Abstract
Suicidal thoughts are a function of feelings of hopelessness and helplessness (Shneidman, 1978). Underlying these thoughts are a host of fears, often related to issues of loss. The patient may fear the possibility of loss of function or sight, or even life itself. There is the fear of losing love and affection, or one’s attractiveness, as a result of an illness. And there is the fear of having contracted a disease, such as AIDS, with the possibility of pain and suffering or social disgrace. Suicide can also be triggered by an underlying emotional disturbance, such as a clinical depression or a personality disorder. Or it may be related to a central nervous system disorder, stemming from the physical effects of the disease itself, or the treatment.
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© 1989 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Backman, M.E. (1989). Suicide. In: The Psychology of the Physically Ill Patient. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0903-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0903-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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