Suicidal Behaviour: A feeling of helplessness and hopelessness

As the stresses and strains of life are increasing day by day, the suicidal attempts are becoming more and more pervasive. Suicide may be regarded as a method of securing relief from the adverse life situations. The individual's ability to think in a rational manner is adversely affected during the period of depression. The relation that our psychological state affects our physical health has recently been responsible for the development of a new research discipline, behavioural medicine (sometimes called health psychology). Two major historical trends have met in behavioural medicine. The first is the recognition that our lifestyle and state of mind affect our physical well being and second, the discovery that a number of treatment techniques from the behvioural perspective (such as, biofeedback and relaxation training etc) can be effective treatment components for stress, anxiety and depression etc. Disastrous life events and the inherent personality traits of the individual both play the important role of precursors in suicidal behaviour. The intention of suicide is followed by the crushing combination of helplessness and hopelessness When the persons feel that life is not worth living, suicide becomes and alternative strategy for them. When disastrous life events make persons helpless an hopeless, it results in chronic stress. When persons lost a loved one or suffered a below to their self esteem and when persons believe the future wont be any better then for some suicide becomes an alternative strategy for adaptation. The present analytical paper deals with the suicidal behaviour, symptoms, warning signs of suicide, etiology and determinants alongwith its preventive remedies.