5 replies to this topic

[Princess of Darkness]

What are your thoughts of people who attempt suicide to gain attention? Are they simply manipulative, or are they simply crying out for help?
Should multiple suicide attempts be taken seriously?

[faithrose]

In my opinion suicide should always be taken seriously. I have been down this road before when I was younger and thought about suicide. Even though I did not have a plan I wanted people to pay attention to me so I would lie about what I was going to do that night to get people's attention. So I think some people can be manipulative but it can also be a cry for help. It's hard to distinguish. It depends on the person most of the time. I know for me even though I would try to manipulate, it was also a cry for help most of the time too.
Multiple acts of suicide should be taken seriously. That means that it is easier and easier for that person to come up with a plan and follow through with it. But also if a person has been trying many attempts at suicide that might mean that they are really struggling maybe.

This post has been edited by faithrose: 08 May 2008 - 04:24 AM

[Prince Manny]

I agree with you Andrea, you should never dismiss someone's feelings even if they're a cry for attention. If they're looking for attention then there's a reason for it!

[PinoPride]

Well, some times people can use it to be manipulative... It's happened to me before

[want-2-be-me]

i have done it, 3 times, and it becomes easier and stronger each time i dont want the attention from everyone, i just want 1 person to pick me up and tell me everything is going to be ok, that person has never come i just get more hastle from people at school, family and everyone else.... they dont understand i just want to dissapepear !!!xxxx

[Shaun Kelly]

Well I work with people who are suicidal and some of those I suspect use it for attention.  I hear colleagues suggesting that its those who seek attention are at the most risk.  They eventually accidently go through with it and its not necessarily what they wanted to do.  Its people like this can be most frustrating as you have to take everyone serious and not take everything at face value, the issue then becomes that you focus more attention on these people and then your other 20 or so patients suffer and do not get as much attention as they need.

I always considered my self to be non judgemental, but through self reflection I have identified that I to can be pushed into the world of judgemental ism.

It goes without saying people can be manipulative, people have agendas and motives.  I work on an acute assessment unit for patients suffering with mental distress/illness.  Ideally we assess them and then they should move on quickly to another service that can deal with their specific needs.  A lot of the time, patients stop on the ward for long periods of time, demand services such as social support and don't have mental illness as such. Personality disorder is a term that is thrown about at these people and it tends to be used as a swear work.  But it can be frustrating for both professionals and patients when we get patients like this because you have to treat people equally.  If you consider that beds can cost at least £500 per night per patient and we have a waiting list with patients that could better use our services, it makes it all the more frustrating when we have patients that linger on and say the right words to stay on the ward i.e. I don't think I can go on with life, im not sure what I may do etc.

In my training mentors and other professionals talked of patients who receive financial benefits from the government for being unwell and that there is some patients that 'become unwell' when there is a risk that they will lose these benefits.  These same people tend to 'get better' and are ready for discharge once there is no risk of losing there benefits.

There are a lot of people out there who are truly mental ill and can not cope in the real world without extensive support and medication.  There is also a fair few people out there that know exactly how the system works and know the right things to do or say to scare professionals in being more active with them.