Emotional Intelligence and Suicide: Need to Expand Vision

Abstract

Suicide is the process of purposely ending one's own life. Nearly 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year. It is a complex event which affected equally the every age of people. Approximately 95 % of all persons who commit or attempt suicide have a diagnosed with mental disorder 1 suicide is a major complication of depression.2. Suicidal process is formed through a continuum of thoughts of death to suicidal ideation; suicide attempts and completed suicide. 3 women attempt suicide three to four times more likely than men where as men are three to four times more likely to die by suicide. 90 % of those who complete suicide have at least one psychiatric disorder.4 There are different cognitive, emotive and cognitive behavioural theories that explain suicidal behaviours. First, Aaron Beck's concept of the cognitive triad, negative thoughts about oneself, the future and others/ environment was central to the cognitive theory of suicide. Beck's cognitive perspectives also states that hopelessness is the important clinical variable implicated in suicidal behaviour. According to Daniel Goleman's theory of emotional competenceo, a person with high emotional intelligence has better emotional self awareness and higher empathy and is more competent in managing his/ her own emotions and handling interpersonal relationships. Empirical studies also stated that there was an emotional element in suicidal ideation. Rudd7also suggested a cognitive behavioural theory of suicidality. According to this theory, suicidality was associated with the behavioural system, cognitive system, physiological system and affective system.Apart from gathering material privileges for ourselves, many of us feel a sense of loneliness and face emotional problems while going through life. With emotions running high and each of us trying to find our balance in life, some of us become prone to negative beliefs and thoughts of self harm.Today increasing the cause of suicide is given by the wrong life styles and maladaptive thinking.There is age, gender, ethnic and geographical and psychological risk factors for suicide. Some contributing risk factors are* Unbearable psychological pain is a common trigger for suicide a depth of darkness in which the person feels especially hopeless, helpless and everything out of control.* Narrow thinking, tunnel vision or rigid thoughts is one of the deadliest aspects of suicide. Person sees it as only one solution for their current difficulties. They think everything is hopeless and things will never be better.* The suicidal person is deeply ambivalent. He/she wants both to live and to die.* Among 90 % of suicidal people have psychiatric disorders, such as depression or psychosis. Suicidality is not a mental illness but suicidal peoples are often suffering from a mental illness.* Suicidal person feels fragile and lacks of positive view of themselves and a sense of personal strength.* Person feels alone and cut off from others. They may have experienced low self esteem, conflicts and rejections from others. They may think they have been dishonourable or failed in family, friends and society.* Experience of loss of concern e.g. spouse leaving, fired from a job, ill health, social embarrassment is often a trigger for suicide.Research suggests that those who react with anger and aggression may be more at risk for suicide and escaping tendency is also responsible for it, except these other factors are guilt, frustration, stressful and traumatic childhood experiences, low self confidence, excessive unhealthy competitive feelings, lack of ability to manage emotions, feelings of insecurity, economic inequality, maximization of own rewards, lack of satisfaction with own Ufe, materialization of physical worlds etc.Emotional IntelligenceEmotional intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive and to think about emotions promoting the experience of positive affect8. …