Importance of Effective Treatment for Suicidal Ideation

If you believe that someone you care about is at risk for suicide, you may feel worried, helpless, or unsure how to help (Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Person). If that person is you, chances are that you might not even feel like you do care about yourself, or that anyone cares about you. But, the truth of the matter is that even if it doesn't feel like it, someone does care very much. Suicidal thoughts have an uncanny ability to shut out any positive thought processes and make the suicidal person believe, falsely, that his or her life does not matter.

Treatment Program: Kathryn Taylor, MA, LPC/MHSP writes on behalf of Crestwyn Behavioral Health, a new psychiatric hospital in Germantown, Tennessee that offers inpatient mental health services, including adolescent, adult, addiction, and geriatric treatment programs.

Suicidal Ideation Should Be Treated

Suicidal ideation is more than just negative thinking. Suicidal ideation stems from a feeling of helplessness that can make life feel unbearable. And while many people may feel suicidal at times and never intend to act on it, there is always a chance that a person who is thinking of suicide may be in a dangerous state of mind. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that assistance and support be found immediately. At the very least, any individual who thinks of suicide is feeling very uncomfortable and very hopeless-- there is no reason to delay seeking treatment-- it may save a life, or, at the very least, treatment can help pull an individual out of a terrible state of mind.

How Will Suicidal Ideation Treatment Help?

Some have said that suicide is what happens when difficulty outweighs the resources for coping. If that is true, there are two options to take. The first is to reduce the pain. Most people who think about suicide have already tried that! Perhaps they even feel like no one understands how much pain they feel, and they might even doubt whether there are good reasons to feel so bad. The point is, whatever the reasons are, the pain is pain. And if it cannot be reduced easily, we need to go to step two.

Increase the resources for dealing with the problem. This is where treatment comes in. Physical pain can be reduced with medications or treatments in many cases. Emotional pain is sometimes caused by anxiety or depression that can also be treated through medications and/or therapy. Some who are well-intentioned may want to help, but the best help is available from trained professionals who know what medications or therapies really work to counteract suicidal tendencies and the mental health or substance abuse conditions that often accompany them.

Why Different Types of Treatment is Effective for Different People

The proper treatment for suicidal ideation will be different for every person. Depressive thinking and suicidal thoughts can be caused by a number of factors, including mental illness, chronic inflammation, chronic pain, nutrient imbalances, past trauma, or illness. If you were surprised to see a number of physiological causes in that list, you are not alone. Take a moment to consider how much different you feel when you have a cold or a flu. Consider a full physical examination for any suicidal person to rule out imbalances or undiagnosed health issues.

In many cases, suicidal ideation is the result of some type of emotional disturbance. This can be worsened by stress, exhaustion, or substance use. Some individuals may require medication, but specialized therapy helps many people. Some will need their families to get education on how to be supportive or less confrontational. Others will need treatment for addiction.

Suicidal ideation will usually not go away without determining what causes it and how to treat that cause. Most people who think about committing suicide struggle from sincere and treatable mental health diagnoses. Consider talking with your loved one, family physician, or local treatment center to learn more.

Go here for in-depth suicide information, resources and support. Here is a list of suicide hotline phone numbers.