The whole country is shaken with the shocking news that came yesterday, and the only word that has been stuck in our heads is SUICIDE. A versatile actor aged 34, Sushant Singh Rajput at very young age took his life under depression. But is giving up life the only solution to deal with depression?
According to WHO, “Close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts”. Dr. Praveen Kumar Chintapanti, consultant Psychiatrist with Tranquil Minds, Hyderabad says, “Suicide is something we see as a social phenomenon, where in somebody ends their life. More than half of the population at some point in their life thinks about suicide, but that doesn’t mean that we attempt it. It happens when people feel that death is better than life and life seems untenable”.
We asked Dr. Praveen what are some of the reasons that trigger such an action in people and how can they deal with it?
Some of the reasons that may trigger suicidal thoughts in a person are:
- Loss of social status, social awkwardness, etc.
- Chronic Illness which might be associated with chronic pain or social stigma like HIV
- Debt or suicide clusters, where people of certain social and economic group suffer from helplessness
- Clinical depression and other psychological model
- Broken relationships
- Loss of employment
- Loss of social dignity
“Some people may do it in the background of a relationship breakdown or something unexpected happening in their social lives which they want to end. They may also do it on an impulse, especially when they are intoxicated with alcohol because at that time people lose judgement power”, explains Dr. Praveen.
However, not all attempts are successful, some attempts can also be a cry for help and people need to look at it and help the person.
Whenever someone has a suicidal thought, it may be either due to:
- Helplessness (no one can help me out, there is no help possible)
- Hopelessness (things will never get better, having no hopes from life)
- Worthlessness (I am good for nothing; I am a burden on people)
What can be done?
- Talk to the person even if you cannot come up with a solution. Just listening to them will be helpful.
- Be non-judgmental towards the person
- Talking about suicide may actually help lessen the chances of a person actually attempting it.
- If talking to friends or family doesn’t help, take some professional assistance. A psychiatrist or even a general doctor will be helpful.
- Other ways can be medication, counselling or therapies as suggested by the professionals.
- If people are actively suicidal, they can be kept in the hospital and treated.
But is it worth taking your life? There are people who wish to live a life you have, but they don’t get to. People should understand the worth of life. Even in case of depression, talk to people, your family or friends or seek professional help. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Especially celebrities need to understand that people consider them as their role model and may follow their steps. There are many celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Lady Gaga, Jim Carrey, Matthew Perry, Anushka Sharma and many others, who defeated depression and came out strong, which also motivated the public that nothing is impossible.
Thus, people need to understand that they are important to someone and especially living in an Indian society, there are people who are dependent on us and we have certain responsibilities towards them. Taking our life may give us peace, but what about the ones we will leave suffering behind us? Think before taking the irreversible step!
