Everyone knows that death will sooner or later overtake each of us. The only difference is who and how will face it. Some leave, having gone through the process of natural aging, others die due to an accident, a serious illness, or by deciding to accelerate the inevitable outcome of events on their own. But what pushes these people to such extreme measures and can this be somehow prevented? Parasuicide is something that is often confused with an unsuccessful attempt to die, but it is precisely this misconception that prevents you from truly combating the number of suicides.
Parasuicide - what is it?
The concept of parasuicide was introduced in 1977 by Norman Kreitman. According to his statements, a person who resorts to parasuicide does not initially set himself the goal of saying goodbye to life once and for all. His actions are demonstrative infliction of harm to his he alth in the form of various injuries and imitation of suicide to attract attention from the outside. Typically, this behaviorobserved among people at a young age who are in a state of acute distress. Under the onslaught of certain life problems, seeing no other way out of the situation that has developed in their lives, they resort to actions of a self-destructive nature. But despite the fact that parasuicidal acts should not initially lead to death, do not underestimate them. In an attempt to draw attention to yourself and your problems, attention often ends with this.
Causes of parasuicidal behavior
One study with patients hospitalized after parasuicide found that the decision to commit it was made by people impulsively and in a short time. Often the reason for this was problems in relationships with loved ones, who occupied an important place in their lives. The motives were to get rid of the heavy feeling of stress as soon as possible, to escape from the current situation and the need to show others the despair they experienced at that moment. Young people under 20 were motivated primarily by influencing someone.
Due to the negative attitude of society towards certain motives of this act, it is generally accepted that parasuicide is the lot of manipulators. Because of what, some patients declare their actions as a true desire to die, because then the attitude of people towards them will be more acceptable.
Parasuicide among children and adolescents
When considering the topic of parasuicidal behavior under the age of 20, the example will be takenRepublic of Belarus. First of all, it is worth noting that self-mutilation and self-destructive tendencies are most common among women. 65 recorded parasuicides, of which only 10 were committed by males, as indicated by statistics for 2017 in Belarus.
What will happen if you commit a parasuicide - the younger generation usually does not think seriously about this, simply relying on the fact that it will somehow help to avoid the current difficulties in life. And seeing no other way to suppress negative emotions, accompanied by severe stress, teenagers inflict cuts on various parts of their bodies, thereby relieving tension. And sometimes they take near-lethal doses of drugs, with the expectation that someone will save them.
According to WHO, suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents. Often this is due to conflicts with peers, teachers, parents, as well as unrequited love, fear of loneliness and the future. Their fear of being misunderstood and their lack of ability to open up to other people only prevent them from expressing their emotions in any way other than resorting to parasuicide.
How to recognize a person's tendency to self-destruction
About 80% of people who plan to go to extreme measures, before implementing their plan, let at least one person from their environment know about it. But not everyone is destined to understand what is on their mind, since the ways to convey this information in some cases can be very veiled. The main changes in a person that should suggest a possible parasuicide are:
- A state of depression, manifested by lack of appetite or severe overeating, sleep disturbance, indifference to many things, longing, etc.
- Conversations on relevant topics, that is, discussions about suicide, death, life-burdening problems.
- Some faces start talking about how worthless, helpless and unable to find a way out of a certain situation.
- On the arms, legs, stomach, in the shoulder area, you can find cuts and burn marks, albeit of a minor nature.
- Sometimes there is an increase in interest in literature, films and music with suicidal content.
- In addition to the obvious injuries in the form of cuts, there is abuse of alcohol, drugs and other ways to harm yourself (deliberate refusal of sleep, food, etc.).
- Provocative and impulsive behavior (crime, leaving home, sexual promiscuity).
It is necessary to understand that all people are different, so you should not look for all of the above points in one person. In addition, not every person prone to parasuicide will openly speak out about his problems in front of the people around him.
Giving help
If you suspect parasuicidal tendencies in a person, trust your intuition and do not ignore the signals indicating a possible danger. Meanwhile don't push or force him right theretalk about the source of concern. Make it clear that you are ready to help and will not condemn in anything, but you should not give him empty promises that you are not able to fulfill. Despite the fact that the definition of parasuicide is not at all about the intention of a person to die, people who resort to it are ultimately prone to commit suicide.
If a person initially decided to share personal problems with you, regardless of the degree of shock of the information he heard, do not push him away. It is possible that you are the first and last person he dares to contact. Let him talk and help him realize that the current feeling of hopelessness will not haunt him forever. Know that openly talking about hurting yourself will not lead to a suicide attempt, but will only help you feel relieved. The main thing is not to criticize a person prone to parasuicide, this will only contribute to the loss of contact with him. As well as the voicing of the following phrases: “someone lives worse than you”, “you made everything up to yourself”, “just think how you will disgrace your family”. This is the last thing to say to a person in serious condition.
