Is depression preventing you from suicide?

[ianista]

I know this may sound strange, since the dominant narrative is that depression is one reasons to be suicidal.

But since a while i do have the idea that maybe evolutionary one of the reasons human beings have depressions is to prevent them from ctb. Think about it, im pretty sure and also concrete about my suicidal plans. But when and if im in depressions, its impossible to ctb, since my whole system is running on some kind of "energy-save" mode and i can't organize things or do complex, energy-consuming things like planning my ctb.

Since i'm also thinking about ctb when im not in a depressed state, this basically means that the depression is preventing me somehow from suicide.

Those of you who suffer from depression: What do you think about this?

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

I'm slightly less depressed than I was but a couple months ago I was so catatonic I could barely eat – much less organize my demise… If I had had a bottle of nembutal handy I might've drank it… I think it depends on the availability of a method that is easily accessible… If so depression could be an impetus…

 

[LaVieEnRose]

It's not strange. One of the conventional wisdoms in psychiatry is that people will often seem more energetic or happy shortly before they kill themselves. This is either chalked up to the idea that people feel happy or relieved when they feel firmly committed to suicide and/or to the idea that when treatment kicks in and the depression lifts a bit, they finally have the energy to carry out a suicide plan.

I agree that depression can make it harder to summon the motivation to carry out suicide, just like anything else. It's always easier to just exist for another day.

 

[Angi]

It might. I was told suicide rates increase for people who have just started antidepressants, because (assuming the antidepressant works as it should) people's energy levels increase before their mood is lifted. This backs up your hypothesis.

 

[chloramine]

I've definitely had nights where I want nothing more than to die, but I just. Can't. Can't move, can't set everything up, can't try. I don't know that depression developed to prevent ctb, but it definitely complicates things. I was depressed before I wanted to die, so saying wanting to die caused depression in order to keep me alive doesn't really make sense personally. I see it more as your getting brain overloaded.

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

I've definitely had nights where I want nothing more than to die, but I just. Can't. Can't move, can't set everything up, can't try. I don't know that depression developed to prevent ctb, but it definitely complicates things. I was depressed before I wanted to die, so saying wanting to die caused depression in order to keep me alive doesn't really make sense personally. I see it more as your getting brain overloaded.

I think depression is a way we deal with being overloaded… We shut down

 

[obafgkm]

Yes, I think depression is survival mode, saving energy to prolong life, hiding from outside threats to reduce risks, with the hope that miracle will occur before inevitable death.

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

Yes, I think depression is survival mode, saving energy to prolong life, hiding from outside threats to reduce risks, with the hope that miracle will occur before inevitable death.

Exactly

 

[OpheliasFlowers]

Depression has definitely contributed to making it harder/near impossible for me to just ctb. I lack energy for even the most basic functions...trying to organize and coordinate what's involved in leaving gets overwhelming and shortcircuits me.

 

[Onasis]

What keeps me from killing myself is if I do, I will cement myself as a failure to my family

 

[ianista]

Better binge some TV shows or lying around staring at the ceiling than working on ctb, writing letters, throwing things away, figuring out a safe method...

 

[again_noidea]

when i'm really depressed, i lose my ability to coordinate actions. i almost feel like being hypnotized, not capable of doing the most basic things, not to mention something where i need to string different actions together. It feels as if i'm walking in deep waters with heavy load on my back. it seems like a weird trick devised by nature to keep us alive for as long as possible.

 

[Grave]

I don't know if depression developed to stop us from cbt, but I do definitely think that the more depressed I am, the less likely I am to cbt.

I won't be able to function properly when I'm at my most depressed, I have absolutely no energy or motivation for anything - even cbt - so it tends to be when I'm feeling less depressed that I manage to put together a comprehensive plan.

 

[Mtnwildflowers]

This is true, and why mixed mania is one of the most deadly mental states for suicide. severe depression combined with manic energy. I got my method when in a similar state like this to have available when ready.

 

[damaged_soul]

Yes, I am constantly slave to a paradox: to ctb, I need to overcome survival instinct, which can only happen when I am so severely depressed that I just can't imagine going any longer, yet at the same time, to ctb I also need to have the motivation and energy to carry out a detailed plan properly.

 

[Gardener59]

Never thought about this. But it does make sense. Probably the reason I've never actually made an attempt. I always just hope and wish for death instead.

 

[a beautiful mess]

Years ago i had a great therapist who told me that when her patients are in deep depression, she's anxious that will commit suicide. But in her experience it's more common for them to kill themselves when they begin to recover. Her interpretation was that when you're depressed, you don't have the energy or focus or whatever to do something that takes that much planning, because they're using it all deal with what they're feeling. But after you've been drowning, when you finally reach the surface and can tread water enough to get your head above the waves … ironically, that's the moment when you have enough mental space to take in exactly how big the problems you're facing are. And you have the wherewithal again to act.

It's just anecdotal. I'm not sure if there's any evidence to support this (this NIH report didn't).

But her interpretation always made a lot of sense to me.

 

[Szinuus]

No, what stops me is my mom 24h in home.