By Vanessa Thompson | "I HAVE Challenge" Founder

Suicide doesn’t begin with the desire to die. It begins with pain that feels unbearable and unending. Often, the person isn't choosing death—they're trying to escape what feels like an impossible life. Below are some of the most common reasons people consider suicide—and why it’s so important that we offer them compassion, not judgment.

1. Untreated or Undiagnosed Depression

Depression is often silent. It hides behind a smile, a job, or even a social media post. Many people don’t even realize they’re depressed, and others are too afraid or ashamed to seek help. Without treatment, depression can distort a person’s thoughts until suicide feels like the only escape.

2. Job Loss and Financial Pressure

Losing a job can quickly lead to a crisis—homelessness, food insecurity, unpaid medical bills. These struggles can strain relationships and destroy a person’s sense of stability. For some, the shame and stress become too much to bear.

3. Relationship Problems

Love can bring joy—and deep pain. Toxic relationships, betrayal, abuse, or unexpected breakups can leave someone feeling rejected and worthless. These emotional wounds can run so deep that they lead to suicidal thoughts.

4. Family Dysfunction and Abuse

When home is a place of fear instead of safety, it deeply affects mental health. Abuse from parents, siblings, or even teens in the home—physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect—can make life feel hopeless. Many suffer in silence for years, carrying trauma that never fully heals.

5. Bullying and Harassment

Whether in school, at work, or online, bullying destroys confidence and self-worth. Sometimes, it comes from unexpected places—teachers, coaches, or supervisors. Constant attacks, humiliation, or exclusion can push someone to the edge.

6. Chronic Illness and Health Struggles

Living with a long-term illness—especially one that causes pain or disability—can wear a person down. Even with treatment, the physical, emotional, and financial toll can feel too heavy. Some people begin to feel like a burden, which fuels suicidal thoughts.

7. Legal Problems

Facing the legal system—whether guilty or innocent—can be terrifying. The thought of incarceration, shame, or being labeled forever by a conviction can drive someone to believe that death is the only escape.

8. Grief and Loss

The death of a loved one can feel like the ground has disappeared beneath you. Whether it's a parent, child, partner, or close friend, grief can become overwhelming. For some, the pain doesn’t lessen—it deepens.

9. Sexual Identity Struggles

Many who are questioning or coming to terms with their sexuality feel afraid to speak up. They may fear judgment, rejection, or violence. Internal conflict and isolation can grow until suicide feels like the only option.

10. Sextortion – A Silent Killer Among Teen Boys

One of the fastest-growing and most devastating causes of suicide among teens—especially boys—is sextortion.

Here's how it often unfolds:

A teen is contacted online by someone they believe is a pretty girl.

The predator flirts, gains their trust, and sends a fake nude image (possibly created with AI/deepfake tools).

The predator asks the teen for a nude photo in return—and once they get it, the threats begin.

They demand money—thousands of dollars—and threaten to release the photo publicly.

The teen, feeling ashamed and terrified, sees no way out. Many are too scared to tell their parents, especially if they were warned not to talk to strangers online.

Sextortion is a trap. These predators are often overseas, part of criminal networks. But we can stop them by spreading awareness and encouraging teens to talk to a trusted adult. One mistake should never cost a life.

11. Regret and Feelings of Failure

Sometimes, the weight of what could’ve been becomes too heavy to carry. Regret—for not chasing a dream, for staying in an unhealthy relationship too long, for feeling like you failed your children or let loved ones down—can chip away at self-worth. These thoughts can spiral into harsh self-judgment: I should’ve done more. I should’ve been better. It’s too late now. But it’s not too late. Regret means you still care. And where there is care, there is still a chance to grow, forgive yourself, and rewrite the ending.

12. Postpartum Depression

Welcoming a baby into the world is supposed to be joyful—but for many mothers, especially those who have battled depression before, the joy doesn’t always come. Postpartum depression can feel like a thief, stealing the happiness you're expected to feel. It can make you question your worth as a mother, especially if the bond doesn’t come as easily this time. You might find yourself mourning the excitement you felt with previous births, wondering why does this feel so different? You are not alone. Postpartum depression is real, and it is not your fault. Whether it's your first baby or your fifth, your emotions are valid. You deserve support, not silence.

13. Loneliness in a Hyper-Connected World

We live in a time when you can message someone across the world in seconds—yet more people feel alone than ever before. The U.S. Surgeon General and the CDC have declared loneliness an epidemic, linking it to increased risks of depression, anxiety, heart disease, and suicide. We’re surrounded by screens, but starving for connection. Instead of face-to-face conversations, many turn to their phones for comfort, validation, or distraction. Social media can create an illusion of closeness, while deepening feelings of isolation. You might be in a room full of people, scrolling through timelines, and still feel invisible. That kind of loneliness—unseen, unspoken, and chronic—can make life feel unbearable. But even one real connection, one person who truly sees you, can start to shift the weight. You were never meant to carry this alone.

There Is Always Hope: Whatever the reason—depression, bullying, abuse, grief, identity struggles—suicide is never the only option. It may feel like the only way out, but there is always another path.

You are not alone. You are not broken. You are not without hope.

Visit our website, share this blog, and encourage someone today. Let’s choose life together.