Customer Reviews

The Suicidal Mind

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

With over forty years of experience to support him, Dr. Shneidman concludes that "our best route to understanding suicide is not through the study of the structure of the brain, nor the study of social statistics, nor the study of mental diseases, but directly through the study of human emotions". It is his belief that those persons who commit suicide do so to either avoid or to terminate unbearable psychological pain due to the persistent frustration of vital psychological needs. The psychological needs that he refers to were first described by Henry A Murray in Explorations in Personality (1938). According to Dr. Shneidman, most suicides are partially attributable to one of five clusters of frustrated psychological needs: 1) thwarted love, acceptance, and belonging; 2) fractured control, predictability, and arrangement; 3) assaulted self-image and the avoidance of shame; 4) ruptured key relationships and attendant grief; and 5) excessive anger, rage and hostility. The suicide is not so much a factor of the particular need but rather the intensity of the frustration of whatever need is basic to the functioning of that person. It is the goal of the psychotherapist, or therapist in general, to recognize the psychological needs of the suicidal patient and to help the patient see alternatives to suicide that will alleviate their psychological pain. Dr. Shneidman offers no data to support his conclusion, only forty years of experience studying suicide as a clinician and researcher at UCLA. In The Suicidal Mind, he uses three case studies to illustrate the application and utility of his basic hypothesis. Indeed, his hypothesis is basic; that is, it seems obvious that suicidal persons are experiencing severe psychological pain. The usefulness of this book, therefore, is not so much in understanding and accepting this hypothesis, but rather in appreciating the patterns of thinking common to most suicidal patients and in the humanistic approach he takes with treating such distraught individuals. Most useful, perhaps, is the way in which he demonstrates how the perceptual state of suicidal patients becomes constricted and it is the challenge and the task of the clinician to widen the perceptual blinders. The suicidal mind effectively has become dichotomous, desperate, and unable to entertain more than two choices - life as I want it or death. Interestingly, it seems apparent to Dr. Shneidman that suicidal individuals seem to be ambivalent about death and would choose not to commit suicide "if they didn't have to". His approach is skewed predominantly towards the art of medicine as opposed to the science; his book is valuable in that by elucidating key features of the suicidal mindset, he shows clinicians how to empathize with and understand suicidal patients. What this book lacks is scientific data to support his viewpoints. Indeed, he went so far as to create a "Psychological Pain Survey", but he fails to describe any scientific endeavors to determine the significance of psychological pain to subsequent suicide risk. There are a number of ways in which he could have demonstrated in a scientific manner the particular psychological needs, the intensity and duration of need frustration, and the subjective intensity of psychological pain as they correlate with suicide risk (ie., subsequent suicide). Many studies have already demonstrated the correlation of such parameters as social isolation, unemployment, serious physical illness, and psychiatric comorbidity with suicide in specific populations; ie - alcoholics (Murphy, Suicide in Alcholism, 1992). Such scientific data is necessary to confirm the utility of Dr. Shneidman's insight for achieving the ultimate goals of studying the suicidal mind; to identify those at risk for suicide and subsequently to prevent it. Nonetheless, the ideas put forth by Dr. Shneidman reinforce the fact that medicine is both a science and an art. Antidepressant medications have proven to be a major therapeutic breakthrough in the treatment of suicidal patients, but long term benefit (ie, happiness) will likely be difficult to achieve without addressing the psychological processes that drove them to this desperate point in the first place.

I hadn't read any books on suicide before, so this one was extremely helpful in making me realise that there are many "commonalities" between suicidal people, so I'm not the only one who's insane. He gets a bit tough in the conclusion, saying that we have to face the grim harsh reality of life, but that sort of makes me feel a bit better - just the fact that he spells it out. In other places he mentions that everyone feels down and has contemplated suicide at one time in their life - I s'pose I feel like disputing the severity of many other people's "down" feelings, because otherwise they would have been regular visitors to Emergency wards. However, this is countered with his comments about how suicidal people often have grandiose thoughts about how they're the only ones who feel such deep pain. So am I grandiose and isolated and living in a fantasy world of my own? Or just affected by a biological mood disorder? Well, it gives me something to think about, and has given me quite a bit of hope. I don't know whether this effect will be temporary or not, but at least I've gained a greater understanding of why I get to the suicidal stage and how there are many other people out there who feel the same (even though I doubt that this is the majority).

Speaking from personal experience, I can truly say that this book was incredible. It was an easy read and extremely interesting to read. I couldn't put it down until I was finished with it. It appeals to your emotions and questions your beliefs. I felt that I could really relate to this book. It also seemed as if the author know what was going on inside my head. My interest in the suicidal mind has expanded and grown deeper since I first read this book. I would recommend it to anyone who is intersted in the psychology of the suicidal mind and anyone who knows someone who is suicidal or is suicidal themselves. It was simply, a book that I could totally relate to.

I read this book in the hospital after my 2nd attempt to kill myself. It brought to light so many things that I was unable to see in myself and what I was doing to my family. It helped me understand my suicide attempts that had previously blindsided me. I had no idea why nor did any of my loved ones. I reccommended this book to all of my friends and family so they could also understand. It is a quick read and although repetitive, very accurate.

My brother killed himself several weeks ago and I found this book useful in trying to understand his emotions and mindset before he took his life. A combination of reading this book, talking to people who knew him, and thinking about his life experiences makes me feel that I understand him better than I did before and helps me answer why he selected suicide as THE solution.

I found the online book review at The American Journal of Psychiatry helpful in deciding to buy this book.

I wish the book was organized differently, but then it would be a different book wouldn't it :)

This is an excellent study of what goes on in the mind of the suicidal client. It is also a beautiful and unforgettable book. I found it touching and illuminating and it has had a profound impact on the way I treat such clients in therapy. I only thought I understood their psychological pain, but I am more accepting and empathic since reading this incredibly moving book. Required reading for all therapists.

Shneidman's book, The Suicidal Mind," was a pleasure to read because it provides precise answers to my basic questions about suicide. I'm new to the subject in an academic way, so Shneidman's approach--easy to read, clearly written, and short!--was welcome.

The book is divided into roughly two sections: the first details the technical/theoretical aspects of suicide (what it is, who commits suicide, why they do it, interesting statistics, etc.), the second, three case studies of suicides and analyses of each. The case studies are quite graphic, but very interesting and informative, and include interviews from each suicide, all three of whom were patients of Shneidman.

Shneidman addresses very simple questions, such as why we kill ourselves, and offers his own opinions, as well as the various clinical views, and does everything in an undogmatic way. It's quite responsibly written, in fact. The author is one of the world's foremost experts in suicidology (Shneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology and teaches at UCLA School of Medicine) and Larry Lockridge, an English professor of mine in college, even said of the book, "This is a book that can save lives."

From my point of view, this book draws a very good picture about the suicidal mind. It mentioned why and how people become suicidal and how early intervention can help healing this mind. I like the way the author presents the topic suicide. He presented it in an academic and scientific way, which is a great way for others to understand suicidal thinking. It has valuable case studies and scientific research for others to understand the topic of suicide. It is for professionals, friends, family and significant others who are associated with the suicidal individuals to read, for the sake of understanding their judgmental mind and their "incurable" psychological pain. This book creates a bridge for others to understand what is on suicidal individuals' head and why these individuals are reluctant in seeking help (the emperor in their head that now becomes the dictator, which eliminates the option for the depressed/anxious individuals to choose how to live life).

It is NOT a book for suicidal individuals to read immediately to alleviate their psychological pain (because I bet this pain has been accumulated over years and this book is too scientific to cure the pain), though, it can be a wonderful resource for the person who is walking through a steady recovery path out of depression/suicidal thinking. It is a book for suicidal individuals to read when they have the courage to accept the past form of lethal destructive thinking. But certainly, it is NOT an immediate remedy for the cure. Books that introduce opening your heart to listen without judgment and books about love, compassion and forgiveness are the ones that need to be recommended to suicidal individuals. Therapies and medications are also necessities for these individuals to feel better. Most important of all, suicidal individuals tend to isolate and think their pain is unique and incurable. Lots of love and compassion from others without harsh judgment (doctors, nurses, therapists, friends, family, significant others, co-workers, etc) will tremendously help these individuals to recover. One misconception we always have for suicidal individuals is that we think we can scold them and then they will buck up and change. We sometimes get too frustrated ourselves (which is very understandable because we are worried) and we release our anger on these individuals who suffer psychological pain. However, by using fear and judgment, we are only pushing this individual further to the edge and to help them feel worse, instead of better. So, remember when you realize you have the need to "control" how the suicidal individuals should think, take a deep breath and return your attention back to love and compassion. Remind yourself that you want to help, but not the need to feel you are superior/right.

This was by far the best book I have ever read on this subject. The author explains that not unlike physical pain the suicidal mind is dealing with "psyche" ache, which they believe they cannot live with. He also explains that suicidal individuals have basically a one track mind in which they can see no alternatives. When thought about it this way one can see why some do choose to end their suffering in this manner. It definitely made me more sympathetic than I was before but I have always believed that it was not up to me to judge a person who ultimately makes this decision since I have no clue as to what they are suffering. Who am I to judge?

When I first picked up this book, I hated it. I thought Dr. Shneidman was merely throwing out new terms to cover a topic which is often very difficult to discuss. However as I gave him time to develop his thought, I was drawn into his book, not only does he have a very clear understanding of suicidality and its surrounding causes, but he presents it in a very accessible manner. The case histories that he shares with the reader also serve to illustrate his ideas and to put a face on this often taboo topic.