Canuso says there are many different paths to suicidal thoughts. Very few people have the psychotic delusions or hallucinations that lead to suicide. There are those going through what is called organic depression, a disease so fraught with chronic pain some feel they just can’t go on. People in those two categories can be helped with medication. Then there are those facing what they see as overwhelming stress—financial, family drama, drug and alcohol problems, systemic racism or socio-economic challenges—who see no way out.
But there are others who give no sign they are considering suicide. They will not reach out for help and they will silently go about carrying out their plans. Canuso says these are usually very high-functioning people who are suffering and nobody knows it. They make up about 10 percent of suicides as those that have no psychiatric diagnosis, have never been seen by a provider and have never reached out for help. Canuso says that if you believe anyone is even contemplating suicide, it is better to reach out to the police to do a welfare check or to St. Anthony Regional Hospital or the Iowa or National Hotlines to get them the help they need. She says it is better to have your loved one angry with you than to lose them to suicide. Contact information for these resources can be found below. We will bring you the second in the two-part series regarding survivors in an upcoming newscast.