Suicide: What is it?Suicide is an often misunderstood and taboo topic in the U.S. It seems that even the family of suicide victims are ostracized due to the act. Suicide is the act of an individual taking their own life, however, it does not encompass accidental deaths such as one car crashes, accidental overdoses, accidental shootings, or any of the like unless the intent of the act was to take one's own life. This fact makes suicide fairly difficult to study and sometimes determine. For instance, without a note or significant signs of suicidal intent, how can we determine an accidental drug overdose from an intentional one?
Suicide Triggers
Theories and thoughts on suicide have changed over the years both within the psychological community and within the general population. These changes seem to reflect trends in religious beliefs, pop culture, and academics; more specifically research into the subject matter. However, despite the increase in information available, suicide is still a very misunderstood and often confusing topic. Different cultures and individuals view the act of suicide in different ways. Similarly there are a number of different factors that can drive one to commit suicide. These different factors are called "triggers," and reflect different segments of the population that are at risk for suicidal behavior.
It's not uncommon to hear about the dangers of stress; in fact, we're often immersed with warnings that high stress levels affect both mental functioning and physical health. But the dangers of high stress go beyond simple impairment of mental functioning (i.e increased forgetfulness, absent mindedness, lack of concentration), high stress can also lead to suicidal thinking and suicide attempts. Two types of stress in particular increase one's risk of suicidal behavior; the first is immediate stress, the second is long-term stress which bears its own subgroups.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/132216/dealing_with_suicidal_thoughts.html?cat=49
