The Stress Model: Understanding Stress and Suicidal Thoughts

The Stress Model

Why do some of us get suicidal and others do not?

This is one way of describing and making sense of the experience for yourself and for those around you. But it is not just suicidal thoughts; this model can fit for other problems that are driven by intense emotions or craving.

Summary of Stress Model

Some of us are more stressed in our day to day lives (likely due to our biology, history, or current life circumstances - or a combo). Having this greater stress or higher "baseline" can make us more vulnerable to stressful events - and when a stressful event occurs our emotions can increase more quickly, stay there for longer, and take longer to come down. That doesn't make us bad or wrong - it just make sense. And when we are at a high intensity stress level-up at 80, 90 or 100, what I like to call being "On Fire" emotionally- it makes sense that we have urges to escape (e.g. thinking of suicide).

Downloadable

Here is a download you can use when sharing the Stress Model. Take a look at all three images.

Stress-Model-Linehans-Theory-of-Emotion-Dysregulation.pdf

Finding the Stress Model

You can find the video and PDF from previous lecture on NowMattersNow.org page Free Training and Resources under Stress Model.

Your Turn

See if you can find the video and PDF. Comment below when you have.

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