Suicide Awareness: Overview, Warning Signs and Prevention.

Life is defined as “the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up an individual”. The meaning and purpose of life are highly subjective and vary from person to person. Many among us wonder why some individuals want to end this life. What thoughts they may be having while they decide to kill themselves?

Research says people who are suicidal have conflicting thoughts about living and dying. They have difficulty in deciding whether to live or die. A person with suicidal ideation is someone who thinks that ending their own life would solve their problem/s. They may find it difficult to cope up with the uncertainty of their life. They may not able to bear their emotional pain and avoid negative triggers.

A Suicide or Suicide Attempt can lead to severe personal/ psychological/social/ economical consequences. Suicide is the 15th leading cause of death around the world and 90-95% of people dying by suicide are found to have a psychological disorder. Suicide does not discriminate among race or culture. People from every walk of life, statures, genders, ethnicity choose death by suicide.

The WHO estimates that one suicide attempt occurs approximately every three seconds, and one completed suicide occurs approximately every minute. It is estimated that males take their life 4 times more than females. The most vulnerable population is within the age group of 15 to 29 and it is the second cause of death during their life span. During the COVID 19 Pandemic, more than 80 people committed suicide from March 19th to May 2nd in the fear of contracting the virus, in India.

According to NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau), the average suicide rate in India is 381 persons per day, and that is 1, 39,123 per year. At least 10,281 persons ended their life who are involved in the farming sector in 2019 as per the “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India” Report 2019 by the NCRB.

What is Suicide?

We can define Suicide as “the self deflected death with evidence, either explicit or implicit, that the person intended to die.”

 A suicidal attempt is “a self –injurious behavior with a nonfatal outcome accompanied by evidence, either explicit or implicit that the person intended to die.

 Suicidal ideations are the thoughts of serving as the agent of one’s own death.  It may vary in seriousness depending on the degree of suicidal intent.

What are the causes of Suicide?

The causes of suicides could be complex.  The causes and the triggers to do the act of suicide could be anything. Some of the main causes of suicide are:

Can we prevent Suicides??

Yes, we can, if we try the right measure to prevent it. Research shows that most of the suicidal attempters do not want to kill themselves, instead they just want to relieve their pain or just want significant others to know that they are in intense pain. It could be a way of conveying a serious message. It could be a way to get rid of unwanted or haunting thoughts and worthless feelings and hopeless situations. Most of the suicidal cases do not wish to die.

 A conscious effort from sections of lives can be initiated to prevent suicides and work towards a “suicide free society”. Too much publicity about suicides through media or social media should be avoided. The phrases such as “they are in a better place now” must be avoided about the victim of suicide deaths. It could give hope to those who want to kill themselves for getting over their agony.

More awareness should be created about the Suicide prevention Helplines. The functionality of these helplines should be improved. The awareness initiation should be done not only from the individual level but also communal/societal level. Measures to avoid personal/social stigma about suicide/s and attempts should be taken and the discriminations and prejudices should be avoided.

People are reluctant to talk to or listen to their thoughts about suicides. But many individuals with suicidal ideations show their willingness to share their pains and concerns, find their listeners uncomfortable with the topic. It is a misconception that if we discuss suicides, we may be suggesting it to the other person.

Asking a direct question about one’s suicidal ideation is always a better choice. Sometimes they deny their suicidal intent but give away some behavioral or verbal clues. Mostly persons with suicidal thoughts give verbal cues such as “I am going to end my life” or “I do not want to live anymore”. They may talk about being ‘worthless’ or ‘hopelessness’ about their life or feeling trapped and agonized in their emotions or pains. Their social media pages give away the cues about their plan for taking their own lives.

What to do if we are troubled by suicidal thoughts?

• Seek medical/ professional help immediately.
• Call a helpline number and talk or text to a counselor.
• Suicidal thoughts may be the symptoms of some underlying illness.
• Talk to someone from your family or friends whom you trust.
• You need not suffer alone. Stay connected with people.
• Remember that this time too will pass.
• Stay away from alcohol/ drugs. It can worsen the situations.

How can we help someone with suicidal ideation?

• Do not shy away or afraid in asking direct questions about suicide if you suspect the concerned person is having suicidal ideations.
• Ask them “are you considering suicide?” if the answer is “yes”, stay with them till the help arrives.
• Look for verbal cues such as “this is our last meeting” etc. Act accordingly.
• Seek medical attention immediately if you find someone is suicidal.
• Listen to them attentively without minimizing their agony.
• Do not judge or advise a person with suicidal tendencies.
• Let them know that you care about them.
• Do not promise anything especially keeping their suicidal thoughts as a secret.
• Understand your own limitations and get support as early as possible.
• Keep them safe by staying around them and in the reduction of lethal means.

What are the red flags/ or cues of suicidal tendencies?

Suicidal ideations or self-harming behaviors can be scary and it’s very important to know how to respond so that you could help yourself or those in need. The persons who have already attempted to die by suicide are at a higher risk of doing it again. You need to take action immediately and Reach out and call for help as early as possible.

What are the warning signs?

Myths about suicide and suicide attempts

• People who talk about killing themselves just want attention.
• People with suicidal ideation would definitely want to die.
• Talking about suicide or suicide ideation may encourage.
• Suicides happen impulsively without warnings.
• If a person decides to take his life, nothing can stop him.

Most people who attempt suicide share their distress or plan to kill themselves with at least one person or medium. A crucial need for public awareness and response for suicide prevention at the times of the COVID 19 pandemic has arisen. The governmental/ social/ political/ educational policies should join hands to take away the stigma and discriminations about suicidality and work together for a zero suicide society.

In her book called ‘How I stayed alive when my brain was trying to kill me’, Susan Rose Blanuer, writes: “Remember that life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived.”