Why do people commit suicide?

There have been books written about why people commit suicide, so you're not going to find an all-reaching answer in a single post. Factors such as drugs, mental illness, making a huge mistake, hopelessness, and illness-related, perspective, and/or knowledge based depression can all be contributing factors to a person wanting to end his own life. When you are drunk or high, if you have access to easy ways of killing yourself, you may do so without even realizing what you are doing. When you have a mental disorder, you can come up with all kinds of crazy, illogical reasons to kill yourself. Usually, those with prominent mental disorders may not have many friends, so there is very little in their life to stop them from doing so. If a person into a massive amount of debt or pisses off the wrong person(s), that person may believe it is easier to just escape it all than to continue to endure the torture. When a person feels like he has nothing left to live for and will only be feeling pain as he gets hold, he might want to kill himself.

Depression is a whole different ball game from the rest due to how deep-rooted and well-planned it can be. If you have lived with depression all your life and have never experienced a day of joy and happiness, it's easy to see why you would want to end it all. If you have no friends, no supportive family, everybody at work doesn't like you (if you even have a job), and there's very little options for you to make any physical content with other people, the loneliness alone would end up being so unbearable that you would rather end it all than continue on living. Those who "know too much" about their environment in a personal sense (such as a bad boss always promoting other people, your friends always talking behind your back, your parents always thinking you're the "black sheep" of the family, etc.) or a broad sense (such as the fact that the system is rigged, money is worthless, life is a luck-based game unless you're born into the right name or factions, etc.) might think they will get nowhere in life no matter what they do, so they shouldn't even try.

Suicides can be stupid and done on a whim, done by accident thanks to drugs, or long-planned and intricate. Those who do the former are forgotten days later, and those who do the latter could have been saved if those around him tried to understand him instead of telling him to suck it up and deal with it, because "that's life."

Depression is something that you simply cannot comprehend until you've gone through it. You're lucky to have never dealt with it. There's a difference between sadness and despair. Despair is the result of putting everything you've got into something for weeks, months, even years without ever succeeding. Most people will have to deal with depression down the road... I really look forward to watching arrogant douchebags tumbling down the "rabbit hole".

If you want a taste, listen to these videos and meditate on the darkest memories you have.

reply to post by gabby2011


I am not "trashing" him at all. This is an anonymous forum and I am not disclosing his name, so I don't think this counts a "public" either.
He was a great dude and that is how I will remember him, and no one is judging him on one stupid act.

I was expressing my personal opinion on suicide in general. No, I don't feel remorseful because it was his choice. I think it was stupid, but that doesn't change my opinion that he was great guy. I can't help him if I didn't know there was a problem.

As for the work environment, you wouldn't understand and I'm not inclined to try and explain it.

Originally posted by Sinny
reply to post by gabby2011

 

He just sounded curious to me.

I've wondered it

He didn't sound curious to me..it sounded like a platform to tell people how he had no sympathy or compassion for people who would attempt it, and went into detail to say how selfish he thought it was. Now he has a right to his opinion, which did not come across at all like curiosity to me....but to say stuff like that right after someone died this way seems like pretty harsh judgement to me. ...and even then he has the right to his opinion.

I don't see suicide quite that cut and dried .....and I've wondered every time someone has done it...why?..what was actually going on with this persons life? I think all of us have.

reply to post by gabby2011


It is unfortunate you feel that way, but it is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Perhaps I just needed to vent a little, but I stand by my statements. Maybe my views are selfish, But I think suicide is too.
Then again everyone has the right to their choices, whether we agree with them or not.

It just don't understand the reasoning behind it.

Originally posted by watchitburn
reply to post by gabby2011

 

It is unfortunate you feel that way, but it is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Perhaps I just needed to vent a little, but I stand by my statements. Maybe my views are selfish, But I think suicide is too.
Then again everyone has the right to their choices, whether we agree with them or not.

It just don't understand the reasoning behind it.

I actually understand the fact that you don't understand the reasoning behind it...but I think you need to understand that the reasoning of a suicidal person is not at its peak...the emotions,and the mental state are feeling so trapped, and so unhappy, for reasons we may not understand . Emotions and thoughts are powerful, as well as the reality of some peoples lives is really hell. I'm not sure what was going on with your work friend, and I do feel sad that he decided to deal with his problems this way, but I don't want to judge him as selfish , and I would prefer to have compassion for his "unhealthy" state of reasoning. I think you have more empathy than you let on , and I hope that if the souls remains after an act like that , that you would forgive it for its unreasoning, and help it to forgive itself, because I'm sure like one poster said, these souls may suffer with that choice in the after life.

sadness becomes so unbearable death seems like the answer.

One thing i do know about suicide is whatever the reason this person felt like he needed to leave this world will still follow him/her into the afterlife. I have read many books on the subject. although the folks who commit suicide are now in peace, they still must face the problems they dealt with in life. and not being on this plane anymore makes things much more difficult. also many books i have come across do mention how this effects family and friends and the extra problems that happen when taking one's life.

Originally posted by MachiventaMelchizedek
One thing i do know about suicide is whatever the reason this person felt like he needed to leave this world will still follow him/her into the afterlife. I have read many books on the subject. although the folks who commit suicide are now in peace, they still must face the problems they dealt with in life. and not being on this plane anymore makes things much more difficult. also many books i have come across do mention how this effects family and friends and the extra problems that happen when taking one's life.

You mean they still have to deal with the negative vibes of humans...? damn..thats too bad...

I think some people find themselves in a vicious cycle they cannot conceive ever getting out of. Things become monotonous and they stop finding joy in life. Very sad when it happens, sometimes it makes sense when it happens, you kind of think "oh, well that makes sense I guess, what a shame, should've seen that coming..." Other times it is so out of the blue, it shocks everyone that knew the person to their core. Especially if no one saw it coming it is quite a shocking move, indeed because suicide is so taboo in almost all societies. In the end, though, the person was suffering and felt they had to take matters into their own hands. Doesn't mean it was the correct thing to do, but it does happen. Sorry for your loss.

reply to post by watchitburn


because they want to die - obvious answer

reply to post by watchitburn


Considering the sick sad world we live in I'm surprised more people don't end their time on a daily basis. One has to turn a blind eye to so many things. The more closer to home things are the less easy they may be to ignore. Some people have more on their plate than we realize. Some are unable to well cope with what little may be their burden.

As others have mentioned, unchecked mental health issues can make a persons life a living hell. As unpopular as psychiatry and pharmaceuticals are on ATS oddly enough there are millions of people who receive relief and are able to put themselves on track with the help of counseling and meds. The harsh social stigma placed upon mental health issues by a lot of ignorant people parroting what others have said just makes it more difficult for many to reach out and seek the help they need.

IMHO when issues in life become so incredibly overwhelming that suicide becomes the logical choice, one has already slipped into a state of emergency, perhaps the realm of madness. Suicide is a most ultimate aggressive act. Not only do I pity those driven to suicide, I pity those who lack sympathy and empathy for the one they lost.

Ever hear the saying "there, but for the grace of God, go I"? What happens to a friend or neighbor may happen to you or I. Speak not harshly of the departed, but show compassion for their family in their time of grief.

reply to post by watchitburn


My bands old drummer who was also a good friend of mine hung himself a while ago. He literally was the most upbeat positive person I have ever known and still cant believe what happened. He never said anything to anyone that indicated he was depressed or suicidal.

I attempted suicide nearly 2 years ago and I hope that my post can make some people understand.

After having to quit a job I loved due to chronic nerve pain caused by a broken back (car accident), I slowly spiraled down into a bad depression. Pain meds make me feel like a zombie and without them I sometimes faint due to the pain.
Even a part-time job was to much and I was glad if I could take care of the simple household tasks and finances. I had less and less friends and even the love of my family and husband couldn't stop me from feeling more and more lonely. After a few years the idea that I was just a burden to everyone and useless as a human being kept growing larger and larger until my husband said that he wanted a divorce. For me this was the last drop and I went into a state of mental and physical numbness.
During the night I started planning my suicide and decided that the cleanest way was to simply cut my wrists while sitting in the bathtub. That way I wouldn't leave to much of a mess...

I did cut right and still have multiple scars to remind me everyday of how I felt that day but I wont tell everyone what I did wrong since I don't want to make this post a manual on how to kill yourself.

You can see that I simply felt like I was a worthless burden who was only in the way of other people. And when you get into a state of numbness you don't even feel it when you cut yourself. I did feel very clearheaded and even made a list of all the passwords of the bank, insurance etc so my husband would know them next to my goodbye letter.

I have had help since then and have been living on my own since January. The pain has decreased a little and I can now work 3 hours a day so, to me, life is looking up again. The attempt was also a huge learning experience and I know that I will now recognize the signs and attempt it again.

I am pro suicide.
You should have no right to tell me i can't die if i feel i should
Screw this "im going to push my morals on you because im better than you" attitude people have
if you dont have a choice then what do you have
NOTHING

reply to post by stormofnight


"i would feel real trapped in this life if i didnt know i could commit suicide at any time"
hunter s thompson

reply to post by watchitburn


People commit suicide because they don't have the necessary emotional means to deal with their situation, they are not equipped to deal with their problems and kill themselves out of despair and a feeling of helplessness.

I witnessed a suicide when i was quite young, and it has been an issue for me since. Being exposed to such a graphic scene at such a young age left me very traumatized, and sometimes I am not equipped emotionally to deal with situations and contemplate suicide. It can be a knee jerk reaction sometimes. It is very hard for the people involved, friends and family etc, very hard. But people should have sympathy for the person who has killed themselves, it's not like it's the first resort and it is likely that they had been contemplating it for a long time. Although it appears selfish and certainly can be, you must understand that it's hard to be a human, and some people are not equipped to deal with it.

It’s a difficult one, I had been down the dark path before but was pulled from the brink and glad for it.
I was 18; living in a bad environment with bad people, doing some drugs and just wanted it all to stop. There were no tell-tale signs as I was very sociable and gave off a very carefree attitude. What I did was selfish in my opinion, more of a cry for help.

However, 2 years ago my Auntie committed suicide. After decades of depression and suffering from Bipolar on her 50th birthday (in a clinic) she broke a cup and slashed her throat. My other Auntie (her and my mother’s sister) works in A&E and was working on her as she was slipping away. My mother was also there and the last thing she said was that she didn’t want to die and didn’t know what she was doing. A week before she had cut her wrists and was in a catatonic state, the only thing she stated was that "they told me to do it"

Just two examples and clearly different, I was young and needed a bit more nurturing and love than I thought. My Auntie (Diana) was clearly suffering from major mental illness and also was let down by the system and to some extent our family. (Including myself).

Empathy is the number one trait we must all strive to learn as it will bring compassion and understanding. We are individual for a reason.

Peace

I understand why OP feels the way that he did when he posted this post. I have a family member that Almost suceeded in doing a suicided. Till this day I think about how horrible life would of turn out without this person in my life. I dont know if they never take this into consideration but the people around them, especially family, are the one to be tormented the most, because every holiday or festivity you would always think of what could of been. Life is a prize and a mistery that we should enjoy, be happy to be alive another day is a miracle that should never be overlooked. May godbless his soul, whereever he might be!

I "attempted" suicide a few years back. I was living at my moms house, and I had no job. Being broke is quite stressful. I struggled a bit with depression off and on, but to tell the truth I was happy at the time. I had recently fell in love with the girl I'm living with today, enrolled in community college, and I was beginning to feel content if not ambitious about my life. Anyways, I came home that night, and my mother was mad that I hadn't done some chore for her. ...So we argued. That escalated into some what of a fight. It was a basic family squabble, not really anything extreme, but for some reason something in me snapped. I yelled some obscenities at her, and though I can be pretty intimidating if I want to I was just as surprised and frightened as she was. I quickly stormed out to have a cig. Then I heard my mom at the door. Apparently she didn't do it, but what I heard was the door locking. At that point I completely lost it. I kicked the door, as hard as I could, knocking a panel from it clear across the house. She came running back in the kitchen(It was the back door off of kitchen.) yelling "I didn't lock it!". So I opened what was left of it, and sure enough it wasn't locked. She then told me to get the hell out of there. At this point I can't say I was blacked out. I remember seeing everything, but that was all. Instead of being conscious, I felt like I was just watching something through my eyes. She went upstairs in her room, and I went in the garage. I then grabbed an orange electrical cord, threw it over a ceiling beam, and some how fashioned a noose out of it. (I couldn't repeat process if i tried)I then stood on my Jeep's bumper and literally jumped into it. Apparently my subconscious is adept at making makeshift nooses, because it held my 230 pound body with no trouble. I didn't feel any pain, as I passed out from lack of blood before I started choking. I then woke up with paramedics over me in a daze. (My head fell a good 7-8 feet onto bare concrete with nothing to brace it) I was put into an ambulance on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. I was beginning to clear up besides being pumped full of morphine when my mom and aunt walked in the room. She then told me how she found me hanging there, randomly grabbed a machete that was kept in the garage, cut me down in one quick slash, and screamed for the neighbors who quickly responded. It must have been one of those baby under a car things. If she didn't react exactly how she did.. I wouldn't be here. What a realization that is though...knowing your mother not only new you hung yourself but that she saw it with her own eyes. I could right a novel worth of feelings that caused if only I could understand them. I guess to poorly describe it....shame, anguish, terror. Tears are coming down my face as I type this. I then spent the next week in a psych-ward. It was the scariest week of my life because the movie "One Flew Over the Coocoo's Nest". Of course it was more modern then the movie, everybody was nice, and I could and did spend a lot of my time on the phone, but the food wasn't fit for a dog, I was locked in with all types of crazy, and there was absolutely no smoking. I only ate the few packaged snacks available and I only slept maybe 3 hours total in the whole week I was there.(truly no exaggeration) I truly don't see how it was any place for someone that just tried to kill themselves, but believe me I kept my charms on overdrive and was very agreeable with a smile to everyone just in case.

I guess to answer your question, I attempted suicide on something of an impulse. Through mandated therapy we found that I tend to swallow all my stresses, anxieties, and all sorts of negative feelings and pains. Apparently such things are quite volatile, as 20 years of failures, disappointments, and embarrassments blew up like a super nova in my head. Others probably do it more slowly. Depression is pure poison...a demon of infinite power. I don't think its possible to understand why exactly people commit suicide as a whole. I'm sure there is numerous variables, and that demon does work in mysterious ways. Now, you may say it is stupid, selfish, and/or ect. to attempt to off yourself, and I agree. Keep that frame of mind and don't let go. I know from experience that things can snap inside your head without warning. There is no boundaries. The mind truly is a scary place to live.

sorry if this was to graphic for anyone