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A Rest Stop From Depression and Thoughts of Suicide
Volume VII
Depression:
Understanding Thoughts of Suicide
Part II
Stephen L. Bernhardt
Depression results from the inability of the conscious mind to provide solutions which relieve undue and unresolved stress. The unconscious mind must resolve stress at the time of inception, otherwise the chemistry of our emotions if left unabated would destroy us, or at least do us irrepealable harm. The unconscious uses psychological pain in an attempt to motivate the conscious mind to provide solutions. The conscious mind begins to think that there are no solutions, and that the pain will never end. We lose positive expectation. Many times from the conscious mind there emerges a solution of last resort, that being suicide.
Suicidal ideation provides relief from the psychological pain of depression and provides solutions in matters of undue and unresolved stress. If we are dead, the pain ends. If we are dead, the antagonists can no longer control our lives or cause us further pain. The suicidal fantasy does provide temporary relief and if used extensively it becomes a conditioned response which is automatically triggered when stress becomes intense and unmanageable.
RATIONALIZATION AND JUSTIFICATION
We are unlikely to act on any fantasy until we have completed a process of rationalization and justification. We take the elements of the fantasy and make them workable in the real world. This is a normal method of problem solving, where the conscious mind envisions possible solutions to problems and then judges whether the solutions fit within the bounds of social morals and personal guilt restrictions.
The rationalization and justification of the act of suicide may take differing forms:
1. The inability of the conscious mind to solve matters of undue and unresolved stress leads to the conclusion that there are no other options left. Although we do not want to end our life and we continue to hope for a last minute reprieve, we are convinced that it will not arrive in time. Therefore we have no choice, suicide is the only option left to us, it is the only solution.
2. The fact that suicidal thoughts may be the only relief from the stress of life and the pain of depression that we have had in months or maybe even years, is a powerful and compelling force. Our suicide will possibly hurt our family and friends, but in the long run they will be better off to be rid of such a wretched and worthless person.
3. The bible does have restrictions on the act of suicide, but mine is a special case. God has already abandoned me, he doesn't answer my prayers and he sends my way nothing but pain and continual problems. I am already in hell, what matter if I am alive or dead?
4. The rationale which is common and easiest to accept is that somehow we are going to a better place when we die, a place free of pain and stress. What this does is take the negative expectation which has permeated and controlled our lives from the time the depression started, and change it into a positive expectation that there is a brighter future ahead.
The power of this positive expectation, in the mist of emotions and a life out of control, is compelling. It is so powerful that it is possible for the depressive response to be reversed as a result of these misdirected 'solutions'. This calm pseudo-rationalization was observed just before the members of Heavens Gate left for their meeting with aliens on the other side of a comet passing close to Earth.
WHY?
What has just happened here? How is it possible for the conscious mind to rationalize and justify an act which is irrational and destructive? The solution of suicide is conceived by a depressed conscious mind. This is a mind state which has no innate realization as to the cause or the cure of depression, but seeks only to find solutions which will relieve undue and unresolved stress and end the pain of depression in the short term.
How is it possible for the unconscious mind to become a party in the conspiracy to end the existence of our being, an act which is totally counter to it's mandate of the protection, control and procreation of that being?
First, the conscious mind has fulfilled its obligation of problem solving in order to provide relief of undue and unresolved stress. Suicidal ideation allows relief which in turn gives the unconscious control of the emotional response within the bounds set by our genetic history.
Secondly, the conscious rationalization and justification of the act of suicide relieves us from our guilt and fulfills the basic need of positive expectation in the future.
HOW DO WE END THIS CYCLE OF CONDITIONED RESPONSES AND BREAK THE CONSPIRACY OF THE DEPRESSED CONSCIOUS MIND AND THE ADDICTED UNCONSCIOUS MIND, TOWARDS OUR ULTIMATE DEMISE?
We must first realize that it is possible to reverse the depressive response and stop suicidal ideation without the need to solve all of our life problems, and even though we have a strong genetic propensity to depress.
Further, it is possible to desensitize the impact of our emotional memory. We separate the emotional response to an event, from the memory of the event itself. It is only necessary to change our perception of how our life problems and our emotional memory affect us now and in the future. We then regain a positive expectation in our future. That is the purpose of the first part of Cognitive-Emotional Self- Help, education about the depressive response and suicidal ideation.
Secondly, the conscious mind must do and think those things which stop the reinforcement of the depressive response and suicidal ideation to the unconscious mind. We stop the negative, angry, disparaging and suicidal thoughts which are presented by the unconscious mind so that these emotional responses are not reinforced. The unconscious mind will present these emotions less often and with less intensity than before, allowing the conscious mind more control. Also, our negative 'problem solving' sessions are stopped and replaced with the therapeutic process. (This manuscript, alternative therapies, medications and the talking therapies)
We must then offer the unconscious mind alternative solutions in order to fill the void left by our stopping the negative, angry, disparaging and suicidal thoughts. The unconscious mind must keep our level of stress within the bounds of our genetic tolerance of that stress. It must do so at the time of incidence in order to adjust the chemistry of our emotions. If we take away the depressed minds (Dr. Depression) traditional methods of moderating stress, i.e. suicidal thoughts, self mutilation, despair, or anger, then we must offer other options which relieve stress. Those options should not be just another form of short term relief, they must include a plan to end depression (give us positive future expectation - the placebo effect) and they must include immediate relief of stress (the therapeutic process).
Now we are able to realize that the depressive response can be reversed or controlled independent of past emotional trauma or genetic propensities and in spite of our present life situation. We are not reinforcing the negative forces in our lives and our conscious mind is fulfilling its mandate of providing solutions to undue and unresolved stress. Now when stress becomes intense and unmanageable the unconscious mind presents our new solutions of Emotional Thought Stopping and the therapeutic process, instead of the old standbys of suicidal thoughts, self mutilation or an almost infinite number of other dysfunctional 'solutions'.
The unconscious mind *will* resist our efforts. We will feel as though we are doing something wrong, that we are violating something which is essential to our very survival. The unconscious mind *will*, at first, continue to present these old 'solutions', they may even be intensified for a while. It is at this point where many depressed people hit a block wall and the chronically depressed never get past this unconscious resistance to the therapeutic process. This is also the time when it is best to have a competent and caring therapist in order to help us through this difficult time.
© Stephen L. Bernhardt - 1996-2001
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