When Contemplating The Option Of Taking One’s Own Life
What happens when you contemplate the option of taking your own life and this also seems the best? What is going through that person’s mind? Sometimes it is normal to be sad. It is normal that, often, nothing goes the right way. Our emotions and feelings generally take over and there are many times when we are overwhelmed by them.
Thinking about taking one’s life is a serious problem. A problem that affects different areas: psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental. A circumstance that originates in a profound depressive problem that can be the consequence of several factors. A difficult childhood, difficulty socializing with others, relationship problems, low self-esteem and much, much more.
Is taking one’s life a consequence?
One might think that one of the consequences of depression is suicide. However, this is not always true. Dr. John Demartini has proposed one of the best explanations in relation to depression and suicide. He states that everyone has emotional ups and downs, but that when they become extreme, they can lead to overwhelming euphoria and a deep feeling of sadness. The latter is the one that could lead to suicide.
Suddenly you feel extremely euphoric and this needs to be compensated for in some way. The right pole is depression. We think about when we are happy. If it is “normal” happiness and we are balanced, its opposite will be sadness of similar intensity.
If our happiness amplifies its radius as we approach the extreme, its opposite will be an even deeper sadness. When this sadness turns into apathy and is constant over time, we may be faced with a hint of depression.
According to Demartini, our emotions work by compensating for each other. Therefore, the more euphoric and contented we are, the greater the depressive and suicidal thoughts will be.
We cannot forget that depression has a clear chemical component. That euphoria we feel is nothing more than an excess of dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins and serotonin affecting our brain. When the situation is reversed, cortisol and epinephrine appear and we orient ourselves on the pole of sadness.
So, can it be said that suicide is a consequence of depression? Often yes, because emotions and feelings have a greater impact on a depressed person. This does not see that in reality there is a small hope of getting out of the situation in which it finds itself, it does not see something to hold on to. It is utter despair that will ultimately lead the person to suicide as the only way out.
Situations that get out of hand
The desire to take one’s life does not always come from a biochemical imbalance problem in our brain. Sometimes people and situations push us to make the terrible decision to appeal to this way out. Because when the world overwhelms us, it is difficult not to feel the need to escape from everything and everyone. Even by ourselves.
Think of bullied teenagers. They are living in a complicated moment, in which no one holds them by the hand. They feel lonely, humiliated and mistreated. This can lead them into a vicious cycle of self-destruction. We report the testimony of Carla, a seventeen-year-old victim of bullying: “the more a person is humiliated, the more pain they are willing to suffer”.
However, this is not the only situation in which a person can think about taking their own life. A young Brazilian girl felt this way after being the victim of group violence: “I have felt guilt, many times. All day. I don’t know what. I feel the waste coming out of my body, from my mouth, from my eyes ”.
Recently, due to the great use of social networks, it warns of the danger associated with sending nudes or recording videos that can be disseminated. Recently there have been cases of this type that have caused a sensation in the newspapers. This is a situation that many would not tolerate. It is a circumstance where you are exposed and your intimacy is violated.
There are still many reasons why a person may wish to take their own life. Economic problems, loneliness, rejection… They can cause a prolonged depressive state in which the person finds himself immersed due to his life experiences. Taking your own life is not an overnight decision.
While suicide is a possibility for some, they can always get out of that pit of despair if they have sown their minds with positive thoughts. No one would ever deserve that all the experiences lived, the suffering inflicted by people and the world, would force him in any way to make the terrible decision to end his life.
Our ability to anticipate the future condemns us, makes us think we are facing a “lion” and that others will appear. In this situation, the best thing is to try to attack our problems in small steps. These will serve to improve morale, without looking at the top and all the path that still remains to be done. On the other hand, if a quarrel goes on for a long time, it does not mean that it is forever, because “forever” is a long time and after the storm, the calm always comes.
