Lifestyle Choices

The term deliberate self-harm is preferred to the commonly used “attempted suicide“. When we use the term “attempted suicide“, it is assuming that the motive behind the action is suicide. But in actual fact, motivation for suicide may not be present.

Methods of Deliberate Self-harm

The most common method is by drug overdose (in 70 percent of subjects).

Drugs consumed include:

• Pain killers (such as paracetamol)
• Benzodiazepines — sleeping tablets
• Antidepressants

The second most common method is by self poisoning (16 percent ) — this includes drinking of detergents, bleach solutions, weed killers and the like. Wrist slashing is common among teenagers and _more prevalent among females. Jumping was the preferred method in 2 percent — note the very low figure here, indicating that the majority _of j_umpers succeeded in killing themselves. About 5.6 percent used more than one method.

The most common problems cited were conflicts with members of the family (24 percent), interpersonal difficulties with friends (23 percent), school problems (11 percent), financial difficulty (1 percent) and work stress (2 percent). When taken together, it would appear that interpersonal conflicts had been experienced by nearly half the DSH cohort. This illustrates the tremendous degree of stress and mental suffering attributed to interpersonal problems which can overwhelm the individual’s abilities to cope.

What are the motives of people who engage in DSH?

• To escape from unbearable mental anguish — some find it agonising to cope with their predicament. They may attempt DSH to whitewash their feelings.
• To get relief from physical suffering — persons suffering from severe pain may take overdoses of pain killers to numb themselves.
• To show desperation to others — this is the proverbial “cry for help” and is intended to alert others to the suffering and distress the subject is going through. The motivation is to obtain others’ sympathy and understanding.
• To get back at other people and/or make them feel guilty — this is an attempt at manipulation. The message is clear, if you leave me, I will kill myself. Hence the partner who is being manipulated feels guilty for initiating the break-up of the relationship yet feeling resentful, angry and trapped at the same time. If the partner remains in the relationship he/she cannot put up with the behaviour and the demands of the “suicidal” person. If he/she leaves, there is fear that the “suicidal” person will kill him/herself, thereby making the survivor feel eternally guilty.
• To die — there are those who genuinely intend to die.

The reason they are alive is that they failed in their suicide attempt. For these persons, suicide risk is high. The person will be planning the next attempt and will ensure that it will not fail again.

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