Teen Talk with Collins HeksonWe all feel overwhelmed by difficult emotions or situations sometimes. Most of us get through it; we can put our problems in perspective and find a way to carry on with determination and hope. But others may feel that their problems are insurmountable, and that the only solution to their situation is suicide.
It’s a big question: why does one person choose suicide when another person in a similar situation does not? What makes some people more resilient than others, seemingly better able to deal with life’s setbacks and difficulties? What makes a person unable to see any way out of a bad situation aside from ending his or her life?
The answer, if there can be only one, is depression.
Many suicidal teens, interviewed after making attempts on their own lives, say that they did it because they were trying to escape from a situation that seemed impossible to deal with, or to get relief from really bad thoughts or feelings. They didn’t want to die so much as they wanted to escape from their anguish.
Some people who attempt or succeed in committing suicide might be trying to escape feelings of rejection, hurt, or loss. Others might be angry, ashamed, or guilty about something, or worried about disappointing friends or family members. Some may feel unwanted, unloved, victimised, or that they’re a burden to others.
Such thoughts are influenced by depression, which leads people to focus mostly on failures and disappointments, and to emphasise the negative side of their lot, ignoring their own worth as people. This distorted view is the reason why many depressed people don’t realise that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem in the same way that other people do.
One particularly difficult form of depression is bipolar disorder, formerly referred to as manic depression. People with this condition can experience times of extreme positivity and frantic energy, but between these peaks are deep troughs of depression, dark thoughts and distorted perception. For people with bipolar disorder, it can be a challenge to keep problems in perspective and act with good judgement – in these cases, suicide attempts often occur as rash, impulsive decisions made in a moment of desperate upset.
When depression lifts, as a result of proper therapy or treatment, such distorted thinking can be cleared, and the person can find again pleasure, balance and hope in their life. But for the seriously depressed, suicidal thinking is a real concern.
This is why it’s so important for all of us to be aware of the symptoms of depression, and be sympathetic to the needs of friends and family, especially young people, who may be suffering from this devastating condition.
Collins Hekson is a Dublin-based student on work experience with Metro Éireann
