The common reasons for suicidal thoughts

We respond to problems such as these in relation to our personal experiences, and most problems eventually pass us by.  In some cases, however, the concerns can develop into a serious issue that give rise to thoughts about choosing between life and death. They say that everyone thinks about suicide at least a few times in the course of a lifetime. You should not feel embarrassed that you have thoughts about suicide.  Instead, you should seek out help from those around you or from a professional counselor to overcome these suicidal thoughts.

In actuality, however, many people who have experienced counseling have testified that the process of conversing about their problems during counseling helped them think more objectively about their problem and eventually overcome their difficulties. When you feel a wish to commit suicide, you must accept the fact that you are suffering and reach out for help to those around you.  Other valuable sources of help are the professionals at theCounseling and Career Development Center on campus, the counseling center at your dormitory, and other psychology and mental health clinics.

If someone you know suffers from suicidal thoughts

• Listen attentively to what the person says, and focus on what the person is feeling rather than the situation.

• Repeatedly express to the person that you are concerned and sincerely wish to help. For someone who wishes to die, simply feeling the presence of “human empathy” can be most effective.

• Encourage the person to consider that suicide is not the only exit from the pain he or she currently feels and persuade them to put off the decision.

• Rather than trying to help all by yourself, reach out to close friends, senior students, friends or professional counselors for assistance.

• Do not judge the person’s feelings as right or wrong. The person will end up feeling misunderstood. Never attempt to denigrate the person’s feelings with questions such as “Why would you even think of dying over a problem like that?” ( X )

• Do not try to win an argument by debating the question of suicide. This will make the person feel that their sense of pain and difficulty has been rejected. “If you’re brave enough to die, you should be brave enough to live.” ( X )

• Don’t attempt to project unrealistic optimism saying “Everything will be fine” ( X ) or offer a simple solution. If your proposal fails to solve the problem, the person will again feel despair.

• Do not promise to keep the problem a secret. You should assist the person to find help by encouraging him or her to let other close people know about the problem.