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It has been noted that here is no effective method of measuring suicidal ideation -or suicidal thoughts
about engaging in suicidal activities. The studies that there have been conducted appear to have been based upon individuals
responding to questionnaires, and so only provide an 'indicator' of this serious problem.
Intrusive thoughts (or obsessions, as psychiatrists choose to call them) are said to affect everyone from time to time.
Such thoughts may be totally senseless, or could involve things which we know we shouldn't do
Most people are able to put these thoughts completely out of their minds. Others (particularly those affected by
depression or stress disorders following a traumatic event) Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks can be persistant and very difficult
to handle up to the point where they are debilitating.
Intrusive thoughts are thought to be most likely to occur when one is stressed or experiencing negative moods:
Anger. Anxiety. Depression etc
Typically, these unwelcome thoughts and images involve doing or saying something which is inappropriate and unacceptable.
The most common 'themes' include aggressive, sexual or religious content (eg shouting or screaming obscenities. Unacceptable
sexual acts. Behaving violently towards others. Or blasphemous thoughts and images). Having said that, it is said that
most intrusive thoughts are very different from the mental health problems that can result in inappropriate, or illegal, aggressive,
violent or sexual behaviours.
Most people have the ability to distract themselves from unpleasant thoughts or memories in the early aftermath of a
trauma, and usually employ the common sense distraction technique of keeping themselves busy as a distraction.
Whilst it is believed that most intrusions will weaken and diminish over time, sufferers will conceal such thoughts from
others through confused feelings of shame and guilt. By sodoing, such thoughts become suppressed - and suppressing such thoughts
can be extremely dangerous.
What you can do to manage suicidal thoughts
- Maintain a daily journal to record your thoughts
and feelings. Write down your hopes and dreams for your future and include loved ones and others who are important to you
and your life.
- Remember to read what you've written down on the
occasions that you need to give yourself a reminder that you, and your life have real meaning.
- Engage with social activity as much as you can.
Going out with family and close friends .Dining out is highly recommended. Remember
that when we are ‘well’, we value and enjoy spending time with loved ones But when we become depressed it can
feel almost impossible, but it is still extremely important.
- Visiting friends and relatives who care –
and encouraging them to visit you - can help you feel much better about yourself and life in general.
- Given that most deaths by suicide result from
sudden, uncontrolled impulses. Avoid alcohol and drugs which can be a major contribution to such impulses ,this being so,
it is essential to avoid them.
- Drugs and alcohol can also seriously interfere
with the effectiveness of medications prescribed for depression.
- Journaling is a great tool for learning to recognize
the earliest warning signs of an oncoming suicidal crisis. There are often subtle
warning signs your body will give you when an episode is developing. As you learn to manage your illness, you will learn how
to be sensitive to them. Do not be afraid of these warning signs, they remind you to treat yourself with the utmost care,
- Don’t be afraid to talk about suicide with
people you can trust and who can understand. Self-help and peer support groups are ideal for this and are a good source of
coping strategies.
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By sharing your thoughts and feelings with others that
you trust you will discover over time that your ability to explore your thoughts and feelings about your depression will provide
you with many valuable insights.
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Talking about suicide with people will not plant the
idea into someone’s mind. Do not forget that not everyone who thinks about suicide commits or even attempts it.
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For the overwhelming majority of people suicide is
a passing thought that diminishes over time. For others however, the hopelessness and anxiety brought on by untreated or under-treated
depression may create suicidal thoughts that they cannot easily manage on their own. Sharing your experiences and insights
with these people could benefit you and them both.
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