Reasons

 

Reasons to attempt suicide

A list of reasons

Altruistic/heroic suicide. Voluntary death for the good of a group (e.g. Japanese Kamikaze pilots or hunger strikes).

Philosophical Suicide. Various philosophical schools, such as stoics or existentialists have advocated suicide under some circumstances.

Religious Suicide. Usually in the form of martyrdom. Found in the early stages of Christianity and during the Reformation and the Inquisition. More recently seen in mass suicides among members of the Solar Temple in Switzerland.

Escape from unbearable sitations. Persecution, terminal illness, chronic misery. There were huge numbers of suicide during the time of pestilence or oppression (e.g. Jews in Medieval Europe with the choice of conforming to Christianity or death, Jews during the Nazi-tyranny or blacks and Native Americans in the NEw World. More recently AIDS has caused similar reactions.

Excess Alcohol and Drug use.

Romantic suicide. See Romeo and Juliet but more frequent among people who have lived together for a long time when one of them dies or is terminally ill (which may lead to suicide pacts).

Anniversary Suicide. See above.

Contagion Suicide. When one suicide sparks one or a serious of other suicides. E.g. after the powerful scenes of Russian roulette as shown in the Michael Cimino film "The Deer Hunter", the number of gunshot suicides rose significantly.

An attempt to manipulate others. "If you don't do this, I will kill myself."

Seek help or send a distress signal (that fails and leads to unintentional death).

Punishment. "You'll be sorry when I'm dead and all the guilt will be on your head".

Cultural Approval. Ritual suicide (Japanese harakiri or seppuku) mostly associated to matters of honor.

Lack of outside source to blame for one's misery.

Other. Most suicides have multiple causes.

Source:
Geo Stone: Suicide and Attempted Suicide. Methods and Consequences