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Is an unsuccessful suicide attempt just a cry for attention?
Internal causes of suicidal behavior.

From , former About.com Guide

Internal causes of suicidal behavior are much more complex and harder for the average person to see than external causes. Essentially all suicide attempts come down to something inside the suicidal person but those without external catalysts are often biological in nature. Severe depression, which is believed to be caused by a combination of external factors and internal chemistry, is one thing that almost every suicide or suicide attempt has in common, how that depression came to be is the only difference. Some people suffer from depression because of chemical imbalances and to outsiders their lives seem great, or at the very least average, with nothing outstanding that would indicate a reason to want to die.

Under these circumstances the suicide or suicide attempt may appear to be without reason, to come from nowhere and to be executed by a person who appears to have a pretty nice life. These suicidal tendencies are usually part and parcel of a deeper more complex psychological or psychiatric disorder. While internal suicidal triggers are harder to see from the outside the warning signs are usually present regardless of whether an attempt is situational/reactionary or psychological in nature. Suicide attempts brought on by a psychological disorder are more likely to be successful on the first try, they are often planned and thought out over a period of time and the suicidal person normally makes gestures seeking closure with those closest to them shortly beforehand.

The most common internal causes of suicide or suicidal behavior are clinical depression, psychiatric disorders or chemical imbalances.

Next: So how do you help a suicidal friend?

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