Why Suicide May Be the Worst Option of All

Posted on July 29, 2017

Suicide usually stems from feelings of despair and the belief that change is not possible. Nothing about how you are and what you are going through feels good. With these feelings and beliefs, it can lead to the thought that suicide is an option. However, suicide is a permanent solution for temporary, passing problems.

No situation you are in will be permanent – whether it is a terminal illness or a long prison sentence. You should seek help if you are feeling suicidal. According to Atalanta Beaumont, a former psychotherapist, the passing of time and a change in perspective will change even the most deep-seated beliefs. Suicide is often because of depression, but depression can be addressed with relevant help and therapy.

Suicide is often chosen when in despair, and many who have had suicidal thoughts find it difficult to pinpoint the reason they contemplated suicide when looking back later. A different mindset takes over where we convince ourselves that suicide is our best option. We often do not tell others about our plan to avoid their interference. However, think back on times when you made life changing decisions – did you make it alone or discuss it with friends or even an expert?

Ending your life is not the only form of suicide. A slow descent into substance abuse or self-harming behaviour like drink driving or self-neglect are other indications of giving up on oneself. Appropriate attention, in the same vein as suicidal thoughts, should be given to these behaviours.

Beaumont believes that a person’s mind balance is altered when they have suicidal thoughts, such that they do not have rational thought and reason. Beaumont urges anybody who is feeling suicidal to consider this enormous decision carefully, feeling how this would impact the people closest to you and what you would be giving up.

Beaumont mentions that if someone you know or love someone commits suicide, remember that it does not have anything to do with you. Beaumont does not mean to belittle how suicide impacts on closed ones, but rather that if a person has a strong intention to commit suicide, they would carry through, with or without effort to intervene. People who are thinking about committing suicide are often in a state where their loved ones are left out of anything they are considering. Many who contemplate suicide firmly believe that the lives of their family and friends would be better without them in it.

If someone you are close to has committed suicide, consider seeking professional help. If your feelings are left unresolved, this can influence every aspect of your life.

Beaumont concludes by saying that suicidal thoughts are often caused by a mental or physical unbalance in your system, or both, hence do not blame yourself for having these thoughts. She reiterates that suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems that can be resolved with professional help. Lastly, do not remain silent. Talk to your family, friends and even your doctor. Do not end up choosing the worst option.


Category(s):Suicide Prevention

Source material from Psychology Today