Abstract
Suicide, whether an act of planned self-destruction or a passive act of allowing one’s demise, has meaning not only for the patient and his or her family but for the therapist as well. Even the most experienced therapist will react with an adrenaline surge when it becomes clear that a patient has placed a time limit on his or her life. The patient might communicate the suicidal intention in any number of ways. The patient might have difficulty controlling impulses: “I can’t stop myself. I sit at the table with the knife pressed to my belly and start pressing in.” The patient may wish to punish someone: “I’m waiting until he graduates, and then, on the night of his party, I’ll kill myself.” Or the patient’s anniversary date might seem an auspicious moment to die: “My husband died a year ago. I’ve been too long without him...” Given the severity of its consequence, it is essential that the therapist have an understanding of the causes, assessment, process, and treatment of suicidal behavior so that effective problem solutions can be initiated immediately.
I’ve thought it through very carefully. I’ve suffered more abuse than I should ever have to suffer. The best thing for me to do is end it all. Then I’ll finally have some peace.
The bastards! How can they be so mean? This will show them. This will fix them. I can just picture their faces when they find me....
It’s a little dangerous, sure. But it feels so good. Have you ever used this stuff? It’s pretty safe it you’re careful; I can be careful.
I’ve been called. The angel Gabriel has asked me to climb upon his wings and fly to heaven. I’m scared. What if I fall off?
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Freeman, A., White, D.M. (1989). The Treatment of Suicidal Behavior. In: Freeman, A., Simon, K.M., Beutler, L.E., Arkowitz, H. (eds) Comprehensive Handbook of Cognitive Therapy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9779-4_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9779-4_17
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