Introduction

There is an enormous amount of personality types and people are capable of many things. Some are able to cope with stress and find ways to prevent depression while others cannot handle the pressure and resort to other methods. Suicide is one of the ways people deal with problems in life and is often thought of as the last resort a person has.

The dynamic of suicide

There are several explanations that are offered for the reasons why people choose to resort to suicide. Interpersonal theory is one that deals with the personal and social aspects of violent behavior towards one self. The behavior towards own goals and values often becomes the start of the problem. Social interaction, rejection and inability to function properly result in further deterioration in the person. It is a fact that the majority of suicide victims have one or more mental disorders. As such, biological factors play a major role because the person is unable to control own urges and cannot deal with the stress. One side argues that it is a genetic malfunction and a person has the disorder since childhood. An individual with such mental problem is anti-social and often, cannot function with other people. Another perspective is environmental, as it creates harsh conditions for a person to exist. When a person does not see a way out, they decide to end own suffering (Holmes, 2005).

Suicide and the moral dilemma

The moral decision that comes when an individual decides to take own life is one the hardest realities. The biological nature of the disorder clashes with the opinion that it is the environment that causes such behavior. If it is the environment and not internal stimuli, then the disorder can be controlled, as the environment can be controlled to almost a full degree. It is the inner biological and genetical world that cannot be accessed. From a morality point of view, a person has full rights to own life, but because people live and function in a society, they cannot endanger others by their acts. Often, people who want to commit suicide create a lot of stress and unsafe situations for others. Not to mention the feeling of loss and grief, as suicide is done by choice, so people are often left wondering what went wrong (Durkheim, 2010).

Characteristics of people who commit suicide

People who attempt to take their life are often lonely and close off from the society. They must create their own world to feel safe and functional. As there is no external support, a person is forced to look for answers internally, thus a lot of emotions get “bottled up”. Some people resort to alcohol or drugs and then, the sort of life leads towards the end. There is usually a dramatic event that makes a person feel unwanted and improper by the surrounding people. Personal mishaps and inability to deal with emotions break the psyche down, causing the defense mechanisms to stop working properly. Properly defining and explaining the disorder is a very sensitive matter, as it endangers the law and the whole system of justice. Even though people have rights and can sometimes commit acts they had no control over, responsibility is still felt, making the decision a conscious and reasonable choice (Sarason, 2005).

Similarities between suicide and homicide

Both suicide and homicide are forbidden by law and have some other similarities. In suicide, a person kills themselves, whereas in a homicide a person kills someone else. Aggression plays one of the major roles in the sort of destructive behavior. Of course, it seems much more difficult to make a decision and take someone’s life, but ending own one is also difficult, if not more so. Unfortunately, science was unable to provide a clear answer, as to the amount of control a person with aggression exhibits over own actions. There is much research that must be done, in the meantime, it is important to isolate and study this disorder, to prevent crime and grief.

The use of triage assessment form in addressing lethality

The biological nature of the disorder clashes with the opinion that it is the environment that causes such behavior. If it is the environment and not internal stimuli, then the disorder can be controlled, as the environment can be controlled to almost a full degree. It is the inner biological and genetical world that cannot be accessed. As such, the forms are very standard and sometimes, people are placed under common assumptions. Some patients might briefly mention that they have thought about committing suicide, but they are still placed under medical supervision, even if it was not a major decision. Sometimes, there are difficulties, as the patient who requires medical help is misunderstood and the treatment has no effect. Overall, the assessment has proven beneficial and often, a disorder is recognized before any major damage is done. Recognizing mental abnormalities will most certainly point to a disorder that might lead to suicide.

References

Durkheim, E. (2010). Suicide. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Holmes, R. (2005). Suicide: Theory, Practice and Investigation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Sarason, B. (2005). Abnormal psychology: The problem of maladaptive behavior (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.