Exploring the Suicide Phenomenon

8/4/2019 Exploring the Suicide Phenomenon

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Doctor of Philosophy(Psychology and Guidance)

Bonna S. Palma



Suicide ( Latin suicidium , from sui caedere, “tokill oneself”) is the intentional taking of one’s ownlife. It may occur for a number of reasons,

including depression, shame, guilt, desperation,physical pain, emotional pressure, anxiety,financial difficulties, or other undesirablesituations (Barlow and Durand, 1998).



In the Philippines, at least 100,000 adolescentscommit suicide every year, while 584 of deaths fromsuicides reported by the Department of Health wereamong teens aged 15 to 19 between 2001 and 2003.Statistics further showed that the Philippines has thelowest suicide rates in Asia. A 1993 study by the WorldHealth Organization indicated that 2.5 Filipino males and

1.7 females committed suicide for every 100,000population. However, according to Dr. Joselito Pascual, apsychiatrist, toxicologist, and substance abuse specialistof the Department of Psychiatry and BehavioralMedicine of the University of the Philippines College ofMedicine, these figures may only be the tip of theiceberg, since many cases remain unreported (Geneva,2009). He even conducted studies indicating thatsubstance abuse is strongly linked to suicidal behavior.



This study aimed to delve into the “suicidephenomenon” that has remained a major health problem

worldwide.Specifically, the study sought answers to the followingquestions:

1. Who are the suicide attempters? What are theircharacteristics?

2. What are the precipitating factors that trigger anindividual to attempt suicide?3. How do suicide attempters cope with the aftermath?4. What is the role of significant others in their healing?5. What insights do respondents have gained from their

suicide attempts? How do these affect their personality?6. Were there some post-intervention services offered or

availed of after the attempt?





This qualitative study conducted in May 2010sought to find out the characteristics of the suicideattempters, the precipitating factors that trigger themto attempt suicide, their coping mechanisms, the role

of significant others in their healing, the insightsgained from the experience and the post interventionservices availed after the incident. The informants whoare in their adolescent and early adulthood came fromthe provinces and districts of Iloilo, provinces of

Guimaras, Antique, and Negros Occidental. Datagathering strategies used were the researcher-madeinterview guide and the focused-group discussionsusing photo essay which summarized thecommonalities among the informants.



The study revealed that the attempters are collegestudents taking different courses; three are eldest, anotherthree are middle children, one youngest and another onean only child. Most of the informants came fromeconomically sufficient families; they were typical collegestudents doing the usual activities of a normal teenagerwith varying circumstances of family background andeconomic status in life; they also experienced hardships,difficulties, pain, anger, joy, and happiness just like any

average teenager but lack the ability to cope with theoverwhelming situations and problems; they experiencedmoments of emptiness and psychological hopelessness;and they also experienced severe physical maltreatmentand varied emotional abuse. Strained or failed romanticrelationship had added to the realization of their suicidalideations resulting to emotional instability, identity crises,poor coping mechanisms, lack of focus and goals in life,and depression due to being pre-occupied by problems,anger and sadness.



They resorted to drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, andusing prohibited drugs when confronted with problems; theseactivities became their temporary refuge. But later on, they wereable to cope with the aftermath by employing some coping

strategies such as: taking and opening up their problems with thosethey considered significant others; sharing with friends whendepressed, laughing, and mingling with other people. Their friendsbecame their shoulders to lean on; their immediate family membersand relatives were their wings who offered financial, moral andemotional support; and their teachers and classmates were their

lifeline as they were wholeheartedly accepted for who they are--warts and all. The informants’ painful experiences of their attemptto end their lives helped them gain insights and realized that thereis more to life. They started to dream of having a better life, finishtheir studies, have a stable job, create and build better relationshipswith their parents, siblings, classmates, and the people around

them. They also hope to have their own family in the future, helpand send their siblings to school and live a life free from pain, fearand depression. Among the eight informants, only one received aformal post intervention service, while others received the usualcare and acceptance from the significant others who accepted themfor what happened and what they had done.



The social investigation on thepsychodynamics of suicide survivors converged atsome common foci: familial arrangements such as

growing up with broken or emotionally-distantfamilies; unanswered emotional needs of affection,love, and acceptance; overwhelmingenvironmental pressures, triggered by persistentstressful events and unrewarded struggles withprospects of attaining control over self despitehelplessness.



Considering the convergence, the overallupshot, the major triggering factors that led thesuicide attempters to commit the act, delves on anindividual’s primary foundations. How their firstfew years of life have been, how their initialexpectations were addressed, and how theseindividuals were cemented into the grounds ofsocial relationships. Thus, the mini-theory termedas Card Tower Theory is proposed.



Card Tower Theory came from the idea on the natureof card towers. A bystander could not help but marvel how frail andthin playing cards can be constructed into skyscraping architecture.The bystander, however, would not dwell much on the idea thatsuch card tower can topple down any second even with just a gushof wind. Just like suicide attempters, you cannot tell just by theirappearance; they appear as normal and as average as any personwould. Like tower cards, they may even appear to be a spectacle,living a lifestyle envied by many: good education, oligarch heritage.But since the foundation is weak, simply hardened paper and, thus,any force at par with the wind can destroy over what appeared to beonce a domineering tower.

For a tower to be sturdy and strong, an immenselyfirm foundation must be constructed. The same is true with humanbeings. The foundation encompasses a successful passage from ErikErikson’s Trust versus Mistrust; the basic needs of human love must

have been met by none other than the primary social unit of anindividual, the family. This developed trust will serve as a reservefuel that in times when the person is in need of assurance,affirmation of love, he or she can still use that trust to overcomefeelings of hopelessness. With a strong foundation, wherein familiallove promises belongingness, an individual will have refuge in me-

against-the-world situations.



In addition, Sigmund Freud emphasized that a person’sfirst years of life can be likened into a crystal ball that willforesee the person’s future self. Thus, as someone said, “Ourdestinies are packaged in our childhood,” having an intactfamily that adequately satisfies a child’s cry for assurance,attention, and most importantly love will set a barricade to thepotential insecurities. The card tower remains as severalplaying cards placed one on top of the other, never glued,never connected. Without a basic unit, such as a family, anindividual may find it difficult to fix together bits and pieces ofhimself or herself since the very people who are actually taskedby nature to help are, as perceived by the individual, beyondhis or her reach.

The card tower is said to be improving as it growshigher. The height will save the weak bottom. Just like theinformants, their suicidal attempts are their own cry forattention, striving for superiority and struggle for power;because of their inner helplessness they strive to perform some

deed that is seen inimical to their well-being.



This theory further emphasizes the characteristics ofadolescent years or the time of turmoil. Hall (1904) proposedthat the adolescent years are characterized by convulsiveinstability and disturbing inner turmoil which he attributed to

adolescent’s erratic physical changes and resultant confusionabout self-image. Over the decades, a host of theorists haveagreed with Hall’s characterization of adolescence as a stormyperiod (Weitin, 2001).

Five major assumptions were derived from the entiresocial investigation and these are: (1) suicide attempters reveala familial background that did not cater to their childhoodneeds of love and belongingness, (2) suicide attempters believethat the emptiness they have can be filled with their quest forattention and power and committing suicide is their primaryway to gain such attention and power, (3) suicide attemptersare identified to have not fully developed the initial sense oftrust, (4) they are also overwhelmed by problems which theyfind themselves helpless, (5) environmental pressures such asstrained relationship and persistent stressful events like lack ofcare and parental guidance had pushed the attempters “overthe edge”.



Indeed, a strong foundation is a prerequisiteto a healthy growth and development of an

individual otherwise it will topple even with just aslight pressure. It is the same with a hollow,empty, meaningless life of an individual whogrows up without love, care and attention from a

family.Thus, the Card-Tower theory can be

summarized into this statement:The Foundation is of utmost importance .It will

either make or break a structure, whether it be cards or persons.

Exploring the Suicide Phenomenon

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