September: Suicide Prevention Month (TW//)

Suicide is a way of ending one’s own life by hurting oneself in different ways with the intent to die.It’s an escape from the real world and an end to suffering for some people.Every year, more than 1,00,000 people commit suicide in our country.It is the 10th biggest cause of death worldwide.

A total of 1,53,052 suicides were reported in the country during 2020 showing an increase of 10.0% in comparison to 2019 and the rate of suicides has increased by 8.7% during 2020 over 2019.[LIST–2.1] The incidence and rate of suicides during 2010-2020 is presented in Table-2.1.

As per data provided by States/UTs

It’s hard to picture what drove a friend, relative or coworker to end their own life and you try to look back on warning signs you may have failed to see or not paid enough attention to.There are lots of different reasons and factors that drives a person to this point.

Suicidal thoughts are not simply just,”I want to die.”They are also, “I am such a burden and no one will bother if I’m breathing or not.”.I don’t seee a future.””I can’t deal with this constant, exhausting cycle anymore.”

Here are some possible warning signs of suicide:

-self harm

-talk of being a burden

-extreme mood swings

-sleeping too much or too little

-isolating from loved ones and withdrawing from activities

-frequently conversing about death

-increased use of alcohol, drugs or other risky behaviours

-talk of feeling hopeless and trapped

-visiting or calling people to say goodbye or giving away prized possessions

It’s important to know that speaking up when suicidal is not at all attention seeking and having bad mental health doesn’t make one weak.Sometimes we unknowingly say the wrong thing and it can really affect a person.We may just say things with an intention to help a person or show concern but some of these are common mistakes we all make: never say I understand/know how you feel, no you don’t and this is not about you.Never compare their situation to someone else’s and say that people have it much worse than this and that you have food,water,money etc and yet you are suicidal,its insensitive and invalidates their pain and you could be doing well career wise and have a luxurious life, you can still be suicidal.Sometimes we tell them oh, think about how this would affect your family and friends,don’t guilt trip them, it’s only going to cause them more pain.A thought that’s been going around for a long time now is that suicide is selfish, this is false,it is a symptom of a mental illness.

Never ever joke about suicide, it can be very triggering.Don’t try to minimise their suffering by saying things like we all get sad sometimes.Don’t ever use the phrase,”It’s not that bad.”It’s not easy to open up about your feelings so someone belittling them is going to make it worse.Also pointing out that they have a lot to live for won’t help as they are not in the right mind to be counting their blessings.Even in general, never tell people no one will love you until you love yourself.Some people are already convinced that they are unlovable due to certain experiences or situations and instances so this will further negatively impact our self-esteem as it reinforces that same thought that no one will love you.It can also be triggering to people where this phrase has been used as an emotional weapon before in past experiences.Even if we struggle with self-love it doesn’t define our worth of being loved.Sometimes we learn to love ourselves with support from our loved ones, there’s no hurry, take your time to learn self-love, it still makes you worth loving this way.Offer them practical support and suggest a safety plan to help them cope.

Here’s what you can do instead.Show empathy not sympathy, people hate pity.Give them all the support you can and actually listen to them and be there.Be genuine and non-judemental.Make sure you understand the term boundaries and confidentiality.Create a safe spaces and comfortable environment for them.Help them find meaning and purpose.

It’s a common misconception that suicide is an easy way out, no it’s not people feel like it’s the only way and they are al out of roads and feel stuck.They don’t see a future.Stay with them through their journey to overcome the struggle.

Know the difference between toxic positivity and genuine optimism.A lot of people say,”Look on the bright side,”when giving advice and trying to cheer up someone.Here genuine optimism will be saying,”It is difficult to look at the positives or the bright side of the situation but try to do what you can, I’ll be here every step of the way, be it 1 step forward or 3 steps back.”

To anyone reading this, know that your trauma or failures did not make you stronger, YOU did and you don’t need to be even a tiny bit grateful for what you experienced just because you came back stronger, appreciate yourself instead.Sending my love to all those who are struggling out there.

 YOU ARE NOT ALONE <33

Resources :

https://themindclan.com/helplines/

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1652240

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