Suicide is often treated as mental illness, but there are some driving factors about which we are unaware. On this World Suicide Prevention Day 2020, let’s aware of the major conditions behind “Suicide” and the actual prevention.
Suicide is a global phenomenon, which occurs throughout the world, affecting individuals of all nations, cultures, religions, gender and classes. Globally 800,000 people die from suicide every year – that’s twice the number from homicide. According to International Association for Suicide Prevention, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. There is one suicide in every 40 seconds. Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, the cases of suicides are suddenly rising across the globe. Every day suicide cases are taking the newspaper cover page. Death by Suicide creates extremely mournful environments which deeply impact the society. Suicide always leaves behind a question in everyone’s mind: what are the circumstances which drift the person to take such a harsh decision i.e. to end his /her own life????
Today on the World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD),”YouAware” feels the importance to discuss the possible reasons behind suicide and how can we really prevent suicide from our society. After reading the article,”YouAware” duly request our readers to give their opinion “Is suicide a mental stigma or social stigma?” Your opinion matters a lot to save thousands of people's lives.
World Suicide Prevention Day:
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been a co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
Global Facts about Suicide:
Ø Suicide rates are 27. 45 in people aged 70 years and older. And Suicide rates globally are actually highest in people aged above 70.
Ø Globally, 1.4% of deaths were from suicide in 2017.
Ø Suicide is a major national public health issue in the United States. The country has one of the highest suicide rates among wealthy nations.
Ø The most suicidal country in the entire world is Greenland.
Suicide Rate in India:
According to the WHO report, India’s suicide rate stood at 16.5 suicides per 100,000 people in 2016 as against the global suicide rate of 10.5. A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed India had the highest suicide rate in the South-East Asian region in 2016.
The research of Rakhi Dandona, researcher at the public health foundation of India, which was published in the medical journal The Lancet Public Health, says India’s female suicide problem is particularly bad. India has the sixth highest female suicide death rate in the world. In India, suicide was the leading cause of death among those aged 15-39 in 2016.
Suicide a Stigma:
Suicide is often treated as a mental stigma. Normally there is a conviction in society that those have weak mind or mental health issues, they can’t face the challenges and troubles in the life and commit suicide.
According to International Association of Suicide Prevention, Suicide is the result of a convergence of genetic, psychological, social and cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss.
“People who take their own lives represent a heterogeneous group, with unique, complex and multifaceted causal influences preceding their final act. Such heterogeneity presents challenges for suicide prevention experts. These challenges can be overcome by adopting a multilevel and cohesive approach to suicide prevention.”
So on this World suicide prevention day let’s take a multilevel and cohesive approach to understand different aspects of suicide to prohibit suicide in our premises.
1. Mental Health
Now heavy debates are going on “Mental health & Suicide.” But what mental health is? What are the factors which play a great role in your mental health? Why and how mental health is related to suicide?
“Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and also physical health. Conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health and disrupt a person’s routine.”
“The family, the parent, the siblings, the academic place, the work place, the friends and the society where we live always play a very great role in our mental health.”
Now let’s discuss the major factors which are also held responsible for lowering one person’s mental health and develop the self destructive thought of suicide.
I. Domestic Violence:
Family plays a very great role in everyone’s life. With a happy and stable family, many feel secure in their life. But when their own family members play a negative role and start torturing someone physically, mentally or financially then it is stated as “Domestic Violence.” Domestic violence is also often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. It also involves violence against children, parents or the elderly including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious and sexual abuse. Many persons couldn’t handle the situation in their family and out of the frustration they commit suicide.
Violence against women is an important determinant of suicide. Basically it is seen that a lots of women attempt suicide in their in-laws house because of the domestic violence.
II. Financial Outbreak:
Financial outbreak is a major reason of suicide among men aged 35 to 59. Many often it has been seen that business persons commit suicide when there is a deep loss in their business! Out of the financial imbalance and in the worry of fulfilling the huge amount of loan from bank, they take such self ending decisions!!!
During the recession period, when there is huge amount of job losses, many employees commit suicide in the fear of filling the bank EMI and credit card loans.
Now a day, it’s also coming to notice that in the nuclear household, some male persons are also committing suicide due to the unbearable financial demands and expectations from their family!!
III. Live-in Relationship:
Now it has become a trend in the society where before marriage, girls and boys are staying with each other in live-in relationships. But as there is no social recognition and family members are not willing to accept the relationship--!!! Girls are often cheated by boyfriends and their family. At the emotional breakup many girls couldn’t bear such decision and end up their life with suicide!!!!
IV. Drugs:
Now in Youths consumption of drugs and alcohol become a very usual phenomenon. But addiction to drugs and alcohol lowers the mental strength and develops various kinds of mental disorders. With use of drugs many persons develop depression and self destructive thoughts to kill themselves. And some become very aggressive in their behavior and due to lack of self-control and balance they commit suicide in very normal circumstances!!! It’s also often seen that, if addicted individuals don’t get their drug doses they hamper their body by themselves!!!
V. Blackmail:
Some cases are also like, where people commit some mistakes in the past life and now they are leading a beautiful life-! But when they are blackmailed for their previous act at that time they could not bear the fear of exposure and commit suicide.
VI. Study & Career Pressure:
The increasing suicides rate of teens is a serious concern for society. Several youths attempt suicide during their studies as they could not handle the extra academic pressure and the huge expectations from their parents. Many youths during the job training period, out of the pressure, also commit suicide.
VII. Nepotism:
Nepotism contributes a considerable lead in an aspirant’s life. An achieving career is the aim of all youths. They always struggle for a good career. But in the community, it has been regularly noticed that due to the gangs and favoritism many aspirants are not provided with the right opportunity despite their best talent!!!! This creates a hopeless situation for a true candidate. On one side there is pressure from the family to become something. And on the other side there is a lack of opportunity to prove their best talent. In this situation, several guys went into frustration!! And many youth’s could not cope up and commit suicide.
VIII. Teasing/Bad Company:
There are some people who make fun by making jokes on others. But they don’t know at that time how the other person is receiving the joke!!! There are some innocent persons whose mental health has deteriorated with this fun and tease. They took these jokes very seriously!! Often, students in their school and college time, due to these harsh comments, lose their mental balance and attempt suicide.
IX. Social Inequality:
Due to social inequalities like gender discrimination, racism and xenophobic, several people commit suicide.
X. High Sensitive Emotional Involvement:
Sometimes out of sensitiveness many people commit suicide. Such as in teens, due to failure in exam some commit suicide. Many teens attempt suicide on their break up! And some fans could not bear the news of the death of their most beloved celebrities!! So with the demise of their popular star they also commit suicide.
Special Note: Recently due to rapid utilization of mobile and internet and exposure to different kinds of Social Medias, there are intolerances seen among adolescents. Several news has been flashed out how teens are committing suicides in very minor and silly things such as parents denied to give mobile and internet, some apps got banned or due to some comments passed in social media sites. Where the earth is struggling for bread and butter at this time due to ignorance many teens are giving up their lives for the silly things.
[Note: These are the factors which have a vital portrayal in an individual person’s mental health. That’s why it is always suggested to avoid bad company and stay in the company of good people. Read always inspiring and motivational books. Follow the righteous path and join some spiritual program. Do meditation and yoga to stabilize your mental health. Never consume any drugs and alcohol. Never take loans beyond your capacity. And don’t be so attached to the worldly matter and always keep an emotional balance.]
Why do some people break down in the malady of life?
Now the question may arise that most of the people are going through the same malady in their life. But why do some people only develop such destructive thoughts?
“In our life, all are not lucky to have a mentor and real friend who can guide them in the difficult situation of their life!”
Many strong minded persons also break down in the crucial phase of their life without getting any emotional support--!!! In life, there will be obvious ups and downs. It’s not easy for everyone to keep their mind always in equanimity, if they have not been under any spiritual practice.
At the time of such mental turbulences, parents or friends or spouse should uplift others' mental strength with motivating words. For parents, it is always necessary to motivate their kids to face any challenges rather than always disparaging them.
Because when we criticize, use violent words and disparage others then we can never say in our surroundings whose sentiment is hurt by our words and deeds and driving someone to take such a harsh decision in his/her life!!! And finally we will say it is due to mental health!!!
2.Abetment of Suicide:
People often forget the term i.e. “abetment to suicide” which means the circumstance and the people who created such situation which forced the person to take such a harsh decision to commit suicide.
A person is guilty of abetment when:
1) He instigates someone to commit suicide (or)
2) He is part of a conspiracy to make a person commit suicide (or)
3) He intentionally helps the victim to commit suicide by doing an act or by not doing something that he was bound to do
As per the 305 section of the IPC, if any person under eighteen years of age, any insane person, any delirious person, any idiot, or any person in a state of intoxication commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
3. Depression
Depression is a kind of mental illness which attacks the human mind for a certain period of time without his ignorance. In depression period, suddenly you feel low, sad, alone, inactive, nothing will give you happiness. Depression is very difficult to recognize! You will not know that you are in depression but only feeling that you are not feeling well..!!!
Depression attacks when expectations do not meet by the surroundings such as
· Repeated Failure
· Failure in achieving the desire thing
· Lack of express
· Mental dissatisfaction
· Loneliness
· Trust broken by near & dear person
· Poor Relationships
Depression is a state of mind which every common man goes through in the various stages of his life. But it depends on person to person how soon he/she retrieves him/herself from the depressive state. Some people quickly come out of the state whereas in some people those impressions are stored in the subtle mind which appears in physical form of sleeplessness, migraine, lethargy and other mental diseases.
There is now much debate on the “Depression and Suicide.” But it is not always true that all depression patients have suicide tendency!!! But vice versa can be true that suicide tendency persons have one of the mental illness reasons i.e. depression. So it is not always correct that if someone commits suicide that means he/she is a depressed patient...!!!
4. Suicide Tendency:
Suicide Tendency is a severe mental disease. If you see anyone in your surrounding who always prompts to take his/her life in very minor things or repeatedly saying to end his/her life then without fail take them to a psychiatrist. Usually parents due to unawareness could not recognize their kid’s suicidal tendency. And some parents ignore this. But from an early phase if they have been taken to a psychiatrist then they can be cured.
Now we are aware of the various facets of suicide. Let’s discuss how we can prevent suicide from our society.
Awareness on Mental Health:
Everywhere in our societal education system starting from family, school, college everywhere we have studied how to take care of our physical health. But there is no awareness of mental health! A big percentage of people suffered from these mental health issues due to lack awareness and proper education.
Awareness on mental health is much necessary to lower suicide rate. Right from the beginning of the education, children must be educated on what mental health is, how to take care of mental health, how to build a stable mental health in every situation, how to be emotionally balanced, how to control stress and anxiety, how to control anger and etc. All the necessary education regarding mental health should be given right from childhood because what is not taught in childhood it’s very difficult to learn in old age!
Awareness on Meaning of Life:
“Suicide decision is taken when one is ignorant about the meaning and value of life.”
Life is precious but our education system is simply silent on the most important subject i.e. life! Everywhere in our family, school, college and workplace, we are taught only to perform better, get good marks, get a job and earn money!! In family, in school and colleges no where it has been taught what is life, the meaning of life, how to use life and what is the basic purpose of life? That’s why youths are not able to understand the real ambition of their soul.They are becoming depressed due to the unanswered question of the dogma of growth !!! Many youths are taking their lives in ignorance. And many are wasting their life in drugs, crime and alcohol. So now it’s very much necessary to aware our kids and youths with the real meaning and the value of life so that they will never take such decision!!!
Role of a Counselor:
A counselor plays a vital character in uplifting kids, teens, and people having some mental illness. Because it’s usually seen that several individual couldn't express their feelings in their family and friend circle in the fear of judgment and trust breaching. At that time a counselor helps a kid, teen, women and men of all range to understand them properly and generate a faith system in life and principle of life which thousands failed to cope-up at various stages of life.
Is really suicide always related to mental health?
But always suicide does not related to mental health, there are some instances that many strong people also commit suicide in a sudden impulsive emotion or in anger making people astonished that how such a strong minded person can commit suicide! It is nothing but a reaction of an impulsive emotion of anger or grief or disappointment that the person ends his/her life in a moment and after that realizing that he/she is not really dead!!!!
Suicide is never being a solution:
“Merely death of the physical body is not the real death.”
There is often a mistake that we are this physical body. So out of ignorance people think that killing the body by any means is the killing of all our trouble and our life.
But the real suffering starts when someone sees his/her physical body is dead but he is alive. The most difficult and the harassed situation that his/her subtle body faces i.e. he/she can’t return to the body and neither he/she experienced death!!!!!
There are three bodies in our Vedic spiritual science, 1.Physical body 2.Subtle Body 3. Causal Body. Our Science has explored only the physical body that’s why we are aware of only the physical body!!!
After the death of the physical body these subtle bodies remain alive and carry all our impressions. And our desires are carried in the causal body.
So when a person commits suicide his/her subtle body founds him/herself guilty. They once again want to come into the body but it’s not possible! Because this body does not belong to us, this is the Gift of God..!! When someone forcibly kills him/herself then he/she has to live in the subtle body for many years to suffer more and more!!!!
“ Sri Sri Thakur Nigamananda Paramahansa Dev says: When a thief escapes from the jail and is then once again caught by the cop then he gets more punishment. Similarly in this world everyone has taken birth to serve their own responsibility but when someone takes his own life to get rid of all the responsibility and problem then the problem becomes thousand times more in the subtle body than from the physical body!!!!!
“Sri Ramakrishna Says: Suicide is a heinous sin, undoubtedly. A man who kills himself must return again and again to this world and suffer its agony.
Our Message to Individuals on World Suicide Prevention Day:
We are all here to suffer and struggle and become better. Without struggle and problem there is no meaning of life. The more we face problems, the more we will be stronger in our life. If we read the stories of the great persons like APJ Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa, Swami Vivekananda, and Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, every one’s life is full of struggle and suffering. These struggle and suffering only given to explore our inner strength about which we are unaware! The person who faces more difficulties in life always becomes a role model because he experienced thousand solutions from all the problems. So never desire a life without a problem because then you will be missing the real sweetness of life! So accept problems as it is and beat the problem with your inner strength. And take the help of a friend, motivator or counselor when you need it.
Our Message to Society on World Suicide Prevention Day:
To prevent suicide from our Society we need to properly understand the driving factors that are responsible for suicides. We need to bridge the gaps which create a distance between children and parents, a student and college, a bride and in-laws, an employee and employer. Everywhere we need to create a stable, equal, and healthy and stress free environment so that no one will feel mentally suffocated anywhere!!! There should be a counseling system to make everyone free and share their emotions in a trust system to improve their mental health. From today we should try to build a happy environment that may be family, workplace, college, school where under the one roof, everyone has equal chance, equal benefit ,equal expression so that there will be no room for “mental stress and disorder”!!!
“It is the only ignorance that creates the boundaries where many are feeling suffocated and ending their life,due to lack of love, expression and understanding. Be compassionate to everyone all around you and you can save many lives from committing suicide.”
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