The suicidal trance was first identified by Richard A. Heckler, PhD, in his book Waking Up, Alive. Heckler interviewed people who had survived a suicide attempt and tried to reconstruct what led them to a place of such devastation that death seemed the only way out. The people that he interviewed all described slowly losing hope until they descended into a trance-like state where the only message they could tune in to was one of self destruction.
According to Heckler, "The trance marks the moment in which the world becomes devoid of all possibilities except one--suicide."
The Hallmarks of the Suicidal Trance
Dr. Heckler described several symptoms of a suicide trance, including:
- Tunnel vision. The person in the trance sees no way out of her problems except by committing suicide. Suicide is viewed as a positive, the only thing that will ease the unbearable emotional pain the person is feeling.
- Selective hearing and perception. Any message of hope is screened out as if it did not exist. Any offer of help is ignored. The person in a suicidal trance sees and hears only those messages that reinforce her belief that life offers nothing but further suffering.
- Command hallucinations. The person who is in a suicidal trance may hear a voice in her head urging her over and over to commit suicide. This mantra may become so loud, it drowns out the voices in the real world.
- Emotional isolation. The person in a suicidal trance withdraws from others. She may appear to be on "automatic pilot," not fully present.
- Eerie calmness. The person has made her decision, and now there is nothing left to do but carry out the suicide. People who see the suicidal person in this state will probably perceive her as very calm and focused. She may try to tie up loose ends by giving possessions away or saying goodbye to friends and family.
Breaking the Suicidal Trance
Breaking the suicidal trance is not a do-it-yourself project. If you suspect a loved one has entered into this dangerous state, take immediate action. Ask your loved one directly if he is considering suicide. Many people are nervous about asking this question for fear it will give a depressed person ideas. It won't. What it may do is open an emotional door so your loved one can vent his feelings by talking rather than by acting.
If your loved one admits to feeling suicidal, try to keep him talking. Ask him how he is considering taking his life and, if you can do so safely, remove any weapons, medications, or tools he might use to harm himself. Encourage your loved one to seek help by going to an emergency room.
If he refuses, summon help by calling his doctor, psychiatrist or 911. If you can do so without risk to yourself, stay with him until help arrives. Your loved one may be angry with you for making the call, but at least he will be alive to feel anger.
If your loved one denies feeling suicidal, go with your gut instinct. If you feel he may do something to harm himself, get him to an emergency room for an evaluation by a mental health professional.
When Suicide Interventions Fail
Sadly, not everyone who has entered a suicidal trance can be saved. Some people are so detached and calm that they can convince even a mental health professional that there is nothing wrong with them. Others are so determined that they manage to commit suicide in spite of all precautions.
If you lose your loved one to suicide, don't blame yourself. Know that you did the best you could with the information you had at the time, and acknowledge to yourself and to others that your loved one's despair was simply insurmountable. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 90% of people who commit suicide suffer from some form of mental illness. Unfortunately, mental illness is sometimes terminal.
Knowing the signs of a suicidal trance can give you at least one powerful weapon against your loved one's despair. But it's important to realize that you're facing off against a formidable enemy.
Sources
Heckler, Richard A. (1996). Waking Up, Alive. Ballantine Books.
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