• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tony White

Psychologist

  • Home
  • Profile
    • Professional History
    • Professional Services
    • About Me
    • Training & Work Background
  • Books
  • Journals
  • Blogs
  • Monograph Series
  • Home
  • Profile
    • Professional History
    • Professional Services
    • About Me
    • Training & Work Background
  • Books
  • Journals
  • Blogs
  • Monograph Series

Homicide suicide decisions

In the search for a more robust definition or understanding of suicide it seems imperative to acknowledge the role that homicide can play in certain instances of suicide. As well as acknowledging the role accidents can play in the expression of suicidal ambivalence

June 23, 2015 //  by Tony White//  Leave a Comment

It is an interesting relationship between these two psychological phenomena. In the previous post I presented a list of 6 possible decisions or motivations for suicide.

1. If things get too bad I will kill myself

2. I will kill myself by accident

3. I will kill myself and others by accident

4. I will get you to kill me (May include homicidal urges)

5. I will kill myself to hurt you

6. If you don’t change I will kill myself

Numbers 3 and 4 can include this dynamic of suicide and homicide. In #3 the most common example would be motor vehicle accidents. The person repeatedly drives in such a way, there is a significant increase in the likelihood there will be an accident that can kill the other and/or the self. Hence we have expression of both suicidal and homicidal urges at the one time.

The use of an accident for suicide is an interesting phenomena in itself. In my book – Working with suicidal individuals – I introduce the concept of suicidal ambivalence. All suicidal persons are ambivalent to some degree as shown in this diagram. One part of self wants to die and the other wants to live as we are all born with that strong life instinct.

Ambi

An accident is a perfect expression of this ambivalence.

“I will put myself in circumstances where if I have bad luck I will die and if I have good luck I will live”.

Both ego states can gain expression at the one time. Both have a role in the decision making of the individual at the one time.

Number 4 (I will get you to kill me) as I mentioned can be expressed in a number of ways such as ‘death by cop’, some of those on death row, associating with very violent people such as in organised crime, non compliance to medical advice with life threatening conditions, voluntarily entering a war zone.

The ‘death by cop’ method can also involve the homicide decision. The person is both homicidal and suicidal at the same time. An example is the recent events with Charleston church shooting by Dylann Roof. It is reported that he attempted to kill self at the end of his shooting but had run out of ammunition. First it is not uncommon for people who do such public shooting to take their own lives at the end. Even if they do not one could define these episodes as having significant suicidal motivation involved. Anyone who goes into a public place and starts killing people knows that quickly there are going to be others (most often police) who will be shooting back in a potentially lethal manner. Hence we have the expression of the suicidal motivation with an aspect of ambivalence. “If they shoot me, it may kill me or it may not”.

Pic 5

Indeed in Australia we recently had such circumstances with a siege by Man Haron Monis in a cafe in the middle of a major city in full view of the public. As soon as he shot one hostage the police moved in. The subsequent government review of the event reported that Mr Monis was shot 13 times by the police. 11 times in the body and 2 times in the head. That I think can be safely seen as lethal force by the police. (I am not condemning the police at all, as they knew Mr Monis would readily shoot back at them with lethal intent.)

The point at hand is, if someone has homicidal urges and not suicidal urges they will kill people in  a much more secretive manner. To put self out openly in public and start killing people then one must also have some suicidal urges because they know what the very imminent public reaction is going to be. No better example being the case of Mr Monis.

Whilst #4 does not have to involve a homicide decision it could be said that a clear way to get others to kill you is by killing others first.

In the search for a more robust definition or understanding of suicide it seems imperative to acknowledge the role that homicide can play in certain instances of suicide. As well as acknowledging the role accidents can play in the expression of suicidal ambivalence.

Category: Child ego state, society values, suicideTag: murder, suicide

Previous Post: « Suicide decisions
Next Post: The Doctor of Love »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Website Re-build

The website is being rebuilt at the moment. Thank you for your patience and many apologies for any inconvenience.

Recent Posts

  • Deconfusion of the Child ego state
  • Deconfusion of the Child ego state
  • How I became a child psychotherapist
  • Consent and power in relationships.
  • Silence and the unconscious – Part 2
  • Silence and the unconscious
  • Silence in psychotherapy
  • Permission and redecision
  • Mature love, immature love and the teenager
  • Embrace the homeless
  • Psychology of the court process
  • Psychic organs to ego states
  • Regression – defence mechanism & natural human process
  • Two types or levels of life script change
  • Identification – Post 2
  • Identification – Post 1
  • Self control. Therapeutic implications
  • Adult ego state strengthening – Post 4
  • Adult ego state strengthening – Post 3
  • Adult ego state strengthening – post 2

Recent Comments

  • Irina on Social development – History taking
  • Joseph on How I became a child psychotherapist
  • Kahless on The Demon sub personality (Aka Lillith)
  • Kahless on How I became a child psychotherapist
  • Kahless on Consent and power in relationships.
  • Tony White on Consent and power in relationships.
  • Kahless on Consent and power in relationships.
  • Kahless on Silence and the unconscious – Part 2
  • Kahless on Silence and the unconscious
  • Kahless on Silence and the unconscious

Blog Archive

  • December 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • February 2021
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • August 2013

Copyright © 2023 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in