An adult female whose fiancé recently called off the wedding attempts suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping medication. Immediately after taking the medication, she calls friends and family to tell them what she has done. Her friends and family activate the emergency response system, and she is taken the emergency department and is admitted to a mental health facility for monitoring. She is exhibiting signs and symptoms most evident of which suicide motivational category?

A.    This category typically involves a person who is unable or unwilling to come to terms with significant life changes or losses, such as financial difficulties, health problems, or other major life transitions. The patient in the scenario does not seem to be demonstrating a refusal to accept a diminished lifestyle but rather a reaction to a specific event, the end of her engagement.
B.    This category describes a situation where the individual’s suicide attempt is not solely intended to result in death but rather is a way of expressing severe distress and seeking help. In this case, the patient’s action of calling friends and family immediately after the overdose indicates that she may have been reaching out for help and wanted others to know what she had done. This behavior aligns with a cry for help, as it reflects a desire for intervention and support rather than a determination to die.
C.    This category involves a persistent and obsessive focus on suicidal thoughts or plans. While the patient has attempted suicide, the scenario described does not emphasize a long-standing preoccupation with suicide. Instead, it highlights a reaction to a recent distressing event.
D.    This category is characterized by the use of suicide as a means to escape or alleviate intense emotional pain or distress. While this might be a factor in the patient’s behavior, the immediate act of calling friends and family after taking the medication suggests that her intention was more focused on seeking help than solely relieving distress.