MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE

 

MYTH #1:

 If you talk to someone about his or her suicidal thoughts, you'll encourage the person to kill himself/herself.
FACT: Actually the opposite is true.  Asking individuals directly about suicidal intent will often lower their anxiety level and act as a deterrent to suicidal behavior by encouraging the ventilation of pent-up emotions.  Asking individuals about their suicidal feelings may make them feel relieved that someone finally recognized their emotional pain.  Talking about it helps the person work through the idea with directness and honesty.
   

MYTH #2:

 People who talk about killing themselves rarely commit suicide.
FACT: Eight out of ten people who commit suicide have given some clue or warning of their intent.  Therefore, suicidal threats and attempts should always be treated seriously.
   

MYTH #3:

 When a person talks about killing himself/herself, he or she is just looking for attention.  Ignoring him or her is the best thing to do.
FACT: Ignoring him or her is the worst thing to do.  A person who talks about suicide is begging for help.  Without some attention, the likelihood of an attempt increases.
   

MYTH #4:

 A person who is once suicidal is suicidal forever.
FACT: Most people who are suicidal are that way for only a brief period of time in their lives.  If the person receives the proper assistance and support, he will probably never be suicidal again.  Only about 10% of attempters who have received proper professional help have later completed the act.
   

MYTH #5:

 The tendency toward suicide is inherited and passed from generation to generation.
FACT: Although suicide may tend to "run in families," it appears that it is not genetically transmitted.  The tendency for depression may be inherited.  Most importantly, members of families share learned coping mechanisms.  If a person who is suffering from depression sees a family member end his or her life, suicide is seen as a viable solution to problems.  The occurrence of a suicide acts as a model to other family members, and provides tactic permission for emulation.
   

MYTH #6:

 All suicidal people are deeply depressed.
FACT: Although depression is often associated with suicidal feelings, not all individuals who kill themselves are depressed.  Many want to escape their life situation and see no other options.  Adolescents, in particular, are often very impulsive, and fail to think through alternative solutions to life problems.
   

MYTH #7:

 A person who was severely depressed, but now seems to have pulled out of it, will not commit suicide.
FACT: Severely depressed individuals might not have the sheer energy to carry out their plans.  Once they start to "improve," they find the energy they need to follow through.  The greatest risk of suicide exists during the first three months after a person recovers from a deep depression.  Of particular danger is the situation where the severely depressed person seems to be back to normal virtually overnight.  In most instances, this individual's depression has lifted because he/she has decided to "resolve" all of his/her problems at the same time by committing suicide.
   

MYTH #8:

 Suicide is a spontaneous activity that occurs without warning.
FACT: Most suicidal people plan their self-destruction in advance.  Although there are a greater number of impulsive suicides among adolescents, the majority of both adolescents and adults will at least present clues indicating they are suicidal.
   

MYTH #9:

 If a person attempts suicide but survives, he/she probably won't attempt it again.
FACT: Four out of five individuals who succeed in committing suicide have made at least one previous attempt.  The first attempt is the hardest.  Once the barrier between thought and action is crossed, subsequent attempts are easier.  Estimates indicate that half who have tried will try again, if no help is forthcoming.  Even if help is received, if it does not improve the conditions that brought about the first attempt, subsequent attempts are likely.
   

MYTH #10:

 There is a very low correlation between alcoholism and suicide.
FACT: Alcoholism and suicide often go hand in hand.  Alcoholics are prone to suicide, and even people who do not normally drink will often ingest alcohol shortly before killing themselves.  It has a disinhibiting effect on the individual's ability to control his/her impulses. Alcohol and drugs are frequently used as unsuccessful coping alternatives for combating depression.
   

MYTH #11:

 People who commit suicide rarely seek medical help.
FACT: Research has consistently shown that about 75 percent of suicide people will visit a physician for somatic complaints within the six months preceding the suicide.
   

MYTH #12:

 There is a "typical" kind of person who commits suicide.
FACT: The potential for suicide exists in all of us.  There is not a "typical" type of suicidal person.  Suicide crosses sex, race, age, socioeconomic status, and profession.
   

MYTH #13:

 Because it includes the Christmas season, December has a high suicide rate.
FACT: In the general population, April and May have the highest number of completions.  September and October are especially high-risk months for children and adolescents.  December has the lowest rate of completions of any month.
   

MYTH #14:

 People who commit suicide always leave notes.
FACT: Only a small percentage of adolescents leave notes explaining why they killed themselves.
   

MYTH #15:

 Children under 15 years old do not commit suicide.
FACT: Approximately 3 percent of children younger than 15 are suicidal.  A suicide threat by a younger child should never be dismissed.

 

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