The urge to end one’s life is the opposite of the instinct of self-preservation which sustains the race. It is an aberration that leads to suicidal impulses. Suicide is the moment of total loss of rational control over the self and a tragic acceptance of the inability to survive in a mad, bad world. However, the necessity to combat suicide is as pressing as the need to preserve precious lives. Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day
Shabiha Nur Khatoon speaks to those who attempted suicide but luckily survived to tell the tale
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed September 10 every year in order to arouse awareness to wipe out all suicidal thoughts, foremost among which is the urge to commit suicide, and create awareness of the need to prevent suicides and psychologically rehabilitate victims by organising awareness programmes around the world.
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Suicide is often carried out as a result of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, alcoholism, or drug abuse. Stress factors such as financial difficulties, troubles with interpersonal relationships, or bullying often play a role.
Efforts to prevent suicide include limiting access to methods of suicide such as firearms and poison, treating mental illness and drug misuse, and improving economic circumstances. Although crisis hotlines are common, there is little evidence of their effectiveness.
The most commonly used methods of suicide vary according to countries and related to availability of means of suicide. Common methods are hanging, pesticide poisoning and firearms. Suicides resulted in 842,000 deaths in 2013 worldwide up from 712,000 deaths in 1990. This makes it the 10th leading cause of death worldwide.
Rates of suicides successfully attempted are higher in men than women. Men are three to four times more likely to kill themselves than females. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year. Non-fatal attempts may lead to injury and long-term disabilities. Attempts are more common in young people and females.
Here are some reasons leading to suicide…
Depression
This is the most common reason according to experts. Severe depression is always accompanied by a pervasive sense of suffering. The pain of existence often becomes too much for severely depressed people to bear. The state of depression warps their thinking, allowing ideas like ‘Everyone would be better off without me’ to make rational sense. Often people silently suffer under a sense of acute depression, planning suicide without anyone ever knowing.
Psychosis
Psychosis is much harder to mask than depression, and is arguably even more tragic. The schizophrenic comprise about 1 per cent of the global population, and although they are healthy, high-performing individuals whose lives are manageable with medication, they hardly psychically stable. Schizophrenics are just as likely to talk freely about the voices commanding them to kill themselves as not, and also give honest answers about thoughts of suicide when asked directly.
Psychosis, too, is treatable, and usually must be treated for a schizophrenic to be able to function at all. Untreated or poorly treated psychosis almost always requires hospital admission in a locked ward until the voices lose their commanding power.
Impulse
Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and impulsively attempt to end their own lives. Once sobered and calmed, these people usually feel emphatically ashamed. The remorse is often genuine, but whether or not they’d ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. They may try it the very next time they get drunk or high, or never again in their lifetime. Hospital admission is, therefore, not usually indicated. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are generally a greater concern in these people and should be addressed as aggressively as possible.
Mistakes
Suicide is a tragic phenomenon. Youngsters harbour suicidal impulses that are fuelled by rejection, failure or some kind of emptiness. The wounds suicide leaves behind in the lives of the near and dear ones of the victim are deep and lasting. Ahead of World Anti-Suicide Day Sunday POST speaks to those who attempted suicide but luckily survived to tell the tale.
Rohit (name changed on request) from Bhubaneswar says, “In 2010 when I was in my 12th standard I secured very poor marks in the final exam. I was depressed, as my performance was way below expectation. After reaching home I showed the mark sheet to my parents and naturally they were not happy with my performance. However, they didn’t scold me but lightly told me that the report card is not everything and what matters is talent. As I was not happy with my performance so to get out of the pain I decided to end my life. I cut my wrist and that was moment I realised my mistake and without wasting a moment further I rushed to my parents for help and they took me to the hospital. That was the day I saw my parents crying so I really felt guilty and regretful for what I had done. Now I am happy with my life and trying to make my parents happy.”
Sefali (name changed) from Cuttack was a teenager, a free bird, always in her own world of fantasy and imagination and like other girls her age had entered college for the aspired degree. She had left her secured home far behind and had gathered strength to come out of the safety her parents offered and moved to pursue her higher studies. She was outspoken yet helping and caring and always ready to help her friends. Days passed by, she got busy with her studies and group of friends who formed a group.
June 17, 2010 she decided commit suicide to end the trauma she faced mentally and physically. Fake love, memories of physical relationship with the man she loved, the mental pressure of bearing with separation, betrayal, tragic end to first true love in life all were equally unbearable.
She had her food with her family, decided that it was the last time she was having her food, the last time she was enjoying the delicious food made by her mother; it was the last time her parents were seeing her, she thought, the last time she was seeing her parents. She was not in love with her life anymore. Her parents loved her more than anything.
She was headstrong and had decided that it was the end and there was no need to get ahead in life. She went to the washroom, took out some 40 strong sleeping pills, a bottle of phenyl and phoned the man who had betrayed her to tell him that was dying and then switched off her phone. She sat on the spot for a few minutes and thought of her family for one last time.
She took a sip of water from the tap and gulped all the tablets. Stay there for a few minutes and then opened the bottle of phenyl and emptied it down the throat in no time. Sefali then moved out of the washroom feeling uneasy and the thought of death was making her all the more uncomfortable. She was feeling asleep.
When she opened her eyes she found herself in the hospital in the ICU – her dad on one side and mom on the other after which again she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness after a few days she found her family members, friends and relatives beside her, not questioning her why she took that step rather telling her that she was God’s child. God wanted her to live and to spread happiness.
Sefali also tells us how her sister acted as God’s messenger. That night it was her sister who didn’t sleep as she discovered something strange in Sefali. She informed her parents and then they took her to the hospital.
Sefali has never looked back since that day and fought with every hurdle that came her way to regain momentum in life. She lives and loves and is full of life today.
Naina (name changed) from Cuttack was a good student and always her teachers’ favourite. Everything seemed to be alright but destiny had some other plan for her. She fell in love with one of her classmates and without batting an eyelid proposed the guy who agreed only to a temporary relationship. An intelligent student, Naina agreed to a temporary relationship with the guy. After that they spent quality time with each other. One day the guy invited Naina to his house and they got physical. The boy took some objectionable pictures of Naina with which initially she didn’t have a problem, but things started getting worse when the guy started ignoring Naina and said that he was no longer interested in her.
Naina narrated her whole story to his mother and her parents didn’t support her and didn’t call her anymore. She was a hostel boarder and her parents started avoiding her. After a week when she could no longer tolerate the ignorance of her parents coupled with failure in love she consumed sleeping pills, drank Dettol and cut her wrist with a nail-cutter when alone in her hostel. She was, however, hospitalised immediately and after four-five hours was out of danger. Although her family still treats her suspiciously she has excelled in studies and has performed exceedingly well in the Plus Two exams. She has moved on sans the faith of her family by her side.
A few days ago a news item was published in Orissa Post about a suicide survivor. A woman named Sani allegedly attempted to kill her son and tried committing suicide by slitting her and her son’s wrists with a knife at Kaipadar in Khurda district. Poverty and a failed marriage drove Sani to the extreme step, sources said. Sani had married a man named Sania Gouda 10 years back against the wishes of both families. They hailed from Aska in Ganjam district and later moved to Kaipadar to be away from their respective parents. However, the marriage later turned sour. Sani said her husband Gouda recently met with an accident in Nirakarpur and when Gouda’s estranged father came to see him in hospital, Gouda reportedly said that the accident was God’s way of punishing him for marrying Sani. Gouda’s father then persuaded him to divorce Sani, to which he agreed. Left on her own with a five-year-old child, Sani found it difficult to make ends meet. She said she tried killing her son and committing suicide unable to face the prospects of a bleak future.
Sunday POST speaks to psychologists on suicide and ways of combating it. Kalyani Mishra, visiting professor and counsellor, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela tells us “Suicide is an impulsive act and the 4C’s which play an important role in putting someone psychologically down are Criticism, Comparison, Compulsion and Control. People who commit suicide think their problems can’t be solved and they feel completely out of control. I think people who commit suicide feel hopeless and they also feel as if their existence doesn’t matter to anyone. If they die nobody will care. But they can’t see the light at the end of a very dark, lonely tunnel. And people who are very sensitive I would advice their parents and friends not to leave them alone because loneliness is the one major cause which provokes suicide. There should be a positive environment around them and parents should provide them that platform where they can share anything and everything freely.”
