Suicide and Bipolar Depression
I think about suicide almost everyday.
Here's the deal. Suicide is in the top five causes of death in the US in people age 5-44 years old age group. I know I have found that hard to believe. I used to think that suicide was the one unforgiveable sin. I found out that it was not true, if you read scripture.
Suicide is not good or evil, it's a condition. A biological response when a person's adaptation mechanisms cannot overcome the amount of pain they are in. It also has an obsessive compulsive trait by the continuing thought process in which is difficult for the brain to switch gears.
There are four groups of people I looked at. Bipolar depression, unipolar depression, other psychiatric disorders, and the general population. In a nutshell, Bipolar patients are twice as likely to attempt suicide than their unipolar depression cohorts, and six times more likely to attempt suicide in patients with other psychiatric disorders. (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, etc.) They are twenty times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. Bipolars statistically at least seem to carry out their intentions a little better than the other groups. 1 out of 5 vs 1 out of 10-20 in the general population. wow
When I was little I really thought about it a lot, there have been a couple times in my life I would have characterized myself as unsafe. For me, it seems to be a recurrent thought process rather than a true desire. Well at least most of the time.
It is a myth that asking people about suicide places the idea into a patient's mind. Most of the time, they are often relieved to share their fears about suicide.
A gradual approach might look like this.
Do you ever feel life is not worth living? Personally I hate that question.
Have you ever thought about ending your life? Duh, yes I am bipolar.
What methods have you thought about? This question seems to separate the groups of people
Little league if you answered no. Big leagues if you answer yes. Funny thing I thought everyone knew what their plan was. Than I found out that suicide is not a normal thought in the the general pop. Normal people do not think about or ponder such ideas.
For me the most formidable question was this. Have you ever wanted to die really bad?
That I could relate to. Which led me to a lot of risky behaviors and situations IE unsafe driving and speeding to name a few.
Do you care about your life or not? I love my Husband for many things but one thing that always sticks out is that he is always thinking of ways to keep me safe. Things I do not normally consider, or get the notion to. He's always aware of potentially dangerous situations that I have been oblivoius too. Maybe I did not care. But I am learning through the love of another human being,(Gods manifestation of love) how to care for myself. cool.
Here's the deal. Suicide is in the top five causes of death in the US in people age 5-44 years old age group. I know I have found that hard to believe. I used to think that suicide was the one unforgiveable sin. I found out that it was not true, if you read scripture.
Suicide is not good or evil, it's a condition. A biological response when a person's adaptation mechanisms cannot overcome the amount of pain they are in. It also has an obsessive compulsive trait by the continuing thought process in which is difficult for the brain to switch gears.
There are four groups of people I looked at. Bipolar depression, unipolar depression, other psychiatric disorders, and the general population. In a nutshell, Bipolar patients are twice as likely to attempt suicide than their unipolar depression cohorts, and six times more likely to attempt suicide in patients with other psychiatric disorders. (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, etc.) They are twenty times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. Bipolars statistically at least seem to carry out their intentions a little better than the other groups. 1 out of 5 vs 1 out of 10-20 in the general population. wow
When I was little I really thought about it a lot, there have been a couple times in my life I would have characterized myself as unsafe. For me, it seems to be a recurrent thought process rather than a true desire. Well at least most of the time.
It is a myth that asking people about suicide places the idea into a patient's mind. Most of the time, they are often relieved to share their fears about suicide.
A gradual approach might look like this.
Do you ever feel life is not worth living? Personally I hate that question.
Have you ever thought about ending your life? Duh, yes I am bipolar.
What methods have you thought about? This question seems to separate the groups of people
Little league if you answered no. Big leagues if you answer yes. Funny thing I thought everyone knew what their plan was. Than I found out that suicide is not a normal thought in the the general pop. Normal people do not think about or ponder such ideas.
For me the most formidable question was this. Have you ever wanted to die really bad?
That I could relate to. Which led me to a lot of risky behaviors and situations IE unsafe driving and speeding to name a few.
Do you care about your life or not? I love my Husband for many things but one thing that always sticks out is that he is always thinking of ways to keep me safe. Things I do not normally consider, or get the notion to. He's always aware of potentially dangerous situations that I have been oblivoius too. Maybe I did not care. But I am learning through the love of another human being,(Gods manifestation of love) how to care for myself. cool.
posted by gentledove at 2:23:00 PM
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