What are some options to break a character's will to live, especially a strong person, that does not rely on the death or physical harm of anyone else?
One good option is shattering their worldview is a pretty good way of doing that if they are sufficiently attached to it. If it is somehow proven wrong in a catastrophic way, this may destroy any purpose of existence and their will to live.
Having them become disillusioned by everything they once believed in. Having them lose their identity, who they thought they were. If they lose faith in their world, everything they held dear was just an illusion. This might involve betrayal.
Give them hobson's choice that violates their moral code on the deepest possible level. They kind of choice that they question their ability to live with themselves after the event.
In one of my books my mc committed suicide at the end of the novel when he learned his selfless act done for his family had been orchestrated (his wife pretended their daughter was ill so he would join a very corrupt company to earn money to pay for the medical bills) and when his contract is done he learns his wife took the money and ran - worse than that his time in the company had suddenly exposed that without their love the world was a very bleak place. So I would say hopelessness. People have hope in things - future, family, God, love, trust - but take or violate or shake those things and watch out.
A strong person is the kind of person to not recognise they have any limits for how much they can bear. Over the years they take more and more onto their shoulders until finally they buckle under it all. When that happens you can tell the merely strong from the supernaturally strong. The latter picks it all up again and keeps on. The strong, and the rest of us, cannot. Their will is expended.
Besides physical pain the answer is the same for everyone (and different at the same time). Take away what they value as much as they do life itself. This is usually something connected to their core belief of identity and self worth. If they are very prideful, humiliate them. If they value freedom and autonomy, imprison them. If they love being rich impoverished them. If they love being famous, make it so no one cares who they are anymore. Also what ever is lost, to the victim it has to appear there is no way to get it back, they have to believe life without this core value is their new status quo, and they believe they can't live their whole lives like that.
I see the cliche you're trying to avoid, but it's a cliche because there is truth to it. The reason a girlfriend/wife/child/loved-one dying works is because a person (okay, I'm assuming he's a guy) is charged with protecting another but utterly fails. It's patriarchal (in the non-political sense) and he's proven himself less of a man. So it's a betrayal which undermines him, and now his reason for being is gone. You can take that meaning and move it to another target. It just needs to be something an MC is responsible for. He's the only one caring for it. His health: A gym bro who works out hours a day comes down with a neurological disease. Maybe he blames "supplements" for it. He watches himself wither. His faith/reputation: A priest is framed in a metoo scam. Others latch on to accuse him and now there are dozens against him. He's ruined himself and his church. His family and friends leave him. His job: A self-starter develops his own company only to have his partner steal it from him. All the success the MC wanted now goes to someone else while he faces ruin. His cause: An environmentalist causes a disaster that kills an entire species. Or maybe an art student destroys a priceless work of art. I'm sure that there are other categories. Each one has tons of examples in it. Anyway, embrace the cliche and unwind its purpose. Then you can use it in a new context.
Well she actually does lose someone very close which is what makes her suicidal, but I’m trying to delay making the cause explicit until the end of the story. So I’m aiming to have an alternative explanation, not lying to the reader directly, just giving them reason to doubt it was a death and to consider other explanations. Something that is likely to produce suicidal ideations the same way as the death does, in the same character.
Hi, One question, are we talking losing the will to live or actively wishing to die? The two things are quite different. And they require different forces to bring them about. For example shatter someone's core belief in himself, show him that everything he's done has been wrong, for the wrong reason or had an outcome that is grossly against what he believes in, and I can see a lot of people simply giving up, Taking refuge in a bottle, drugs or simply retreating to their home and becoming a hermit. But to get him to actually want to end his life, you have to go somewhere beyond that. Probably you have to do that and then also place him in some sort of trap - emotional / psychological / physical etc - where he sees no way out of continuing to do what he was tricked or deceived into doing. Where he can't just walk away. Cheers, Greg.
They may be strong but they must have beliefs and perceptions of the world around them. One of the most impactful ones I've seen is when a character perceives their actions to be correct (fighting on the right side of a war) only to discover they are not but things have gone too far. They are human (I assume) so there must be someone they do have an emotional connection to. This person doesn't have to die, that's not the only way to lose someone. You could lose someone because of your actions. Maybe you need to do some digging and thinking into what your character cares about and what his/her goals are. Failing at goals/responsibilities can be one factor. A seemingly hopeless situation is another.
