suicide disease

9.1

A nerve illness that causes very strong pain in the face and can make people think about ending their life

noun
/ˈsuːɪˌsaɪd dɪˈziːz/

Informal

: enfermedad suicida

She was diagnosed with suicide disease after months of suffering from excruciating facial pain.

Examples

Many patients with suicide disease struggle to find effective treatment for their symptoms.
Doctors now recognize suicide disease as one of the most severe forms of nerve pain.
Many patients with suicide disease experience unbearable pain.
The doctor diagnosed her with suicide disease last week.
Doctors now recognize suicide disease as one of the most severe forms of nerve pain.
Many patients with suicide disease struggle to find effective treatment for their symptoms.
She was diagnosed with suicide disease after months of suffering from excruciating facial pain.

Synonyms

trigeminal neuralgia

vssuicide disease

Specialized

1 7.5

A sudden, very strong, sharp pain in one side of the face caused by a nerve problem

is an informal label that stresses extreme suffering and suicidal risk

Surface Forms

suicide disease singular

suicide diseases plural

Morphology

suicide + disease

The compound is compositionally transparent: 'suicide' modifies 'disease', so a learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a disease associated with or likely to lead to suicidal thoughts/behaviour. This noun+noun modifier pattern is a common, predictable English composition, so the overall meaning is derivable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Suicide disease links the words suicide and disease to a severe nerve problem that causes very strong face pain. Because the pain was so bad that some people thought about 'suicide', doctors and patients used this shocking name to show how serious the 'disease' is.