It goes without saying that suicide is linked to some form of depression. Depression can manifest itself in so many ways that on an almost weekly basis I find myself dealing with an area of depression I haven’t come across before.
One thing that is true of ALL depression is that it lessens the individuals coping mechanisms. Often the depression sufferer doesn’t realise that they have an inability to cope and naturally assumes their depression just makes them feel low, worthless, lacking in self esteem etc. It is the single defining factor in depression that the ability to cope with seemingly trivial matters becomes more and more difficult. Eventually it is this element of depression that becomes all conquering and it can and does lead to an individual absolutely believing that there is no solution, that the problems they face cannot be beaten or overcome. Combine that with the more commonly discussed symptoms of depression and you ultimately end up with someone who cannot face life. Life itself becomes the problem so for some the solution is to remove the problem.
When I am working with someone who is at the point where suicide is truly the solution for them then it is an incredibly difficult battle. I can’t use logic or reason anymore because they are simply not traits they have any ability to utilise. They have all but gone.
Admittedly that sounds all very doom and gloom but it is something that can be and is overcome but it takes a strong network of individuals and supporting organisations to ensure that it is successful in the long term. Sadly it is those services which are slowly being eradicated and it is now that they are needed the most. I can only speak accurately about the area in which I work but taking a 6 month period from 2010 to a 6 month period in 2012 we have seen an increase in patients who are high risk by almost 40%. We now have less resources to deal with them
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