SUICID / SUICIDE

MITOVI I ZNANSTVENE SPOZNAJE / MYTHS AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

Abstract

Suicide is a death that arises by taking away your own life. Data shows that a million people around the world commit suicide every year. A suicidal person experiences unbearable psychological pain and thinks suicide is the only solution to his/her problems. There are a number of myths and misinformation about suicide that result in incorrect reactions. The aim of this work is to show the most common myths about suicide and scientific facts that refute them. Scientific knowledge of suicide shows that suicidal persons usually warn their environment about possible suicide, belong to all social levels and religions, and that the motives of suicide are difficult to determine. It has also been found that suicidal tendencies are not hereditary and that terminal patients are more prone to suicide. Suicide is not influenced by days and months of the year, nor the seasons. Suicidal people send out warning signs in the hope that they will be helped. Talking to a suicidal depressive person can prevent suicide. It is important to educate the public about suicide myths, and to present scientific knowledge that denies myths in order to effectively access suicide prevention.