Debunking all the myths about suicide

Updated on September 13, 2022 16:15 PM by Sally Harbor

Most people think the ones who die of suicide or attempt it are selfish, depressed or attention-seekers. But that is not the reality at all. Rather such myths add to the stigma of society that can prevent those who are suicidal from seeking the help they need and falsify their understanding of the motivations behind suicide.

Suicide is one of the biggest leading causes of death among children, teenagers and adults, with nearly 800,000 people worldwide dying due to it every year. But in the recent past year, which was 2021, the suicide rates had doubled the previous records, as 1.2 million people were recorded dead due to it.

But with awareness regarding the issue and mental health, we can do our bit to stop people from attempting suicide. On World Suicide Prevention Day and even post it, we can raise awareness about the realities of suicide and can help people view these deaths with more understanding and compassion so that they realise the importance of helping others around them when they are in need and also come in terms with their mental health issues if there are any.

So, if you know someone or have come across someone at risk and considering suicide as their last option, the trained counsellors with the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can help. To increase access to the lifeline, every state has rolled out 988 as its new phone number. The last number, 800-273-8255, still is available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.

But with World Suicide Prevention Day around the corner, let’s look at some common myths regarding suicide.

1. Suicide is attempted by those who have s mental illness

Do you think that’s true?? If yes, that is a view you need to change as it is false. One myth which revolves around suicide and suicide attempts is "that only certain people experience suicidal thoughts, people with mental health conditions," said clinical psychologist Michael Roeske who is a senior director of the Newport Healthcare Center for Research and Innovation.

“ A lot of people don't necessarily fit the criteria for a mental health disorder, but in very stressful situations, they lose an important job, they find out about infidelity with a long-term marital partner, and they go, 'Oh, my gosh. I don't know how I will go forward living”, he added.

Also read: The ten nations with the highest suicide rates worldwide

Other factors for suicide attempts can include life stressors such as criminal or legal matters, persecution, eviction or home loss, grief, a devastating or debilitating illness, trauma, or other crises.

2. Suicide is an act of selfishness

Which is not true at all. "There's a derogatory connotation that comes with the word selfish as if somebody is making this decision typically for a pleasurable reason," Roeske said. "Maybe nearsighted is a better way of saying that their focus becomes limited to what's immediately in front of them. And they're unable to see the larger context of the history of their life, the relationships and the dimensionality of things."

Alo read:Medalist Attempted Suicide After Escaping the Blast; Later Through The Healing Of Cycling, Finally Found The Life And Track Towards Success

People who often attempt suicide or die from it more often want to end their struggles or pursue themselves as a burden on loved ones, which brings them to urge to finish themselves so that all of this ends.

But suicide is not a selfish piece in the sense of someone deciding for their benefit; rather, it is a decision based on the idea that 'I don't know how to get out of this moment. I feel so overwhelmed. I feel so stressed. I feel so sad that this opportunity to escape is what I need, and I don't feel I have any other choice’” which makes them attempt it.

3. Suicide is all about attention seeking

Mental health issues these days are more often said to be acts of attention seeking, which is never the case at all. People try to talk about the issues they go through because they think that their near and dear ones can help them out of the circle. But sometimes, the expression of problems is considered part and parcel of attention seeking, which it is not at all.

Also read: Kelly says he had a suicide attempt on the phone with Megan Fox: 'I just snapped.'

Some people think that those who express suicidal thoughts are attention seekers, or they think that the suicide attempters are aware of the sympathy they might garner but don't intend to die.

But regardless of how you respond to it, one has to take it seriously and believe that the person feels that way and is struggling to survive, which is why they require help.

4. Suicide is a chosen choice

But who do you think will take their own life willingly?? Not just us but also some experts contend that suicide isn't an autonomous choice; rather, it comes without an option.

"That's a big philosophical question: Where does free will come in? Are we the consequence of our experiences?" Roeske said. The mindset of a person who is suicidal is similar to that of someone with substance abuse disorder and chronic relapses, he said.

Also read: Shocking identity revealed in murder victim's last breath by 11-year-old

"They are not willfully choosing substances over their children. They are not deciding to harm their physical health or to be a poor employee or a poor citizen or engage in illegal behaviour," Roeske added. Because of some neurochemical changes, such persons have a limited capacity for top choice in terms of what they think is possible and what they can do, which leads to such major actions.

Suicidal thoughts can be so overwhelming and overshadowing that they can blur everything else out, which leaves the person only with one option, Suicide.

5. Talking about suicide will encourage it

One of the biggest myths that come attached to suicide is that if one talks about suicide, it's going to encourage it, which is a reason why people shy away from talking about it. Asking someone about warning signs you have noticed might feel a little awkward, but it does not lead to an increase in suicides; rather, it helps decrease the chances of it as the person expresses his thoughts and feels a little less heavy.

Also read: Arrest Of Suspects For Murder Of Transportation Security Administration officer

Having honest conversations about suicide with people can help reduce the stigma and empower people to seek help, rethink their options and share their stories with others.

6. Better moods mean that suicidal thoughts are gone

This is another of the most hyped myths regarding suicide, and it's necessary to debunk it. If someone attempts suicide but later seems to be doing a little better with their daily lives even after days, months, and years post the incident, one usually gets to the conclusion that the risk of it is all gone and the person is doing all better now.

Also read: World Suicide Prevention Day observed on 10th September

But sometimes, that might be the complete opposite. The three months post the incident are crucial as these three months hold the most risk of the person dying by suicide or attempting it again, which is why one needs to be very observant about their near and dear ones even months after the incident.

The apparent lifting of the problems could mean the person has made a firm decision to die by suicide and feels better because of this decision. The biggest indicator of suicide is subsequent past suicide attempts or have had family members or friends who attempted suicide.

Also read: Calls to suicide prevention lifeline rose 45% after changeover to 988 number

How people around them, including their loved ones, react to their suicide attempt might provide

temporary relief or make them feel that they have some support to continue their life. But what initially drove the person to attempt suicide might still be at play.

7. No one can stop a person from attempting suicide

Can we not?? Of course, we can. Sometimes people do not consider it an option to stop someone from attempting suicide as they think they will do it either way. But researchers and studies have found that people can perceive interrupted or survived attempts as a "new lease on life."

Another similar myth is "once an individual is suicidal, he or she will always remain suicidal," but there are factors that influence the probability of suicide. A history of self-injurious behaviour and genetic makeup are fixed factors of the attempt, whereas dynamic factors constantly change because they vary from situation to situation.

Also read: At least eight Russian businessmen have died in apparent suicide or accidents in just six months

Suicide is often an attempt to control deep, painful emotions and thoughts, and once these thoughts go away, so will the suicidal urge. Suicidal thoughts can return but will not be permanent, and it is possible for a person with suicidal thoughts and attempts can live a long, successful life.

So if someone you care about or love is struggling with it, it's well worth the effort to familiarise yourself with the signs your loved one is at risk for suicide.

"People typically do what they want to do," Roeske said. "But there are things we can do along the way that help mitigate some of the issues that are happening for them," he added. "Having that sense of various signs of suicide potential is helpful."