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What Causes Suicidal Feelings?
Suicidal Feelings
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For some, these thoughts and feelings may occur after a bereavement, a relationship breakdown, loss of job, financial pressures, bullying or following emotional or sexual abuse.
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People with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and clinical depression or people who are dependent on drugs or alcohol are more likely to try to take their own lives.
They may need specialist, and sometimes intensive medical and psycho-social care either in hospital or in the community. Sometimes they will have little insight into their condition and urgent specialist help will need to be requested by a family member, friend or colleague.
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Some people who are terminally ill or severely disabled may feel that their life is no longer worth living, that they are a burden to their family. Others fear that they will experience great suffering in dying. What is needed is a response of love and care by the family, friends and the wider community and the assistance that good palliative care or rehabilitation can offer. Assisted suicide is not the answer; its availability would only compound any sense of hopelessness and undermine the absolute value of every human life. It would place pressure on vulnerable people and their families to make such life and death decisions.
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Some people feel a gnawing inner emptiness, a spiritual desolation, a lack of any meaningful connection with God which leaves life without a higher meaning and purpose.
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Some feel a sense of worthlessness and ‘lostness’ or even overwhelming spiritual darkness like a blanket smothering their souls.
Coping With Suicidal Feelings
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Talk!
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Find a healthy outlet for your painful emotions. If we keep them bottled up inside they tend to drag us further and further down. If we try to resolve them in our own mind we tend to get lost in the dark and can’t see a way out.
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We usually feel suicidal because of the build up of some emotional pain. The more we keep it in to ourselves the more the pressure builds up internally and the greater the sense of hopelessness. Talking to someone else is a healthy way to process our painful feelings. Who should we talk to?
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Your G.P. It’s worth seeing a doctor, who will diagnose whether any medication will help or refer us to someone for specialist medical help if necessary.
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A trusted friend. Sometimes all we need is a shoulder to cry on, another human who will try to understand and help us to get a clearer perspective on things.
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Samaritans. If we don’t have a trusted friend and feel isolated then it is worth ringing Samaritans (1850609090). There is always someone on the end of the phone 24/7 to listen and let us unburden ourselves. Countless people have found that helpful.
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A counsellor. Sometimes we need professional help. Experienced counsellors will be able to give us some help to process our pain and find a way through the darkness
How To Cope With Suicidal Feelings
Possible Spiritual Factors
Spiritual Factors
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The innermost part of the human person is the human spirit. This is our essential being. It is who we are in essence. We are essentially spiritual beings. This inner spirit person is the very core of our identity, who we are, how we perceive ourselves as individuals, and where we live our lives. This is the home of our inner life, the fountain of life, our source of spiritual energy, that which animates us. This is an area where our lives can be out of kilter, making us feel bad about ourselves as persons. We can feel dead inside, lost, aimless and with no purpose to our being. This inner pain can be, for some, a deep internal anguish and can contribute to some people feeling suicidal.
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There are 5 major spiritual factors, which can contribute to inner distress and cause a lack of well-being.
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Spiritual Disconnection - Read more
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Guilt Feelings - Read more
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Low Self Worth - Read more
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Personal Insecurity - Read more
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Purposelessness - Read more
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Addressing these 5 areas can reduce the level of spiritual unease or emptiness. But we may still feel emotional or mental pain and need help in coping with that.
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See Keys to Emotional Wellbeing