Mental health articles

Many of us feel, at some time in our life, that we have had ‘enough’ of living. If you think of all the difficult situations in which you might not want to continue your life, you will find that these are the same reasons for the people who come to consult you with this complaint. There is one big difference, of course. For most of us, thoughts of suicide pass quickly, and are often a reaction to a recent unhappy event. Most of us will talk it over with friends or relatives, or work out solutions to our problems and the thoughts will go away. For some, however, suicidal thoughts or plans become more persistent and are associated with mental illnesses and severe life difficulties.
The following mental illnesses are associated with suicide:
• Depression. This is the most important cause of suicide. Depression can make a person feel miserable, lose interest in life and lose hope for the future.

• Alcohol and drug misuse. Although many people drink alcohol and take drugs to feel better, in fact these substances act as depressants on the brain. The despair of not being able to stop the addiction, physical illness and financial problems make the person feel suicidal.
• Long-term health problems. Illnesses that cause pain or which are terminal are more likely to make the sufferer feel suicidal.
• Severe mental disorders. People with a psychosis are also at a risk of ending their life through suicide.
Social and personal factors play an important role in the cause of the mental illness. Important social factors that can make a person unhappy and suicidal include:
• unhappy relationships, particularly an unhappy marriage;
• poverty and economic difficulties, particularly when these happen suddenly, such as when a person loses a job;
• losing a loved one, for example through bereavement ;
• not having friends with whom to share problems and feelings.
Teenagers may become suicidal when they fail in school or have fights at home with their parents .

Tags: suicide