Why do people commit suicide? How can you tell if a person is on the verge of suicide?

Desperate people sometimes make an independent decision to commit suicide. More than one million suicides leave this world every year, the most common cause being mental illness, but there are other contributing factors.

It is very difficult for others to understand the sudden loss of a loved one and come to terms with such injustice. The fast pace of life does not leave us the opportunity to pay enough attention to our loved ones. But suicidal behavior has a number of characteristic signs. How to understand that a loved one is on the verge of suicide and how you can help him will be discussed in our article.

Why does a person commit suicide: psychology

Suicide can be an impulsive event or follow a careful process of preparation. A person harbors the idea of giving up his life, then begins preparing for the process.
A small percentage of suicides occur in mentally ill people from birth, and a small percentage in healthy people who find themselves in difficult situations. Factors influencing suicide are biological, psychological and social in nature.
According to neuropsychological tests, patients with a failed suicide attempt exhibit abnormalities at the biochemical level - defective brain activity. This is the reason why people get stuck in depression and cannot find a way out.
have a big influence . The closest relatives of a suicide very often end their lives according to the same scenario.
Suicides of mentally healthy people are often associated with the influence of society . People find themselves in unfavorable social conditions.
is a big problem . In the process of development of the child’s psyche, a number of unfavorable factors arise, due to which the child falls into the risk zone. psychological, social and explanatory work with adolescents who are at risk

Signs that a person is about to commit suicide

Warning signs that foreshadow suicide include emotional disturbances of a characteristic form:

Poor appetite or prolonged gluttony combined with sleep disturbances.
Daily health complaints - stomach ache, headache, lack of strength to perform any actions.
A person is burdened by feelings of guilt and loneliness.
Reluctance to be with family, leaving home.
Cruel actions and drawings towards oneself.
Unreasonable tears and suffering, dramatic scenes.
Giving away personal belongings, the desire to make a will.
Excessive use of alcohol and drugs, unkempt appearance.
Talking about suicide as a way to solve all problems. Statements like “I don’t want to live anymore”, “It will all be over soon”, “I want to fall asleep and not wake up”, etc.

Reasons for attempting suicide

It is a fairly common opinion that people who commit suicide have a weak will and see the only way out of existing life difficulties in death. However, this opinion is erroneous, since sometimes even people with a strong will have thoughts about death. Most people who failed to commit suicide say that the reason for this act was various life circumstances that were traumatic in nature. Thus, attempting suicide is a way of getting rid of feelings and thoughts that destroy the human personality.

Most people resort to suicide not only because of a desire for death, but to resolve certain conflicts. For some people, life's challenges can present insurmountable obstacles. It is these thoughts that lead to the idea that death is the only way out. According to the famous Austrian scientist Viktor Frankl, suicides fear their own life more than death. It is this trait that distinguishes suicidal people from most people.

Of course, trying to take your own life is not a way out of the current difficulties in life. But many psychologists say that internal rebirth is possible only one step from the brink of despair. Let's look at examples from the lives of famous people who are known to the general public.

The legendary singer Tina Turner suffered for many years from the aggressive behavior of her husband, who was her producer. In nineteen eighty-six, the singer decided to commit suicide, tired of the tyranny of a loved one. The attempt to take her own life failed, which inspired new strength in the woman. Tina broke off her marriage with her husband and became a world-famous star.

The singer is accompanied on this list by the famous actress Drew Barrymore. Drew became famous as a teenager. According to the actress herself, at an early age she learned from her own experience about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. At the age of fourteen, Drew attempted to kill herself due to her bipolar disorder. A personal psychotherapist helped the actress get out of the vicious circle, who taught her to control her own emotions.

Pseudosuicide, or parasuicide, implies a demonstrative attempt to take one’s own life, not for the purpose of ending life, but for the purpose of attracting the attention of others

Mike Tyson often talks about the difficulties in life that can force a person to commit suicide. The famous boxer often faced various critical situations and was even imprisoned. Under the influence of severe depression, “Iron” Mike tried to take his own life with the help of drugs. Today, the fighter still thanks God, who gave him the strength to survive this difficult period.

Suicide is a topic that comes up frequently in the media. However, inclinations towards such ideas are observed not only among famous personalities. This topic affects every person. According to researchers, one in five people will experience thoughts of suicide during their lifetime. In order to help a person in such a state, it is important to have an idea of the reasons for the appearance of thoughts of self-destruction .

Female and male suicide - is there a difference?

Worldwide, the number of male suicides is 3 times higher than female statistics. This trend is permanent. Let's try to analyze the factors leading to female and male suicide.

The main reason is that women are more likely to share their problems. Men are more reserved. From childhood, men are taught to be strong and not show weakness. Mother-daughter relationships are more open and emotional than mother-son relationships.
Men are not ready to admit their vulnerability . The stronger sex is in no hurry to seek psychological advice and drug treatment.
Women are quicker to recognize the existence of a problem and quicker to become ready to solve it. Men are more often not ready to admit the obvious, and sometimes are unable to identify their condition.
Depression in men is more likely to lead to alcohol and drug abuse. Women are more likely to look for a way out of the situation and ask for help.
Work and family influence male and female suicide . Men experience the loss of their job more, women experience the loss of their partner more difficult. Another option that encourages suicide is the pinnacle of a career, which leads to loneliness.
Men and women initially have different natures, different hormonal levels and different brain activity.

Russia occupies a leading position in the ranking

Types of suicide

There are often two types of suicide: true and demonstrative.

True suicide

True suicide is characterized by the presence of a goal to die, ignoring the thoughts of others on this matter, the feelings of loved ones and circumstances. Such suicide is characterized by good preparedness, it is planned in advance. Typically, the preparation period for a true suicide lasts a couple of days; in rare cases, the intention to die is “nurtured” for several years. During this period, people think about the situation that has developed, analyze the reasons that pushed them to suicide, and consider the likely results of their death. Then a change in behavior may be observed in the form of emerging peace and detachment from reality. In the presence of complex, intractable problems that previously caused anger, a feeling of helplessness and other negative experiences, such a change in behavior should be considered as a sign of planning suicide.

Demonstrative suicide

When committing a demonstrative suicide, a person does not really want to say goodbye to life, but in this way wants to influence the people around him, ask for help, or blackmail someone. In this case, safe methods of implementing auto-aggressive actions are chosen and a fatal result can only occur as a result of an accident.

Based on the population size, the following types of suicides can be distinguished:

individual;
group;
mass.

The individual appearance is based on the individual psychological characteristics of the individual and the “strength” of the situation that influenced the person’s decision to die; group and mass types are characterized by group pressure on the individual.

Signs of suicidal tendencies in teenagers

Thoughts about suicide most often arise in adolescents during adolescence - the transition from childhood to adulthood. The mental state is accompanied by characteristic signs that need to be paid attention to in a timely manner.

Sudden withdrawal from habitual activities that previously brought pleasure. If a child suddenly exchanges attending a club or favorite activity for a boring time alone, then there is definitely a reason for this. Parents must establish the real reason through dialogue with the child or with the participation of a third party.
Changeable behavior. A teenager with a stable psyche chooses a certain model of behavior. If a person too quickly transforms from a passive observer into an active figure and vice versa, there is reason to think about a mental disorder.
Reluctance to communicate with friends. It is worth paying attention if a teenager’s social circle sharply narrows for no obvious reason.

In adolescents, the reasons are often related to the environment and adolescence.

Disregard for generally accepted social norms. If a teenager stops taking into account the opinions of others and strives to go beyond the generally accepted, then this is an alarming sign.
Reducing rest time. A teenager should get enough sleep. Systematic early awakenings can be repeated against the background of a mental disorder.
Frequent thoughts about death. A teenager living a full life will not think about death and become self-absorbed with such thoughts.
Disrepaired appearance. A teenager who loses interest in life stops taking care of himself. In deep depression, there is a lack of aspirations, desires and plans for the future.

Warning markers

According to scientists, suicide most often occurs within three months after a person faces a psychological crisis. While in this state, there is increased stimulation of the nervous system, which is a kind of warning signal. Signs of having thoughts about death are expressed as follows:

an attempt to repay existing debts or personal property;
being depressed due to feelings of guilt;
an attempt at reconciliation with people whom a person once offended;
reduction of con- cern from the real world, changes in appearance;
tendency to self-isolate and refusal to communicate with loved ones;
direct or indirect conversations on the topic of death;
tendency to destructive behavior directed towards one’s own personality.

Suicide (suicide) - taking one's own life of one's own free will, without the participation of other people.
It is important to pay attention to the fact that there are different types of suicide. The choice between them depends on the character of the person, his temperament and personality type.

Causes of suicide in teenagers

The highest percentage of suicides among adolescents occurs during adolescence. Causes of suicide in adolescents include:

Misunderstanding in relationships with relatives and friends.
Difficult situation within the family.
Bullying by peers.
Unrequited love, early sexual intercourse.
Use of toxic and narcotic substances.
The desire to attract attention to oneself, to avoid accumulated problems.
Low self-esteem, difficulties with self-realization.
Loss of a loved one.
Difficulties related to the educational process.
Fear of punishment, fear of shame.

In some situations, teenagers’ final decision is formed under the influence of negative information from television and social networks. A teenager observes a similar situation and tries on a suicidal behavior pattern.

psychological trauma for many . Repeated failures lead to thoughts of suicide.
Children with outstanding abilities stand out among their peers.

A discrepancy between interests and the environment, going beyond what is familiar and understandable can ultimately lead to suicide. Children with unusual abilities need a special approach from their parents.

Any information must be conveyed to adolescents taking into account their delicate, vulnerable mental organization.

Causes of suicidal thoughts

There are dozens of radically different reasons for thoughts of suicide. For certain individuals, taking a life may be the only visible way to escape the pain of loss or feelings of rejection. Reasons for suicide may be related to the presence of strong feelings, which include guilt, anger and shame. Some people commit similar acts when faced with betrayal from loved ones. There is a category of people who commit suicide because they do not want to be a burden to their loved ones.

Suicidal tendencies manifest themselves most strongly in situations that traumatize the human psyche.

A serious illness, loss of a job or a loved one is a unique reason for the emergence of negative thoughts. Experts say the cause of suicide should be considered much deeper. Most often they are associated with disorders of social and psychological perception. According to doctors, in frequent cases, the cause of suicidal tendencies is associated with hereditary factors.

According to scientific data, the risk of suicide is observed in people suffering from mental illness. Having bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or symptoms of major depression automatically puts a person at risk. The same statistics indicate that self-destructive behavior is often observed in deviant families. There is a close relationship between parasuicide and problems of integration into society. The sudden onset of a problem related to a lack of social relationships can be a key factor. Most often, lonely people decide to commit suicide when faced with betrayal or the death of their partner. Psychologists say that in families where one twin decides to take his own life, the risk of similar thoughts in the second twin increases significantly.

In terms of terms, the concept of suicide (or suicide) is defined as the conscious, independent taking of one’s life

A suicidal person is a person who has certain personal pathologies that prevent him from adequately assessing the situation. That is why the opinion that suicidal people face more severe life difficulties is wrong. Long before thoughts of leaving life appear, such people are faced with various stress factors. Often, such thoughts are “pushed” by mental disorders or drug use. Despite this, psychologists say that anyone can decide to commit suicide, even those who look well.

Tests to identify children prone to suicide

Questionnaires and testing are used to monitor suicidal behavior among adolescents.

Questioning children orally and in writing is divided into two types:

Direct questions about the presence of suicidal thoughts.
Identification of personal qualities indicating a high suicidal risk.

Questionnaires are the main tool in medical psychology and psychotherapist practice. The main goal of testing for suicidal tendencies is to obtain maximum information in a short period of time.

Here are some testing examples:

For younger children, the “Unfinished Sentences” technique is used. The patient's statements allow us to obtain his assessment of the world around him.

Examples of unfinished sentences

For teenagers, a coloring technique called “Your Suicidal Tendencies” . The patient needs to complete coloring of an object whose middle is already painted black. A specialist’s conclusion is drawn up based on the number of painted and empty areas.

Analysis by drawing

The psycho-emotional state of adolescents and adults is assessed using the Luscher Color . The patient is provided with cards in different colors, which must be divided in stages according to priority.

Colors and cards

Interpretation

Forms of suicidal behavior

In suicidal behavior it is possible to distinguish the structure - internal and external forms.

Internal forms include passive suicidal thoughts, suicidal thoughts and suicidal intentions:

passive suicidal thoughts are ideas about one’s own death, but the absence of fantasies about taking one’s own life;
suicidal plans are thinking through the methods, time, and place of suicide; plans are worked out more and more deeply as a plan for their implementation is developed;
suicidal intentions - a decision and a volitional component are added, which encourages external behavior.

External forms of suicidal behavior include suicide attempts and, in fact, completed suicide. These forms have two phases:

reversible - a person can stop attempting suicide (of his own free will or as a result of the actions of others);
irreversible – completed suicide.

Thoughts about suicide, what to do: advice from a doctor, priest

Suicidal thoughts do not always mean that a person is ready to commit suicide. The desire to change something in your life, loss of control over the situation, the desire to stop suffering sometimes takes on an extreme form.

Suicide does not solve any of the problems, but rather leaves them in limbo without hope of positive changes.

If you have obsessive thoughts about suicide, you should definitely talk to someone about it. Choose a person you trust. A close friend in this situation can be replaced by your city's trust service . A dialogue with a person you don’t know well is useful because in return you get a new, independent look at the current situation from the outside.
At the slightest concern, those living with a suicidal person need to remove from the house all means that could easily kill themselves. It is important to learn how to create obstacles to action that will help you intervene in the process at the right time.
In addition to psychological consultations, if you feel unwell, you should get medical help. With the help of medication, anxiety levels can be reduced . Hospitalization is necessary if the situation is hopeless. A timely decision without delay will bring relief to the patient and his environment.
Another type of help is turning to a priest. The spiritual support of a priest is called counseling. The calling of a clergyman is to find spiritual resources to solve the current problem. Here the tools are prayer, repentance, service to one's neighbor, and familiarity with the biblical word. The priest helps a person work to save his life. Systematic training in spiritual discipline helps a person grow spiritually and get away from his problem.

Change the scenery

The life of a person in a pre-suicidal state resembles a vicious circle with no end in sight: every day the same thing, without the slightest hope for change. Therefore, changing the environment - at least for a while - is a solution that will help take your mind off dark thoughts. This could be a trip to another country or city, moving, changing jobs. You can live with friends or relatives for a while to get rid of the feeling of loneliness. Sometimes it helps to have a pet, which will change your daily routine and require attention and care.

How to talk someone out of suicide: tips

A person who voices his intentions needs help. Most often, to get out of a depressive state, it is enough for someone close to you to be nearby at the right time. The most important thing is to hear the person in time and understand him.
It is important to arrange or lead a person to a frank conversation in which he can voice everything that worries him. Let them feel your interest, look for a path to mutual understanding.

Suicide prevention - psychologist, practical recommendations:

Listen carefully and thank them for the frank conversation. Don't argue. Offer your help. Convince your interlocutor that there is another way out.

Offer your help

Let the person understand that his desire to give up his life is meaningless. Convey that suicide does not solve accumulated problems, but only aggravates the current situation.
Ask indirect questions about possible suicide. For example: “Why do you consider the situation hopeless?”, “How long have you been thinking about suicide?” etc. The interlocutor needs to speak out, after which he will feel a little relief.
Instead of meaningless consolations, wrap the person in a sincere and caring attitude. Once he feels concerned about his situation, the threat level will decrease.
First, ask to postpone your intentions to end your life. Offer to help find alternative solutions.
Using indirect questions, try to identify the source of the problem. For example: “What important events have happened to you recently”, “How long ago has your health worsened?” etc.
Assess the likelihood of suicide. A well-thought-out method of suicide is the critical point for a teenager. If the risk is high, do not leave the person alone. Ask for the favor of letting you know before making drastic decisions.

Offer all possible sources of help - a psychologist, priest, psychotherapist, best friend or relative.

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Pathologists do not agree that a person is a single whole.

(Valentin Domil)

Some people think that suicide is a heroic and beautiful act in its own way. Television, by distortingly showing death on the screen, accustoms us to an inadequate perception of this phenomenon. The image of death that is portrayed in this way is far from reality. A person imagines how those who knew him will treat him with respect, remember his good deeds and grieve: “Why did the person pass away? What is our fault?..” In his dreams, he sees a beautiful young body in a coffin, not recognizing old age...

But in real life this happens extremely rarely. Most often it happens differently. This is what actually happens to people when they use various methods of suicide.

Methods of suicide: Poisoning

In 1944, the famous Hollywood actress Lupe Velez, who was then 36 years old, decided to commit suicide. A person of a creative profession, she came up with a beautiful scenario to die at the height of her beauty and fame. She surrounded her bed with flowers, washed herself, and put on her favorite blue negligee. I washed down a bunch of pills with expensive cognac and lay down on a luxurious bed. Then everything did not go according to script.

A few minutes later, the body’s normal reaction to the pills occurred: uncontrollable vomiting began. Her beautiful dress and everything around her ended up in the contents of her stomach. The room was filled with the indescribable aroma of vomit. Knocking over the flowers, she ran to the bathroom. There she slipped on the contents of her stomach and hit her head on an Egyptian onyx toilet. Losing consciousness, she eventually suffocated in her own vomit. After which Hollywood decided that poisoning as a method of suicide was too unaesthetic.

This case has a very characteristic picture for poisoning. The gag reflex, despite measures to suppress it, is almost inevitable, and no one can control it.

And specialist doctors will not be able to calculate all the nuances of the impact of a particular poison on the unique body of a particular person in such a way as to achieve the desired result. Even a carefully calculated dose can give unpredictable results. It is possible that, like this actress, you will suffocate in agony on your own vomit, or maybe you will vomit, but you will not die, but will remain disabled for the rest of your life.

If you are taken to the hospital, they will restrain you with towels, having first stripped you naked. The spectacle is reminiscent of footage from the ward of a mental hospital for violent people. The picture is complemented by tubes protruding from the mouth (after intubation of the trachea and insertion of the probe into the intestine), and the neck (after tracheostomy).

A person can die for several long and extremely painful days. He is given rinses, but the poison continues to be absorbed by the body and perform its effect in it. All this time the person suffers heavily. The gag reflex continues and he lies tied up on the soiled bed.

If the suicide did not wait for rescuers, then his loved ones see a corpse with vomit in the hair, diarrhea, cadaveric spots, with a characteristic fetid odor and signs of varying degrees of decomposition...

In general, the beauty is extraordinary. The dramatic effect that the suicide is counting on will obviously be blurred. To think that the person who finds this will call an ambulance, then drag this corpse somewhere, help put it in bags, and will have some good memories of you, is very naive.

Methods of suicide: Hanging

First there is quite a long agony. During this agony, convulsions occur, during which the hanged man hits all nearby objects, causing bruises, abrasions, fractures, and bruises to remain on the corpse. Then the sphincters of the anus and urethra open. Everything that was in the intestines and bladder flows out, and the person literally ends up covered in shit. There is a puddle under the corpse. The corpse has cadaveric spots, especially on the legs, where the blood flows, and a nasty strangulation groove on the neck. Hemorrhages are also visible in the subcutaneous tissue, legs of the pectoral muscles and neck muscles. The neck is deformed due to a fracture of the vertebral column, and there is a grimace on the face of the corpse.

Severe hematomas (bruises, cadaveric spots) throughout the body. When blood flows away from the head, after previously creating increased pressure there during agony, the eyes often pop out of their sockets. Such a goggle-eyed corpse cannot be called cute.

Well, and of course, the most characteristic detail of this method of suicide is the blue tongue sticking out to the side, which in the morgue will simply be cut off along with the complex of organs in the neck, and then “stuffed” into the stomach. No one will deliberately tinker with the language. And why? Corpses don't talk. In addition, if you look into the mouth, you can see that the color of the mucous membranes of the suicide’s mouth has a rather creepy hue.

Methods of suicide: Jumping from a window

Often a person turns into minced meat. The contents of the intestines and bladder leak out onto the asphalt from the rupture. The bones that the blow breaks pop out for everyone to see. Internal organs and their contents fall out into dust and dirt. Upon impact, teeth may break and also scatter on the ground or even remain on the balconies that the suicide bomber hit in flight. By the way, if the fall was stepped (that is, the body hit obstacles during the fall), then you can leave not only teeth and parts of clothing on the balconies, but also parts of the body. When landing, the toothless mouth filled with blood is completely unsightly. The deformations of the skull are especially impressive to onlookers. I hit my head, and then I couldn’t tell where my nose was, where my eyes were, where my ears were. Even if the flatness of the skull does not look good at all, then the head looks even worse, which has become completely shapeless and looks more like an inflated soccer ball. As well as dried blood in the hair and on clothes. Flies on pools of blood and organs.

A lot of people gather to discuss and, of course, judge. Nobody will admire you. Children are walking on the playground. The sight of a pool of blood, lymph, the contents of the stomach, rectum, and bladder does not at all help the normal formation of the child’s psyche. And brains fly far and wide. By the way, the brains, as the most saturated part of the body with water (90%), first scatter and then spread, which does not add anything additional to the surrounding landscape.

It is very difficult to give the body a believable outline later in the morgue. The doctor will have to try hard for this. Reconstructing the human body into a state in which it can be looked at without horror is a difficult and also very, very expensive undertaking. If there is no money, an appropriate level of professional or his desire, then it is preferable to put the corpse in a bag, and the bag itself in a closed coffin, so as not to injure those present at the funeral. There are cases that the cellophane, which is placed in the coffin in such a situation, leaks and drips from the coffin.

Anyone who sees this will clearly not be filled with sympathy for the dead man.

Intermission

Understanding how difficult it is for you to read descriptions of the consequences of various methods of suicide, we suggest you take a little break.

Now, you already understand how far amateurish ideas about the consequences of suicide are from reality. Often a suicide sees death as a bride in a white dress and a beautiful deliverer from severe suffering. It seems to a person that with the help of death he will solve a very important problem for himself, that everyone who brought him to this point will regret it, that all his problems can be solved in such a simple way. He thinks that he is committing a brave act, overcoming the fear that he can challenge traditions, moral values, and even God, who, according to this person, is unjust or absent. Around the beautiful coffin, friends, relatives, enemies, everyone is tearing out their hair from what they did not protect and preserve, and the body itself is fragrant, and only a glamorous trickle of blood from the corners of the lips flows down the pale, beautiful face.

It's a pity for such people. It’s truly “they don’t know what they’re doing.” Surprisingly, a person in this state does not understand that instead of solving the problem he will aggravate it, instead of courage he will show cowardice, instead of the absence of fear - a lack of intelligence, instead of death - a bride, a person will see death - an old woman with a scythe, instead of freedom - slavery to evil spirits, which they will meet him after death to laugh at him and continue his torment.

Maybe that's enough said already?

If not, let's continue...

Methods of suicide: Cutting veins

Before the person loses consciousness, the agony begins. The face cramps and the blood drains away. Snot and drool on the corpse also do not add beauty to the picture. The anal sphincters also relax. An absolutely white corpse floats, if it was in the bathtub, in its own shit and blood. And there are a lot of flies sitting on all this, if it happens in the summer, and the flies have access to the room. And if he also lay in the water for a long time, then there are all the changes that occur in drowned people (giantism of the corpse, maceration, etc.).

For those who come in, the sight is so shocking that all other methods of suicide simply pale in comparison to this picture! Pale filth, stench, red water with floating clots of blood and feces.

It’s good that it’s not easy to kill yourself this way.

Methods of suicide: Drowning

After some time, the corpse will float up. This is due to decay processes with the release of gases, such as hydrogen sulfide. But he will no longer be at all like you during his lifetime. The body will be significantly larger in volume (a giant corpse). The corpse itself is also not beautiful: it has cadaveric spots of a dark purple color, the presence of persistent white or light pink fine-bubble foam around the openings of the mouth and nose, particles of silt and algae in the respiratory tract, the venous system is overflowing with liquid blood with a small amount of dark red parcels . The stomach and intestines are usually filled with fluid.

When drowning, along with water, a large amount of plankton found in it enters the bloodstream (plankton - protozoa, some coelenterates, mollusks, crustaceans, eggs and larvae of fish, larvae of various invertebrate animals), penetrating almost all tissues and organs. It can then be detected even in the kidneys and bone marrow. The types of unicellular organisms, crustaceans, and other representatives of rich aquatic fauna found inside the corpse, and their relative quantitative content may indicate not only the fact of drowning, but also the specific body of water in which it occurred.

A surprisingly unpleasant thing that happens to a drowned person is maceration, i.e. swelling, wrinkling and subsequent rejection of the skin from the body (“bath skin”, “washerwoman’s skin”, “glove of death”, “groomed hand”). The timing of the appearance and development of maceration depends on the water temperature. For example, at a temperature of 14-16 °C it begins after 8 hours. That is, first from the fingers, and then from the hands, and then from everything else, pieces of skin begin to flake off and separate from the body. After 10-20 days, hair begins to fall out.

When in water, the corpse becomes overgrown with algae. This process is cyclical: the algae on the corpse are completely renewed every 3-4 weeks. It is important to note that even after drowning, the drowned person's body may be subject to further trauma. The reasons leading to the occurrence of post-mortem injuries in water are very diverse: impacts on the ground, parts of water structures and random objects in the reservoir, impacts from rotating propellers, hydrofoils and other structural elements of ships, injuries from hooks and various improvised means used during searches. and removing the corpse from the water. But the greatest damage can be caused by representatives of aquatic fauna: fish, crayfish, aquatic insects, leeches, etc.

To say that the corpse of a drowned man does not look great is to say nothing. A huge corpse with changed proportions of face and body, often also swollen from gases accompanying decomposition, gnawed by leeches, fish and crayfish, covered in mud and algae - this is terrible. It is not always convenient to move such a corpse, much less load it onto a stretcher. The corpse often simply does not fit on them.

Pulling out and processing such a corpse on the spot may please and even bring pleasure only to curious onlookers - necrophiliacs, who also manage to give their comments mixed with condemnation. The contemplation of such a corpse is very unpleasant for normal people. And even more so for those who will bury.

Methods of suicide: Crossbow

The incoming hole is small, the outgoing hole is large. The brains are spreading somewhere on the wall. Parts of the skull, fat and other tissues too. Teeth may be missing. A gunshot wound in the head area leads to almost complete disfigurement of the face, especially the orbital areas - due to the action of powder gases, practically tearing the head from the inside. In general, there is also little aesthetics. If the skull is split, and sometimes half of the skull is completely carried to the side, then you need to pay a decent amount to the pathologist to reattach this piece of the skull. But even after this, the person lying in the coffin is not very charming.

It happens that pets (dogs, cats, etc.) cannot recognize the owner in such a disfigured form, and begin to taste him. One of the authors of the article saw a cat that climbed in to try the contents of the skull of its owner, who ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot. A cat's mouth smeared with blood after tasting its owner's brains is not a sight for the faint of heart. Naturally, insects (cockroaches) and rodents (rats, mice) will also not refuse such a gift.

As you understand, after a crossbow in the head, it is rarely possible to bury the body without causing confusion and horror to those present at the ceremony.

Anyone who shoots himself also creates a lot of problems for others, because in any case there will be a serious investigation into where the weapon came from. And in general, collecting parts of the head piece by piece in a plastic bag, and then removing and washing away the blood, mucus, and lymph is not at all pleasant.

But there is one more feature. Firstly, people don’t know where to shoot, and secondly, the skull is a pretty strong thing, and the bullet can change its direction. A person can remain just a moron. Although, perhaps, he was a moron for deciding to do such a thing.

“Jewelry” of all suicide victims, regardless of the chosen method of death

Cadaveric spots

After cessation of blood circulation, blood, under the force of gravity, begins to passively move through the vessels to the underlying parts of the body. After 1.5-2 hours, such an amount of blood accumulates in these sections that the skin acquires a blue-violet color. This phenomenon is called corpse spots. The blue-violet color is due to the cessation of oxygen supply to the blood and the restoration of oxyhemoglobin (pinkish tint) to hemoglobin.

When the body is positioned on the back, cadaveric spots are localized on the posterior and posterolateral surfaces of the neck, chest, lower back and limbs. If the corpse lies on its stomach, then cadaveric spots appear on the face, the anterior surface of the chest and abdomen. When the body of a corpse is in a vertical position (for example, when hanging), cadaveric spots appear on the limbs (forearms and hands, feet and legs), lower back and abdomen. Areas of the skin of a corpse, pressed by the weight of the body, tight-fitting clothing (shirt collar, bra, panties), on the contrary, turn out to be grayish-white in color, since the vessels in these areas are compressed, there is no blood in them and there are no conditions for the formation of corpse stains.

Rotting (decomposition)

I think that you will not be surprised that all the corpses of suicides are subject to rotting (decomposition). Not a single suicide who has completed the job can avoid this. This will especially apply to those who decided to say goodbye to life in a sparsely populated place, or whose corpse for some reason will not be found immediately.

Putrefactive processes in the corpse appear soon after death. Putrefaction usually begins in the large intestine and is accompanied by the formation of putrefactive gases. Hydrogen sulfide contained in putrefactive gases penetrates the intestinal wall, combines with hemoglobin in the blood of the vessels of the abdominal wall and colors the anterior abdominal wall a dirty green color.

On the 3-4th day, a dirty green venous network begins to appear through the skin. By the end of the first week, cadaveric bloating develops, caused by the formation of putrefactive gases. The first manifestations of cadaveric swelling are observed in the face, lips, mammary glands, scrotum, and abdomen. Subsequently, it acquires a total character. Putrefactive gases permeate the subcutaneous fatty tissue and swell it, forming cadaveric emphysema. The face, lips, mammary glands, abdomen, scrotum, and limbs are especially swollen. The body of the corpse acquires unusually large dimensions. Gases accumulated in the tissue of the neck and pharyngeal ring push the tongue out of the mouth, and it protrudes from behind the teeth. The gas pressure in the abdominal cavity sometimes reaches 2 atm. Under the influence of gases, the contents of the stomach can move through the esophagus into the oral cavity - so-called post-mortem “vomiting” occurs. By this time, the entire skin of the corpse acquires a dirty green color. Blisters with serous-bloody contents form on the skin. The dirty, bloody liquid that appears during decay permeates the tissues and organs of the corpse and flows out of its natural orifices. The brain becomes flabby, dirty green in color, and spreads when pressed with a finger. The lungs are dirty gray in color; due to putrefactive imbibition, they become somewhat denser, then soften. The heart is grayish-red in color, flabby, as if “blurring” on the table.

Already on the 10-12th day, the entire skin of the corpse becomes dirty green in color, the cuticle swells, the surface of the skin becomes slimy, and easily opened putrefactive blisters form. After a few months, all internal organs take on the appearance of a homogeneous dirty-brown or dirty-gray mass with a poorly distinguishable structure.

I would like to add that rotting is also accompanied by the formation of toxic substances - ptomains. This is the so-called corpse poison. It’s also not the most pleasant thing for those who will be dealing with a body that was once a person who did not want to live.

Mummification

If your corpse lies or hangs long enough in a dry, warm, well-ventilated place (in attics, coarse-grained and sandy soils), then the mass and volume of the mummified body will decrease sharply. During mummification, the corpse loses all its liquid, its weight is 1/10 of its original weight. The skin of a corpse takes on the appearance of dense parchment of a brownish-brownish color. The internal organs also undergo complete drying out and appear as dry, shapeless, liver-colored, unattractive formations.

Your body will look like a rather disgusting brown mummy, but very far from the splendor of the mummies of the pharaohs lying in the pyramids.

Fatwax

If you are unlucky and your body finds itself in conditions of high humidity with no or insufficient air access, then the so-called Sapoification. A corpse of this appearance is called adipose wax. The ideal environments for the formation of fat wax are water and moist clay soils. Staying in such conditions leads to swelling of the skin of the corpse, which creates conditions for water to penetrate into tissues and organs. The rotting that has begun is stopped due to the lack of air, tissues and organs gradually turn into fat wax.

The corpse is as if in soap, covered on top with a slimy, wet shell similar to a wax coating. What remains of the body has a greasy sheen and the smell of rancid cheese.

It must be said that such conditions arise infrequently, and mostly for those who decide to drown themselves.

Smells

It is important to note that the decaying flesh of people who did not want to live does not smell of roses and expensive perfume. The smell coming from the decomposed corpse of a suicide, and especially in the later stages of decomposition, is better called stench, stench or stench. This smell, caused by the release of substances with an extremely unpleasant odor (for example, hydrogen sulfide), is felt far from the body, eats into woolen clothing and gives an incomparable aroma to the room where the body of a suicide victim is decomposing. By the way, you often just have to throw away those things that stink. This usually happens if the decomposing corpse was in a closed room where these things, furniture, etc. lay. Sometimes even in an open place a corpse can stink for tens of meters. No one has any desire to come close to him. This is done only out of necessity. The sweet smell of corpses can only attract the ubiquitous fauna, which we will tell you more about...

Corpse fauna

The appearance of a corpse in the environment is a biological signal for its destruction by numerous representatives of the animal world. The leading role among them belongs to insects. Under conditions that ensure maximum activity, fly larvae can leave only the skeleton of an adult human corpse in one month. Within a few hours after death, flies lay eggs under the eyelids, in the nasal and oral cavities, in skin folds, and on the moist surface of wounds. By the end of the first day, small white fly larvae (puparia) are formed from the eggs, which immediately begin to destroy soft tissue. These larvae are also called maggots. These are white, very unpleasant-looking worms with a dark head. During the first week, the larvae are small, thin, their length does not exceed 6-7 mm. In the second week, the progressive growth of the larvae begins, they thicken to 3-4 mm and often exceed 1.5 cm in length. By the end of the second week, the larvae crawl into dark places (under a corpse, under clothing), lose mobility and pupate. The pupae are initially yellowish-gray in color, which gradually becomes dark brown. The surface of the pupa is covered with a dense shell, inside which an adult develops within two weeks. A fully formed insect gnaws through one of the ends of the shell and crawls out. Within 1-2 hours, the wet fly dries out, acquires the ability to fly, and within a day can lay eggs.

In addition to flies, ants and many beetles participate in the biological destruction of corpses: large and small black carrion eaters, sarcophagi, skin beetles, staffellins, little ones, etc. Dense tissues (cartilage, ligaments) are destroyed by some types of mites.

If the corpse is in an apartment, then cockroaches, mice, rats, which are very attracted to carrion, and domestic animals, may join in its destruction.

On city streets and in basements, the bodies of suicides are usually damaged by small rodents (mice and rats) and stray animals. Moreover, it is interesting that rats begin their business from the soft tissues of the tip of the nose and ears. Rodents often “settle” in the chest or abdominal cavities and eat the corpse from the inside. Often, only one wound is found on the skin (the entrance to the “burrow”), unless, of course, the rodents decide to use natural openings: mouth, anus, vagina. Rodents can penetrate the skin, destroying soft tissue and internal organs, with little damage to cartilage and ligaments. Double scratches remain on the cartilages of the heads of the tubular bones from the paired upper incisors of the rodent.

If the corpse is in a forest, field, outside the city, then in addition to rats and mice, large animals (wolves, jackals and foxes, pigs, birds of prey) are also interested in the corpse. They are especially active in winter, when animals are limited in the quantity and variety of food. Large animals usually tear the corpse apart. In addition, both in the city and in the countryside, there is interest in certain species of birds (crows, magpies, kites, etc.), which complement this far from joyful picture.

In reservoirs, corpses are damaged by predatory fish, leeches, crustaceans, etc.

Reaction of others

Now let’s talk about how others perceive such beauty. Apart from curious people who like to look at corpses, for everyone else the sight of the dead body of a suicide does not evoke pleasant feelings. On the contrary, it causes disgust, horror and disgust. Many people traumatize their psyche in this way. It happens that this also traumatizes children who may accidentally see such a disgusting sight. And of course, this does not evoke sympathy for the suicide. But it will cause a lot of gossip among neighbors, condemnation, and moralizing. This is especially evident when the police register an incident. This is where the gossip begins!

Therefore, remember that if during your life you suffered from unfair treatment, from the fact that you were not recognized, then after such a stupid death it is unlikely that you will be treated better. Most likely, they will find confirmation of their attitude.

It is especially unpleasant for those who are forced to clean up the consequences of suicide. It could be a janitor, or it could be a relative. Remove vomit, urine and feces, collect pieces and parts of the body, wash away blood and mucus. There are also not many people willing to wash damaged things and make repairs. .

The presentation of the incident also does not happen like in the movies. To establish the duration of death, a thermometer is inserted into the rectum of the corpse to measure its temperature on the spot. In many cases this procedure is not quick, because... It is necessary to measure the temperature at least 2-3 times with an interval of 1 hour. At this time, the corpse will lie on public display without underwear with a thermometer in the ass. They also expose other places, describing the damage. This gives true pleasure to many onlookers, which cannot be said about witnesses, other normal people, and especially relatives of the suicide victim.

A special word about the stretcher on which the corpse is placed. They are far from sterile. It seems like they were never clean. Dried blood on the tarpaulin and dirty stains on them complete this sad sight. It often happens that even police officers who have seen everything don’t want to get their hands dirty dealing with a mutilated and stale corpse. Then, in order to load and remove the body from the place of arrival, the police are looking for migrant workers who do not have registration, or local drunks, who are always guilty before the local police officer. They are entrusted with this dirty work. It cannot be said that they like this work. Moreover, they do not have proper training, and they often have incidents because of this. One of the authors of this article has more than once seen natural physiological reactions in such “volunteers against their will” in close proximity to the corpse itself.

But even professional orderlies will not carefully and with a mournful look carry and transport on a gurney what was previously the body of a person who himself gave up life. They will not shed tears, but will treat the body as the fabric from which the person who gave them extra work used to consist.

Agree that this will be quite fair. If you yourself treated your own body with such disdain while the soul was still in it, then why should the people whom you loaded with this difficult work treat it with more respect than you yourself?

Emergency pre-psychological assistance for suicide attempts

Effective pre-psychological assistance consists of activating anti-suicidal factors. A loved one must use any methods to convey the uniqueness of the opponent’s everyday experience.

The initial stage is to listen and earn trust.
Lead a person with you and switch his attention to completely different circumstances.
Remind about family, children, friends.
Using an example from your life, devalue the situation in the eyes of your interlocutor. Show how much the level of importance of past events has decreased.
Compare the current situation with the problems of other people, conduct a comparative analysis. Convey to the person that everything is not so bad.
Give hope for a bright future . Tell him what awaits him ahead - career growth, a trip abroad, a new family.
Draw an aesthetic picture after death - a detailed unattractive appearance.

You need to find as many positive moments as possible among past, present and future events.

Attempted suicide: consequences for a person

A suicide attempt is a person’s desperate way to resolve an uncertain situation. The person feels bad and needs emergency help. The threat to life remains open. Urgent psychological consultation with specialists is required.
Psychological assistance consists of a thorough analysis of the situation in the family and at work. Relationships with your immediate environment are monitored. Psychiatric care begins with assessing the patient's emotional stability.
After an unsuccessful suicide attempt, the patient is sent to a psychiatric hospital for constant observation. Comprehensive treatment is carried out - medicinal and psychological. If a close relative saved you from suicide, then rehabilitation at home is allowed.