Do you wish you were dead? (3+ reasons why that happens)
In this blog post, we are going to talk about how some people wish they were dead. It is indeed an upsetting feeling and many people feel that way. In fact, as the time goes on, more and more people are coming forward with the same exact thought.
This has become one of the most common reasons of suicide attempts worldwide.
Why do people wish they were dead?
There are a few reasons why people wish they were dead instead of being stuck in this world. These include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Depression is one of the most common reasons of feeling suicidal. It is a mental health disorder. It makes people feel miserable and they find carrying on with their lives extremely difficult and undesirable and they eventually start fantasising about death.
Depression usually occurs when your body becomes deficient in the excitatory chemicals. It wasn’t that common a decade or two ago but now-a-days, it is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people.
One of the major causes of depression is our messed up lifestyle and even messed up societal norms. Everyone has a certain standard to maintain and when we can’t, because of a number of reasons, we fall into depression.
Even teenagers are not an exception when it comes to this illness. High school kids suffer from study load, bullying, family issues, messed up friendships, all of which result in them being depressed.
When depression takes its toll, you don’t want to do anything. You don’t want to work, study, enjoy social gathering or even your favourite activities. Life starts to seem so dull, colourless and purposeless.
This is one of the most common reasons of committing suicide, as the victim of depression can’t seem to find a reason to carry on with his or her life.
Clinical signs and symptoms include:
- Tiredness associated with lack of energy
- Cloudiness of mind
- Insomnia or hypersomnia, depending on individuals.
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
- Shortness of breath
- Bradycardia or slow heart rate
- Loss of appetite or overeating, usually high carb foods.
- Suicidal attempts
- Negative perception
- Inability to concentrate on literally anything
Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety are also quite common among people who wish they were dead. Some people just simply advise not to stress over every other thing and keep a cool mind, but it’s not easy, is it? Stress and anxiety keep disturbing you and keep polluting your thoughts.
You keep thinking about the solutions of your problems and when you can’t seem to find one, you become depressed. This leads to thinking how easy being dead is and how you don’t have to deal with any problem. You begin to think that death is calming and an escape to this messed up reality.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder is another mental health condition that can lead you to wish you were dead. This disease causes intrusive thoughts in you that not only make you want to die, but also want you to do things you are not supposed to do.
OCD is a condition characterised by troublesome thoughts that won’t go away, no matter what you do, and a weird urge to do things over and over again. Many people suffering from OCD experience obsessive self hygiene patterns.
They would go over and over again to wash their hands and even take repeated showers. Such people follow a certain pattern and obsessively stick to it.
The most disturbing thing that people with OCD go through is the voices in their heads. Such people are subjected to intrusive thoughts, which can get extremely bizarre. These include:
- Thoughts related to self harm: People suffering from OCD might think of ending their lives in gruesome ways.
- Thoughts of harming your loved ones: Some people suffer from disturbing thoughts of killing their own children, parents, friends or spouses.
- Intrusive thoughts related to sexual desire: People might feel like engaging in sexual activites with inappropriate relations like siblings, children, relatives etc.
Now this is an alarming state. At first, these disturbing thoughts begin to cross the patient’s mind.
He or she might be able to differentiate these thoughts from reality and might convince themselves that this is all just in their heads, but as the disease progresses, the fine line between reality and illusion starts to fade away.
This can result in a terrible condition in which neither the patient nor his or her loved ones are safe.
Researchers have revealed that some people ended up actually killing their loved ones. One woman strangled her own 11-month old baby boy, as the voices in her head kept telling her that he’s a threat.
The reason behind telling you is not to scare you off, but to spread awareness that you should never let your mental health deteriorate to this level and start seeking medical help. Step out of denial and talk to your mental healthcare professional.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD usually happens when you have suffered from a nerve-racking mental trauma. This is also quite common in victims of sexual assault. The healing process after this tragedy is quite long and such people begin to see what an escape death is.
They start to see death as an easier option instead of leading a life in this messed up world. People who have tragically lost their loved ones start to think that there’s nothing left in this world for you and you should have gone along with them.
This is what PTSD is and it can affect you in more serious ways as you not only begin to go through the mental symptoms, but also suffer from physical symptoms. These include:
- Inability to breathe
- Panic attacks
- Pain in eyes
- Recurrent infections
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Insomnia or somnolence
These symptoms can vary from person to person and depend on the severity of this mental health condition.
How to get rid of suicidal thoughts?
There are a few things that can help you avoid fantasising death. These include:
Talk to a mental healthcare professional
This is one of the most important things that you have to do in order to make sure you are not suffering from any mental health condition that’s making you feel this way. Depression is an actual illness and not just a fancy word for deliberate overthinking.
Proper diagnosis is crucial for you if you have started to believe that being dead is easier than being alive. Your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and determine the severity of your condition in order to give you the best possible medication.
These meds scare a lot of people because of the side effects that come with them. Not just that, meds like antidepressants take some time to kick in and they make you feel worse before they make you feel better.
You should give your body enough time to adapt to the med and I’m sure you’ll soon get rid of the suicidal thoughts that ste clouding your mind.
Believe in yourself
Another important thing is to believe in yourself. No love can fix your life but your love for yourself. If you don’t see your worth and how much you are important, then how do you expect other people to do that? You are supposed to be your first love.
If you can’t love yourself properly, then how can you love someone else? Life is meant to be challenging as it pushes us beyond our comfort level so that we can find our strength.
If life is being too hard on you, it doesn’t mean you have to think about ending it. It means that life is just testing you so that you can find how strong and amazing you are.
Having a messed up sleep pattern can not only worsen your depression, but the darkness that comes with the night can make you think of unimaginable things. It’s normal for people to make up stories in their minds at night, situations that are not actually true.
I do that too! These imaginations are quite normal, but can become quite problematic for people who are battling with chronic depression. It’s best to avoid this by doing what you’re supposed to do at that time – fall asleep!
Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggests following tips to make your sleep quality better than it is now. These include:
- Try to go to bed at the same time every day, working days as well as weekends.
- Make sure your bedroom is always quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature to help you relax and make your sleep quality better.
- Do not use electronic devices or gadgets before going to bed. They reduce your sleep quality. Make sure you remove such devices from your room or switch them off.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. They will only ruin your sleep quality.
- Stay active. Exercise can help relax your muscles and make your sleep quality better.
Absorb and radiate positive energy
Try to keep your mind on the positive side. Studies suggest happiness and positivity increase energy levels naturally. When your brain absorbs positivity, it releases energy.
So, always surround yourself with people who deal with you positively, people who are supportive and fill you up with optimism and people who make you look at the brighter side.
In this blog, we have discussed how people wish they were dead. We have looked at some of the most common reasons why that happens. Make sure you consult your mental healthcare professional as soon as you can if you constantly feel hopeless or suicidal.
FAQs: i wish i was dead
What does it mean to wish you were dead?
It means that people find death easier than leading a messed up life. There are a few reasons why people wish they were dead instead of being stuck in this world. These include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Why am I thinking about death?
Depression, Stress and anxiety, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and several other mental health conditions can make you think about death.
What does it mean to feel like you died?
It means your soul feels detached from your body. When you start to feel absolutely nothing or there’s no emotion left in you, you just start acting like you don’t exist or the body you’re in just isn’t yours. You start to feel like you just don’t belong – anywhere.
What is death in biology?
In biology, death is a state when your heart stops beating. It stops circulating blood and eventually your cells, tissues and organs start to die as they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients that your blood is supposed to carry.
Can dying be peaceful?
It totally depends on how you have led your life. If you have done everything you could have and led a beautiful life, you helped and loved mankind and made things easier for people in your life, then death can be calming for you. If you lead a sinful life, death can scare you and you begin to think how you will be punished for everything bad that you did. It also depends on how religious you are!
- Symptoms – Post-traumatic stress disorder https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms/
- Symptoms – Clinical depression https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/symptoms/
- Help for suicidal thoughts https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/
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