This explains why some people bounce back easier than others who share similar traumatic experiences. Generally speaking, it is believed that people who attempt to kill themselves are not thinking rationally. People who become suicidal due to either of these contributing factors are probably not thinking rationally. One exception to this rule MAY be a person who is suffering great pain from a terminal illness. The case can be made that because of their pain they are not thinking rationally either, regardless of their well planned strategy.
Suicide is truly an act of desperation.
As for pity, many of the same principles apply. People who have self pity have often learned through their life experiences that things seldom work out the way they would like, so they stop trying. These people feel powerless to change their circumstances, for whatever reason. They may view the world and the people in it as controlling them and their destiny, seeing themselves as victims many times. Racial minorities are a good example of a group of people for whom these feelings have been substantiated and reinforced year after year.