Here is a better summarization. I think most of these are probably a good general rule of thumb right now in society, but theres almost always exepctions to the rule.
According to Roy Baumeister, a Professor in Psychology, there are 6 steps in the 'escape theory', when it comes to the suicidal mind. Knowledge can change PERSPECTIVE. Death comes to everyone, so it is senseless to bring death about any sooner. Pain is part of life, & brings about a greater appreciation for the more happier times. But better to recognize the steps to a suicidal mind, than not...
Step 1: Falling short: Suicide rates are higher in nations with higher standards of living than in less prosperous nations; higher in societies that promote individual freedoms; higher among college students that have better grades & parents with higher expectations.
People who appear to have led mostly privileged lives, have a harder time coping with failures. A review of the evidence is consistent with the view that suicide is preceded by events that fall short of high standards & expectations. The size of the discrepancy between standards & perceived reality - the higher the person once was, the more painful the fall.
Step 2: Attributions to Self: Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt, inadequacy, or feeling exposed, humiliated.. there is no hope for change.. Even though we may consciously reject these personal attributions made by others, they have still seeped in..
Step 3: High Self-Awareness: Comparison of self with one's standards. It is this ceaseless & unforgiving comparison with a preferred self - an irrecoverable self from a happier past or a goal self that is now seen as too difficult to achieve because of recent events.
However, some who commit suicide may not even be aware of all their own motivations, or at least they have not been completely honest with themselves, & choose escape...
Step 4: Negative Affect: Concluding that depression causes suicide and leaving it at that, is inadequate for several reasons. Roy Baumeister writes. "It is abundantly clear that most depressed people do not attempt suicide & that not all suicide attempters are clinically depressed.
Anxiety, appears to be a common strand in the majority of suicides. Baumeister's theory says that the appeal of suicide is loss of consciousness, & therefore the end of the negative affect. Drugs, sleep & death all offer the same escape/relief. Death just offers a more permanent solution.
Step 5: Cognitive Deconstruction: The outside world becomes a much simpler affair in the suicidal mind, but usually not in a good way: Things are cognitively broken down into increasingly low-level & basic elements. Baumeister, says it's the brain's attempt to slip into idle mental labor, thereby avoiding more suffocating feelings like negative affect described above.
Step 6: Disinhibition: The mental stage has been set. Behavioral disinhibition, is required to overcome the normal fear of causing pain to oneself & others through one's death. While there maybe a considerable number of people who want to kill themselves, suicide itself, remains relatively rare. This is because, in addition to suicidal desire, the individual needs a lowered fear of death, & increased tolerance to pain emotionally & physically - this might sound contradictory, as it is pain/negative affect driving the whole show... But one acquires the ability to commit suicide, by being exposed to conditions that systematically habituate the person to pain.
A history of other fear-eliciting painful experiences also places a person at risk for suicide: Past traumas, physical or sexual abuse as a child, combat exposure/PTSD, & domestic abuse can "prep" the person for the physical pain associated with suicidal behavior. New traumatic events can also be the tipping point.
In addition, heritable traits can also predispose the individual.
Knowledge can change PERSPECTIVE. Death comes to everyone, so it is senseless to bring death about any sooner, than need be. Pain is part of life, & brings about greater appreciation for the more happier times.
blogs.scientificamerican.com
