Suicidal thoughts have become a major health concern in many parts of the world today.
In 2016, 3.7 percent of the U.S. population experienced serious suicidal thoughts.
Now, imagine how many people over the world has it, and how often it leads to death of a person?
Suicidal thoughts are generally consistent with a person’s mood, and most often experienced alongside a mood disorder.
Whereas, suicidal obsession are not consistent with an individual’s mood state and usually go against their long held beliefs and perceptions.
Someone with suicidal thoughts may be unsure about killing themselves yet, do not fear much.
But, someone with suicidal obsession are extremely fearful to harm themselves without being aware enough to stop themselves.
So, in such instances, thoughts becomes suicidal obsessions, which are notably different from the regular suicidal thoughts.
Hence, there are a number of factors, which differentiate suicidal thoughts and suicidal obsession.
Therefore, determining the parameters of each of the two conditions requires careful assessment and regular evaluation.
Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior
Many believe that suicidal thoughts only occur when someone is suffering from serious depression.
But, suicidal thoughts most often as part of practically every type of psychological disorder including physical illness and injuries.
Also, suicidal thoughts can occur to a person who is entirely healthy but has faced some difficulties in life.
Sometimes it’s hard enough to determine suicidal thoughts as they may be short lived and non-specific.
While other times there may be a well thought out plan in place for carrying out the suicide.
For the most part, people determined to commit suicide will not provide any indication of their plans and deny having any suicidal thoughts.
Hence, most individuals with suicidal thought are ambivalent, alternating between wanting to live and wanting to die.
While others have no real intention of dying but make an attempt which is serious enough to get anyone’s attention.
Unfortunately, some of these people, although not truly wanting to die, make a miscalculation.
Thus, suicidal thoughts and behavior are difficulties with a serious risk of death without any indication of help and intended outcome.
Suicidal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessions
Suicidal obsessions generally involve the fear of something happening which cause the individual to lose control of their actions.
Despite not wanting to some people with suicidal obsession are unable to resist killing themselves too.
Compulsions
Some compulsions that result to suicidal obsessions often involve individual remaining under control at all costs by gathering information.
This often involves reality testing to guarantee that they truly don’t intend to kill themselves.
Suicidal obsession are stubborn thoughts, images or drives that plays within a person’s mind.
While suicidal obsession is thought of as having only obsession without the compulsive symptoms of obsession, it’s not true.
In reality, suicidal obsession do include compulsions but these involve either contemplation or different types of behaviors.
Suicidal obsession, like other forms of obsessions creates a sense of anxiety. Hence. this anxiety then results in the subsequent mental and behavioral acts.
Therefore, the relief felt at not having the thoughts or anxiety reinforces the compulsion which maintains the symptoms of the disorder.
Suicidal obsession occurs when the individual never learns to tolerate the thoughts or anxiety or failure.
They differ from suicidal thoughts in that they do not result from the genuine desire to kill oneself.
In fact, people with these types of obsession often feel exactly the opposite of suicidal thoughts.
Because they are against suicide morally or religiously, they don’t want to commit suicide.
Also, they feel terrified by the possibility that their thought could lead to death.
Suicidal obsessions can occur at any time or any place, frequently seem to come out of nowhere.
Henceforth, it can be triggered by either pleasant or unpleasant activities of an individual.
Yet, there’s nothing a person can do to avoid these activities entirely.
Those people who experience suicidal obsession are not exactly ambivalent and often make gestures to get help or even think about it.
Some theorize that those with suicidal obsessions are actually suffering from true suicidal ideation except that it is unconscious.
Conclusion
In conclusion, suicidal thoughts and suicidal obsessions are different processes resulting from different internal and external factors.
For instance, suicidal obsessions are believed to be largely neurobiological though environment can contribute to their onset.
Whereas, suicidal thoughts often are consistent with a person’s general mood and depressive thought patters.
Therefore, suicidal obsessions go against the person’s beliefs and preferences and they fear they will do something to hurt themselves without intention to.
This differs from those who have suicidal thoughts in that when suicidal thoughts are associated with actions, the actions are intentional.
Here, the person is fully aware of the plans they are making to carry them out.
Therefore, the important thing for individuals who experience any type of suicidal thoughts is to work with a professional to treat the complete range of symptoms involving suicidal obsessions.
