Infomation about SI & SH

[Kizzie]

8 Tips Complex Trauma Survivors Need to Know About Living With Chronic Suicidality by Jocelyn Leo (survivor), July 2018.  - a good article which makes the distinction we talk about here between having plans/intent to kill yourself (active SI)and wanting the pain to stop but not having any intent (passive SI).

Survivors of complex trauma, defined as recurrent and inescapable traumatic experiences, may struggle with chronic suicidal ideation. Some people living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) may have repeated suicide attempts, others may have passive suicidality, and others may find they lie somewhere on that spectrum of suicidality. This can shift, stay stagnant or become absent for long periods of time before it flares again. After traumatic experiences, it is often a very protective effort for trauma survivors to have a ¨way out¨ or a ¨safety net.¨ This may come in the form of suicidal ideation.

Bibliography of research into CPTSD and suicide/self-harm added Jun 7th, 2020:

Brodsky, B., & Stanley, B. (2008). Adverse Childhood Experiences and suicidal behavior. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 31(2), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2008.02.002 

Brown, R., Heines, S., Witt, A., Braehler, E., Fegert, J., Harsch, D., & Plener, P. (2018). The impact of child maltreatment on non-suicidal self-injury: Data from a representative sample of the general population. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 181. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1754-3

Dube, S., Anda, R., Felitti, V., Chapman, D., Williamson, D., & Giles, W. (2001). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the life span: Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. JAMA, 286(24), 3089–3096. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.286.24.3089

Dyer, K., Dorahy, M., Hamilton, G., Corry, M., Shannon, M., MacSherry, A., McRobert, G., Elder, R., & McElhill, B. (2009). Anger, aggression, and self-harm in PTSD and complex PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(10), 1099–1114. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20619

Ford J. & Gómez, J. (2015) The relationship of psychological trauma and dissociative and posttraumatic stress disorders to nonsuicidal self-Injury and suicidality: A review. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 16(3), 232-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2015.989563

Liu, R., Scopelliti, K., Pittman, S., & Zamora, A. (2018). Childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 5(1), 51–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30469-8

Makhija, N., & Sher, L. (2007). Childhood abuse, adult alcohol use disorders and suicidal behaviour. QJM: Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians, 100(5), 305–309. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcm024

[Not Alone]

. After traumatic experiences, it is often a very protective effort for trauma survivors to have a ¨way out¨ or a ¨safety net.¨ This may come in the form of suicidal ideation.[/i]

I never looked at it like that, but it completely makes sense to me. I thought the author's "8 tips" were practical and helpful. I think these are good tips, not only for times of suicidal ideation, but also for other challenging times. I printed this article to refer to another time. Thanks, Kizzie, for this as well as the other information and all the time you put into researching resources.

[Kizzie]

I really like the article too notalone, mainly because she makes the distinction between active and passive suicide ideation so clearly which is something survivors need to be able to talk about more openly IMO. 

I for one have never mentioned the word suicide to anyone even therapists I've seen because I assume it's going to raise red flags.  I have talked about it here though, about not wanting to die but just wanting the pain/fear to stop.  That's why the article resonated so much for me.

Anyway, I'm always happy to have articles that give us the language to talk about what we're struggling with and passive-active SI on a continuum is helpful. 

[Jazzy]

Sorry, I don't mean to throw this off track, but Kizzie, mentioning suicide may not be such a dramatic event as you expect. Every time I see my psychiatrist he asks if I've had any suicidal ideas/thoughts/plans, and whatever I say he just leans back in his chair and says "hmm..." I guess/hope he would react a little differently if I told him I had a serious plan, but I haven't. Apparently SI is just part of life for some of us.

So, the point is, I encourage you to talk about it with someone, if it is something that you need to talk about.