and I miscalculated the length of the rope. I wound up with a sore neck. I felt even more useless and stupid because I couldn't even kill myself right. A couple months later I tried again. This time, I sat on the bathroom counter, slit my right wrist, and watched the blood ooze out. A few minutes passed, before my mother accidentally opened the door. She saw the blood and asked me what had happened. I told her, "I slit my wrist." Her expression didn't even change as she came back with "you just better clean it up after you are done." It was at that moment, I realized, the best revenge wouldn't be through death. My death would only offer them temporary sadness and the only way I could give effective lasting misery would be through living my life. It took time for the bleeding to stop, but just like all wounds, it healed.
Click here for American Foundation for suicide prevention
Depression
There are a variety of types and forms of depression. The symptoms may last days, weeks, months, or even a lifetime. Most people suffering tend to withdraw from exposure to society. Other identifiers may include a feeling of worthlessness, fatigue, problems sleeping, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, emotional swings, general pain (headache, back pain), overwhelming sadness, or a lack of emotion.
Just about anything may cause symptoms of depression, from changes in the seasons (winter blues) to a serious chemical imbalance within the brain. Even exposure to persons showing emotional behavior can affect an otherwise normal person. The most common trait between the levels of depression lies within the brains chemical responses to the triggering stimulus. Those chemicals are known as neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
There are actions people can perform to reduce the severity of depression. Since some symptoms are caused by imbalances in chemicals, diet, exercise, proper rest, and maintaining an active mind are keys to healthy brain function.
These are simple changes most people should be able to manage when confronted with feelings associated to depression. The largest hurdle for the suffering individual is acknowledging, identifying, and then making the appropriate life changes. As mentioned, anything may trigger depression and if it is not treated, it could create serious problems. If the occurrences are becoming more frequent or unmanageable, please consult a professional for counseling or proper medication.
Click here for American Psychological Association
Addiction
An addiction could be in the form of smoking, alcohol, prescriptions drugs, the Internet, sex, the adrenaline rush offered by adventure sports or any other form of behavior. The defining characteristic is not in its form, but in the way in which it affects our lives. If we are abusing a chemical, injuring our bodies, or obsessively seeking certain behaviors, we could be suffering from an addiction.
Addictions could be either chemical or psychological/behavioral. Chemical addiction occurs after a level of exposure has altered the natural state of our bodies. When the chemical is removed, our bodies react with symptoms of withdraw. Withdraw is the process where the body is returning to a normal chemical balance. A psychological or behavioral addiction usually does not affect our natural chemical state or offers symptoms of withdraw. However, normalizing our behavior may cause anxiety, increase stress levels, and create general discomfort.
In either case, addictions are behaviors that can adversely affect our lives and our health. For instance an addiction to sex may sound strange or even humorous at first, but, in reality, it could complicate not only our personal, but our professional lives as well.
The recent popularity of web addiction almost seems ridiculous, but people are spending several hours surfing and chatting. Affected individuals have lost employment opportunities, ruined their relationships, and have squandered fortunes on web material.
Of course, we know the health risks of smoking like emphysema, various cancers, and fetal injuries, but it also can affect sexual arousal and mental performance. Addictions are more than irritating habits.
The solution to addiction is simple, stop using, abusing the chemical or behavior. The challenge is hidden in the way we think and move about in our daily lives. Change is a scary step for many individuals and it causes anxiety, fear, and resistance. Learning to live without an addiction is a process of retraining our minds and bodies. Depending on the severity, it could involve counseling, multiple step programs, rehabilitation, or a systematic approach to weaning the person off of the dependent source. If you are concerned or need additional information regarding addictions, please consult a professional.
Click here for The American Society of Addiction Medicine
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