Why do we commit suicide?

According to the World Health Organization (2026), more than 720,000 people die worldwide from suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds. In the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48,824 people committed suicide in 2024, with the trend increasing over the last ten years. 

Why do we commit suicide when evolution shows us that we exist and evolve through learned behavior and instinct? The instinct is to stay alive and perpetuate the species, as with all animals. What is the value then in ending your life? Those who perceive themselves as a burden and who are compromised in terms of reproduction are more likely to attempt suicide. The overall good of this is that associates of the suicide will benefit from the death, gaining more resources to distribute among the group. This beneficent suicide may explain some cases, but not all.

Those who suffer from mental illnesses such as depression are more likely to commit suicide, and men in the United States are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Although there are cases of animals taking their own life, such as a bee protecting its hive, humans are most prone to this act. Some, such as Chatterjee and Rye (2021), note that humans have the intelligence required to understand future suffering and that this supports suicidal behavior. In 2024, 2.2 million Americans attempted suicide,

Intense pain is another factor that leads many to attempt or commit suicide. An example of this is chronic trigeminal neuralgia, which causes excruciating pain in the face and jaw. Some have labeled trigeminal neuralgia as the suicide disease, because the relentless suffering overwhelms, leading to death as a solution to end the pain.

I have experienced severe depression and suicidal thoughts—racing thoughts of death, I call them. Such constant thoughts themselves are debilitating and open the door to suicidal ideation. Death becomes ever-present, and the solution seems to be rational, but once those racing thoughts dissipate, the urge for death can completely go away. However, there is a catch. Being in the throes of depression, one is sometimes too disabled to carry through with a suicide. It's when the depression lifts that one then has the energy to carry out the fatal act. It's always important to be aware of this once a treatment plan is begun and the depression lessens. It's a dangerous place to be in, but from my experience, the suicidal thoughts will go away with proper treatment, in my case, an antipsychotic.

So, there are many reasons why someone commits suicide. It may be to benefit others. It may be from depression or pain. It could be an act that results during a period of psychosis. We all have the basic need and right to live out a full, natural life. If you are thinking of killing yourself, get help. Your family and closest friends need to know. Without my grandparents taking care of me during my worst episodes of mania and depression, I often think I would be dead. Getting professional help is also key. Medications and therapy work wonders, and one need not suffer in the shade of death. There is hope.