Suicide: Myths and Reality

Myth: Suicide happens without warning.
Reality: Studies reveal that the suicidal person gives many clues and warnings regarding his/her suicidal intentions. If people in a crisis get the help they need, they will probably never be suicidal again.

Myth: People who talk about dying by suicide don’t commit suicide.
Reality: Eight of ten people give warning of their suicidal tendencies. Most communicate their intent sometime during the week preceding their attempt.

Myth: Suicidal persons are fully intent on dying.
Reality: Most suicidal people are undecided about living or dying and they “gamble with death” leaving it to others to save them. Few commit suicide without letting others know how they are feeling. Suicide is the most preventable kind of death, and almost any positive action may save a life.

Myth: Once a person is suicidal, he/she is suicidal forever.
Reality: Individuals who wish to kill themselves are suicidal only for limited period of time. The suicidal crisis lasts only a few hours. Only 1% of all survivors of suicide attempts kill themselves within one year; only 10% within 10 years.

Myth: Assessing suicidal risk is something best left to mental health professionals.
Reality: Preliminary assessments can be effectively done even at the runaway shelters. Waiting for an appointment for a mental health professional may be wasting crucial time.

Myth: There is a certain type of person who commits suicide – usually from poor families or mentally ill.
Reality: Suicide is neither a rich person’s disease nor a poor person’s curse. Suicide is very democratic and is represented proportionately among all levels of society.

Myth: When a depressed person cheers up, the danger of suicide has passed.
Reality: Depression often dulls the ability to act. While in the depths of depression, the person may wish to die and may actually plan to end his life, but lacks the willpower or energy to do it. As the depression lifts, the ability to act returns and suicide plans made earlier can now be carried out.

Myth: Suicide is inherited or runs in the family.
Reality: Suicide does not run in families per se. It is an individual pattern. Differences in serotonergic brain systems could account for some heritability. Mental illness often is hereditary, which is what makes more than one suicide in a family common. Suicide survivors are also at a greater risk of suicide when they do not receive support services and if necessary, mental health services after losing a family member to suicide. Also, behavior can be modeled by a relative or close friend, so it is important that you help the person learn that there is a better way of coping.

Myth: Suicide attempts and completions are most common in the fall and during the holidays.
Reality: While the fall is a common time of the year when people attempt suicide and often complete, the spring of the year is often just as or more common. People who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or have the “winter blues,” often feel better and begin to enjoy the springtime of the year. People with a chronic and serious mental illness who don’t begin to feel better during this time of the year are often felt feeling more hopeless as they see others feeling better. Their risk of attempting or completing suicide increases during this time. While the holidays can be a time of despair for some people, very few suicides occur during this time as people are often with family and friends. After the holidays when family and friends leave and activities are less frequent, people then begin to feel hopeless with less to look forward to or keep their minds focused on.