Suicide

[meQal]

Having spent many years working with people with mental illness, as well as suffering from severe depression myself, this is a subject I have a lot of experience with. And from my experience, there is really two types of suicides. The first is the attention seeking attempt that went too far and the second is the genuine depression fueled.
Most suicides are of the first type. People are desperate, scared, and really want people to feel sorry for them. This is not to say they don't have a genuine mental illness, just the place they are coming from in their attempt. They are focused more on people feeling pity for them because they feel helpless. However deep in their subconscious they really don't want to die. It is that deep subconscious desire to live which is why their attempts are clumsy and often show many warning signs to all around them.
Those in this type usually lack poor coping skills to begin with but generally improve with therapy and in some cases medication. Their suicidal periods will diminish the longer they seek treatment and learn new skills to cope with situations.
This is also why many suicide prevention hotlines work. Because they are able to provide a person with some short term coping skills as well as convince them into entering treatment. Sadly however, there are several in this group that carry out an act of attention seeking that succeeds in their death.
The other type of suicide is a lot harder to prevent. These are people who are committed to their own destruction. The only way to prevent these is through one on one observation of that person 24 hours a day.
Seldom do they show warning signs or any indication of what they are intending. They are determined and often are only prevented from succeeding if found in time for medical treatment. These are often very sad and lonely deaths. I have known a few people of this type including a 3 people who were very close to me. In all cases, there is no way to prevent their attempts and any indication you give that you might will only result in their hiding their true emotional state from you. The only solution in these cases is sadly long term inpatient care, possibly for the rest of the person's life. Sometimes even this can not prevent them from succeeding.
Finally, I don't subscribe to the whole suicides go to hell crap. People driven to attempt such an act are already in their own personal hell to begin with so I doubt they would only get more of the same in the afterlife. Nor do I care to hear someone say it's a coward's way out. People who try to commit suicide are not cowards, just very ill people in need of help not scorn. They should be treated with the same care as you would treat an accident victim.
Another thing, having been to brink of the abyss myself when I was younger, (I tried to off myself a few times in my teens and early 20s) telling a person who just tried to kill themself or is about to try, how things are going to get better is waste of time. This really just adds to their stress and makes them more subject to carry out their intentions or try it again. Instead focus on them and listen to what they are saying. A person in a suicidal state is already convinced things aren't going to improve so telling them it will at that point is a waste of time, later when they are a bit more stable, yes, it needs to be mentioned. A person in the act of an attempt is going to expect things to change for the better instantly, so unless you can do that, avoid bring that up.

[ghouck]

In my experience there is a third: a person that isn't depressed per se, or looking for attention, but rather SHAMED and would rather end it than face people who now know what they perceive as some dark, nasty secret. The suicide rate is HUGE for people within the first 48 hours of incarceration, and the same thing happens when people first are informed of a positive HIV or HCV test, as well as people who find out they contracted a venereal disease and could have given it to their spouse. The rate of suicide is much higher for people arrested for sex crimes such as SAM, soliciting prostitution, rape, even though those crimes are notoriously hard to prosecute and convict.

[meQal]

In my experience there is a third: a person that isn't depressed per se, or looking for attention, but rather SHAMED and would rather end it than face people who now know what they perceive as some dark, nasty secret. The suicide rate is HUGE for people within the first 48 hours of incarceration, and the same thing happens when people first are informed of a positive HIV or HCV test, as well as people who find out they contracted a venereal disease and could have given it to their spouse. The rate of suicide is much higher for people arrested for sex crimes such as SAM, soliciting prostitution, rape, even though those crimes are notoriously hard to prosecute and convict.

Being as I never worked much in or with anyone in Corrections beyond occasionally springing someone from jail to be placed in a inpatient treatment facility, I have to yield to your knowledge on this. However I will point out that again, poor coping skills seem to be the cause.

[ghouck]

Finally, I don't subscribe to the whole suicides go to hell crap. People driven to attempt such an act are already in their own personal hell to begin with so I doubt they would only get more of the same in the afterlife. Nor do I care to hear someone say it's a coward's way out. People who try to commit suicide are not cowards, just very ill people in need of help not scorn.

I agree with you there 100%. Many people have the luxury of never knowing depression and can't imagine what a person goes through. Many people are delusional in their "If that were ME, what I would do is. . .". If you haven't lived the same life as someone else, you really don't know how you would react.

I find it sickening that buttheads like Tom Cruise, who makes tens of millions for s**tty acting a couple times a year can insinuate that people that are depressed or suicidal are lazy, cowardly, etc. 

[CaptnTripps]

In my experience there is a third: a person that isn't depressed per se, or looking for attention, but rather SHAMED and would rather end it than face people who now know what they perceive as some dark, nasty secret. The suicide rate is HUGE for people within the first 48 hours of incarceration, and the same thing happens when people first are informed of a positive HIV or HCV test, as well as people who find out they contracted a venereal disease and could have given it to their spouse. The rate of suicide is much higher for people arrested for sex crimes such as SAM, soliciting prostitution, rape, even though those crimes are notoriously hard to prosecute and convict.

Being as I never worked much in or with anyone in Corrections beyond occasionally springing someone from jail to be placed in a inpatient treatment facility, I have to yield to your knowledge on this. However I will point out that again, poor coping skills seem to be the cause.

I am currently a Correctional Officer, and have witnessed first hand what Ghouck describes.It doesnt happen too often at my prison, but often enough. Especially the guys that come in knowing they aren't coming out and don't have any hope, which is the most important part of getting by when things are hard. Depression takes that hope away. And as for the sex offenders, sometimes I think they kill themselves before anyone else gets to them, because in the prison, people are looked up to for hurting those guys. We usually see the most suicide attempts around the holidays, mostly Thanksgiving and Christmas, and when a long time spouse or girlfriend breaks up with the inmate.

As for my own thoughts about suicide, all I can say is I was lucky enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was a point in my life, when I felt I could make it easier on everyone if I just went away. I think it was also Ghouck that said people ARE thinking of others at that point and I agree. I was 15, knew nothing about life, but thought I knew everything and had been kicked out by both parents in a back and forth kinda way. All I remember about how I felt was that there was no feeling, just a numbness and I remember thinking that I was just a machine, and every breath I took was a waste. One night, riding in the back seat of a car with some friends I decided that it was the night to end it all, and I wasnt going to tell anyone, I was just going to get home, and do it. As I looked to my left a van slowly passed by, and a little kid, probably 3 or 4 had his face to the glass, and was smiling the cheesiest smile at me. He waved and I dunno I felt this energy, like something telling me to hold out. I smiled and waved back, and slowly got better. They prescribed me with prozac and though it screwed up my sleep, it did help. just my 2 cents.