Why do many instances of suicidal thoughts—in the mind—not route through fear, which often precedes risk when danger is close? There are too many situations that an individual would encounter that would immediately lead to fear, then flight, because of the risk of death. Why does suicide—and its thoughts—many times not go through this sequence
The problem of suicide—and its thoughts—is also a problem of relays in the mind. Death is supposed to be scary and avoided. What breaks, that makes suicide become a choice that bypasses that fear?
This is similar to questions in theoretical psychiatry, seeking out what breaks in the mind, that leads to detachment from reality in some mental illnesses? The question of any mental illness is the question of its anomaly in the human mind. If there is any aberration from what is supposed to be normal, then it is possible to seek out what happens in the mind that made that possible.
What is the human mind? What are its parts? What are the relays, distributions, or transports in the mind that indicate normal? What indicates an anomaly? While there are several other factors that may influence the mind like genes, neurons, the environment, the body, what exactly is the human mind? Or, what part of the brain specifically is dedicated to all functions of the mind?
The importance of these questions is to explore why suicidal thoughts operate the way they do, what they short-circuit, and how to be able to present a care model whenever thoughts of that form show up, for those who are vulnerable and who might suddenly be—when a situation presents.
The Human Mind
The closest option for what the human mind is among all the candidates in the brain are the electrical and chemical signals of neurons. Simply, all the functions of the mind always directly involve electrical and chemical signals. This means that while there are several other factors like neurons, other types of cells in the brain aside from neurons, genes, and so forth, the electrical and chemical signals of neurons are at the wheel of all mind functions.
Electrical and chemical signals, in sets or as loops, are available in clusters of neurons. Simply, neurons are always in clusters—in the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is theorized that these clusters make the electrical and chemical signals work as a set or sets within each cluster. It is as a set that they organize information, conceptually. This means that a memory of anything is a configuration or formation of a set of signals. The same with an emotion, a feeling, or some modulation of some internal sense.
In summary, the human mind is theorized to be the collection of all the electrical and chemical signals, with their interactions [that define functions] and their features [that grade, qualify, or measure the limits or the extents of those functions], in clusters of neurons, across the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Electrical signals, in sets, have their roles. It includes striking at a set of chemical signals in interactions to make available the function that respective sets specify. Electrical signals also relay summaries from a prior set of chemical signals—distributing to another set of chemical signals.
Chemical signals, in sets, can be said to hold the configuration or formation for functions. Simply, chemical signals in sets become arranged in the way to differentiate one function from another. Chemical signals in sets do not make this arrangement, formation, or configuration readily available, they mostly do so when struck, in interactions by electrical signals, conceptually.
Electrical signals have features that grade functions, like early-split, with some going ahead of others—in a set—to define what is called prediction. They also have sequences to relay from one set of chemical signals to the next, with some new or old. They also have locations of origin of relays, within the set, as well as intensity or strike force at the set of chemical signals.
Chemical signals also have features that grade functions like volume variation from one side to another, a space of constant diameter in some sets that allow for intentionality, as well as possibility for volume maximization, which determines if that one set is prioritized or not.
Mind Destinations and Relays
Sets of chemical signals can be assumed to be destinations, while sets of electrical signals can be said to be transports or relays. Simply electrical signals are the buses, chemical signals are the stations.
There are several gene-derived pathways of electrical signals, establishing regularities that define what is normal. Humans in general have several similar interpretations of the external world, which can be said to be gene-derived and defined, for electrical and chemical signals.
Though there are differences, many similarities exist, making it possible to have similar experiences of internal and external sensory inputs. These similarities exist in destinations [sets of chemical signals] and relays [sets of electrical signals].
There are destinations [or chemical signal configurations] of pain, hurt, isolation, sadness, regret, disappointment, fear, consequences, and so forth. This makes it possible that some experiences may relay through those sometimes, determining reactive outcomes. There are things that people are often discouraged from doing, in society or in public places, because routes go through those.
Sometimes, distributions of electrical signals can be automatic or it could be by intent, taking off from a set of chemical signals, with that space of a constant diameter. However, there are several situations where considerations are made about what might result if an action is taken, preventing the decision to take those actions.
There are some that become automatic due to nurture in an environment, including examples of the experiences of others, which would lead to automatic actions to flee, because they are dangerous. This is where fear, consequences, and other sets of chemical signals play some roles.
There is also intentionality, supposed to be obtained in some sets of chemical signals with some constant spaces. In certain sets, there might be volume excesses that prevent these spaces from being isolated, such that instead of intentionally avoiding risk, there is powerlessness in the face of it.
Mental Disorders
There are distributions to some sets of chemical signals that do not occur, resulting in delusion. There are some parts of the set of chemical signals where [a set of] electrical signals do not interact that lead to a lack of access to those configuration completion. There are problems with splits of electrical signals and intensity, as well as some problems with volumes of chemical signals too. There is also a grader called the principal spot that presents a problem if it is occupied by some set of signals like heaviness, which may support depression, or some anxiety, and so on.
Simply, mental illnesses can be described in terms of anomalies with sets of chemical and electrical signals, either by interactions or by the graders. It is this anomaly that breaks from the general order that should allow an individual to have social and occupational functioning in society.
Suicidal Thoughts
There is nothing normal about suicidal thoughts. There is nothing normal about a suicide attempt. There is a problem with sets of electrical and chemical signals—like in a mental illness—that allows for suicidal thoughts to hold, as well as to have them prompted into an attempt.
There are several suicides where situations may have seemed to trigger it, but it can be theorized that a short-circuit was induced by the trigger, which then allowed the thoughts to fester then then action, without routing through fear, consequences or its permanence, or the short-circuit led to a volume maximization preventing intent against the action.
Suicidal thoughts first can be said to be a result of factors like the intensity of strikes of electrical signals on some sets of chemical signals. These sets may include those of escape, which is like an assumed possibility to escape the body. This escape [set of signals] is sometimes useful in some situations, but in the event of suicidal thoughts, it becomes—similar to—trying to leave the body or the source of the hurt that is experienced or that is ahead.
There is also the principal spot, which could be occupied by the irritation, frustration, and deep apprehension of facing a situation. This may then dominate other sets, becoming prioritized [often], sometimes with distribution to promptings. Prompting is a set of chemical signals, in a [thick] set with craving, appetite, and desire. But when prompting gets distribution from some sets of signals, it would not get to the fear of death, or consequences, or other sets for caution.
It is when some of these become extensive that the possibility to make an attempt against one’s life may occur.
Suicidal thoughts or the attempt of suicide in the human mind is its own mental disorder equal to or beyond other severe mental illnesses. It is in the human mind that similar breaks occur to make them welcomed.
It is possible to make an attempt at solving suicide and suicidal thoughts by conceptually exploring the electrical and chemical signals, with their features and interactions. This can then be used as a display [with large language models (LLMs)] to explain what is going on when those thoughts arrive, the risks of allowing them to persist, and to know that triggers can result in bypasses, in the mind, towards prompting and attempts.
To solve suicides and suicidal thoughts, it is possible to first list them as mental disorders to be able to prospect how they relay in the mind.
There is a recent feature on The NYTimes, Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?, stating that, “The mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy says he became obsessed with a chatbot on Character.AI before his death.”
There is another recent feature on Harvard Gazette, How to fight depression? Faster, stating that, “More than 22 million U.S. adults suffer at least one major depressive episode every year. The experience is lonely, debilitating, and dangerous. As anxiety, insomnia, and other symptoms take hold, patients lose touch with family and friends. Feelings of isolation interrupt one of the greatest sources of happiness and well-being — relationships — and heighten their risk of suicide. The damage also creeps into broader society, including U.S. workplaces, imposing an economic burden of more than $330 billion annually.”
3 Comments
So veterans who kill themselves are mentally ill not angry or in despair because we get dumped upon by a never ending biased backlogged VA claims system that leaves severely disabled veterans penniless for 10, 20 even 30 years after honorable service to the nation while their claims are ran through the literal wringer ? I’ve been there! Not due to mental illness but because of being treated like a lesser human and citizen by a system set up to deny legitimate disability claims!
I have a close friend in McAllen TX who was an Army Intelligence Officer who was in MACVSOG during Vietnam and has numerous brain tumors due to Agent Orange Exposure. He was granted 100% disability about 10 years ago, nearly 50 years after the friggin war! But he lost his multi generational family horse ranch to bankruptcy while waiting for the VA to grant his compensation. He’s definitely not a Loser nor Sucker he’s a damned Patriot! Not mentally ill either! But could have easily become desperate enough to kill himself not because of his mind but because of the VA!
thanks a lot,
the argument in the article is that situations can trigger relays in the mind that bypasses the fear of death.
Normally, death should be feared and avoided. But with suicide it does not seem to be, at least routing through that fear.
This bypass is similar to how reality is bypassed in some mental disorders.
Conceptually in the human mind, there are components [electrical and chemical signals], their interactions and relays.
There are interactions and relays that point to normal or order and others that may point to disorder.
The postulation is that suicidal thoughts can be triggered by a situation, leading to abnormal relays like others. The situation may lead to aberration, which is similar to other aberrations.
Condolences to everyone who lost someone to suicide, and to you about your close friend.
The article is exploring possible paths in theoretical psychiatry towards how to look within the mind for how suicide is mechanized.
It does not minimize anyone’s situation.
sincere apologies if misunderstood.
Many veterans especially those who have been in extremely chaotic situations or are severely wounded develop the sense that death is not to be feared as it is an inevitable fact for all. I have been clinically dead and no longer fear death whatsoever because what I experienced was basically peaceful compared to the pain I was in and there was nothing but darkness. My mind of course was still functioning but not my heart. That said, I don’t fear death but I certainly don’t want to off myself either.
I get the neurological aspects you describe but they obviously are not applicable to everyone who does not fear death does it?
Thanks for the detailed response. I’m just trying to understand how these conclusions were reached and whether the symptoms are the same for everyone in the study?