Friday, July 6, 2012

SUICIDE - The Dreaded Word.

"Suicide has become the second leading cause of death of the young people in India,which has one of the highest rates in the world" according to a new report published in The Lancet .

This is a cause for worry.If every suicide directly affects ten persons, it indirectly affects fifty.Death cannot be a welcome solution for anyone,but when someone cannot find a solution to his problems,when he thinks that no one cares whether he lives or dies,when he has no support system to ask help from and when he believes that his condition will not improve;then he takes this drastic step.He does not want to end his life-he only wants to end his misery,and when he sees no other way of doing this,then he chooses death-albeit reluctantly.Those who are close to him can avert this tragedy.But in order to do that they must first be able to recognize the danger signals.Following is a list of those who could be harboring suicidal thoughts.Please read on-----

Those who are likely to think of suicide

*1- A person who has previously tried to commit suicide.

*2- Who talks of life being worthless.

*3- Who has previous history of family suicide.

*4- Who has a mental illness.

*5- Who has a serious incurable disease.

*6- Who is an alcoholic or  drug addict.

*7- Who is in bereavement.

*8- Who has gone through a break-up--romantic or marital.

*9- Who has failed in an exam'

*10- Who has suffered a setback in his career or financial affairs.

*11- Who is a victim of sexual abuse or ragging or some other trauma.

*12- Who has impending legal action against him.

*13- Who is tidying his affairs,writing his will at a rather inopportune time.

*14- Who is giving away his cherished possessions uncharacteristically.

*15 Who is mired  in a debt trap.

The warning signs

*1- There are some persons who will not give the tiniest hint that they are going to take this fatal step.But mostly a person on verge of suicide will throw hints about his impending action because he does not want to die-he only wants to be rid of his problem;& is hoping that someone will rescue him.So he will comment that life is not worth living,there is no hope etc etc.Take special care of those who say they will commit suicide outright.

*2- A person in suicidal mode may look depressed,unkempt & absent-minded.He will not follow his usual daily routine.

*3- He will lose control over his emotions & reactions-will become easily angered,violent or ready to burst into tears.

*4- He may indulge in anti-social or unlawful activities. 

*5- His eating & sleeping patterns will be disturbed.

*6- He will isolate himself,desist from joining any social function.

*7- Or there may be an artificial show of gaiety.

*8- He may take to substance abuse.

 *9- Self mutilation too can be a precursor of suicide.

What to do?

If you happen to note any of the above signs in someone ,go near him.
Do not hesitate to ask what is wrong-you are not prying,merely showing concern.
Assure him that you will keep his worries confidential,that you want to help him & you will always be there for him.
Encourage him to vocalize all his fears & worries.He may tell you something of which you do not approve,but pass no judgements.Nor show in any way that you disapprove.
Give emotional support but no advice yet.
Ask how you can help him,& also what solution he has thought of.His thoughts at this stage are likely to be very murky.Just help to clear the fog by asking leading questions so that he can visualize pros & cons of the various options.
Take him for a physical check up &  a psychiatrist if need be.
Encourage him to take proper medicines.
Involve him in group activities.
You must ask him if he is thinking of committing suicide & how;so that you can take preventive measures.

If despite these efforts you find the matter slipping from your hands do not hesitate to inform his family & take outside help,or you may have to regret this minor inaction which could lead to a major tragedy because There is hope only if there is life.

41 comments :

  1. Great job Indu ji. Thanks for sharing such excellent information with your readers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Anupam ji,your words encourage me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is really good information! Indeed, there is nothing more precious than life itself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rachna thanx for your support.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A very useful and informative post. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Informative post Indu! Probably the reason why India has one of the highest rates of suicides is the absence of counselling and the social stigma still associated with psychiatric treatment - which keeps people away from treatment for depression.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are absolutely right Suresh.

    ReplyDelete
  8. intense post
    check this out my poetic take on suicide

    http://xs2rahulz.blogspot.in/2010/07/silence.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very informative and useful for society at large. Thank you Indu!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very informative article, Indu. Really comprehensively covered all aspects.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am very happy that you found it comprehensive.

    ReplyDelete
  12. very informative post indu....
    statistics are very depressing..
    some solid steps must be taken to stop this.

    thanks
    anu

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes anu the more the stress,the more such tragedies.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The last line says it all, Indu.
    Reaching out and finding support may actually provide new hope in their lives !!
    Thanks for sharing this...

    ReplyDelete
  15. So informative. I once read that Luxemburg, that has the highest per capita income, also has the highest suicide rate...is that true?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gayatri there are conflicting reports about this,Switzerland & Germany rank high,in India higher literacy too seems to abet suicide-- & here is this link to throw light on your query http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/03/30/canada-home-to-the-suicide-capital-of-the-world/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very informative post. But I wonder why people resort to suicide just because they failed in an exam. If failing in an exam is a sure sign towards suicide, then I should have killed myself multiple times by now :P ... I just think suicide is another way of accepting cowardice.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Neha you have given your heart-felt views on this subject-thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  19. it is very sad,nd yr post very informative indu,am sure the awareness this post brings will save many beautiful lives...thank u for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  20. A delicate topic and you have raised it effectively. A person goes away but he leaves behind a whole lot of pain and sadness for all his near and dear ones. We need to be aware so that we never see such a day in our lives, thanks a lot Induji for making us aware.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That is an insightful posts on the brooders of "to be or not to be". I heard it said somewhere that "suicide is a permanent solution of a temporary problem". However, in many cases, the problems could be much deeper. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yes USP the problems can be very deep.During the course of counseling i have come across problems as deep as they could ever be;yet i see them living & struggling.Sometimes i cannot but marvel at their will to live.I shall be writing about some such cases one day.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am so much at peace after reading your what to do steps. Most posts talking about social issues highlight the issue but do not recommend a solution. We all say that it's the coward's way out but those who commit suicide would have not seen any other way out. We would never know what goes through their mind those last few minutes, what led them to take such an extreme step. Most times we say they were selfish to not have thought about those they left behind, but most times they give up their lives so that the ones they leave behind can live in peace. I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of hurt and desperation which leads them to such acts, but only hope and pray that they get help before its too late. If I were to ever come in contact with someone at that level, I wish God gives me the courage and insight to help him/her.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Deepa your reply is so sensitive & caring.As a client one remarked-it takes courage to kill oneself,so we cannot brand them as cowards.You are right that we can't imagine what goes on in their minds when they take this step.Usually they see no way out& most of all;they find it difficult to confide in anyone--hence this step.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hey Hi I have actually tagged on my blog here , Please go through and keep up the good work

    http://xs2rahulz.blogspot.in/2012/07/tagged-again.html

    ReplyDelete
  26. OK Rahul thanks for remembering me,i will do it .

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Indu

    Thats a very informative post. I have read somewhere that a person committing suicide does it as a momentary action....If delayed by a couple of minutes, he would actually hesitate to go ahead. It leaves a deep scar in the lives of those around him/her that would be there forever.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jaish welcome to jeeteraho....yes some people do commit suicide in a fit of rage & they could be saved if someone intervened....but many people plan it over a long period of time;some of them will rethink & drop the idea while some others will go ahead with it.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I guess it is apt that your blog is named "jeete raho". I agree that the person who commits suicide leaves behind broken lives. Talking to that person is crucial. Here in NZ they have many organisations that train people to handle a suicidal person properly - know what to say and when. Youthline is one such organisation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you KayEm for giving your insights on this topic.

      Delete
  30. Some people take life way to seriously but when I think from the victim's perspective, he/she must be alone, dejected by his loved ones. Nobody is trying to understand him/her. I hope nobody wishes to commit suicide and we should be more supportive to our loved ones during times of stress.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading.Do,give your feedback.