June 11, 2011
Suicide means murder of self. "Suicide is associated with unfulfilled needs, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, ambivalent conflicts between survival and unbearable stress, narrowing of preventing options, a need for escape," says Edwin Shneidman. Both in developed and developing countries youth suicide rate is the highest.
Causes for sucide among youth
Arguments between parents and children
Verbal arguments or physical fights (sometimes) make the youth lose self-control and hence they surrender themselves to suicide without thinking. The reasons for these arguments may be related to studies, personal issues or any other.
Loss of parents or loved ones
Sudden loss/death of one or both parents will have traumatic impact on their children. Sudden loneliness brings darkness and lots of psychological and emotional instability to the minds of youth. Apart from parents, the loss of loved ones such as partner, friends, siblings etc also matters for the youth emotionally. Hence ending life seems better for them instead of the mental agony of living without them.
Divorce/separation of parents
This hinders the children from the vicinity of parents. Selection between parents for stay becomes tough. In some cases when children are growing up, parents' divorce/separation gives bitter experience and makes them feel lonely, neglected. This will lead to suicide as a final choice.
Sexual harrasment and rape
At home, school, work place etc youth face sexual harassment. Today, not only girls but boys also are harassed sexually. Parents, teachers need to be aware of such factors. Proper care, guidance at the right time can be helpful in saving them from the darkness of death.
Failure in academics
As the month of school/college results occur, it’s common to hear of suicide cases. Pressure from family or self is the main reason for this. When the student is unsuccessful, this mental tension ends up with suicide.
Increased pressure on individual
Young age is filled with desires and ambitions. Pressure can be self-motivated or from people around them. Mind even forces to commit suicide, if the pressure goes beyond limits. This force (pressure) may be in academics, sports, marriage, job, etc.
Depression
Mental or emotional type of depression makes the individual weak. If this becomes stagnant without any ventilation (speaking out), one may go for ending their life in order to end this depression.
The majority of the children have problems of depression alone or in conjunction with another depressive illness like anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder, bipolar illness (manic depression), or child onset schizophrenia. Each child’s personality, biological makeup, and environment are unique, and depression and suicidal ideation among youth are complex issues involving many factors.
By recognizing and treating depression in children, we can improve the chances/ conditions of young person with depression. They can live longer, healthier, and lead a quality life.
Ill health
Long-term health problems and illness are like a daily burden for those who experience it. Some face it with stability, confidence and courage. But those who can’t say no to life.
Mental illness
Treatment and counseling are available for mental illness in all the psychiatric deparments in hospitals. Bias, stigma towards these people is also present in our society. During youth age this mental illness hinders the youth from mingling with friends, family members etc. Hence, this can be major cause for suicide.
Increased emotional instability
Having control over one’s emotions is a great blessing to an individual. Everyday life brings in lots of emotions. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to cope with them. Increased emotional instability makes life unbearable. When the precipitating factor for this emotional instability kills the individual within, each moment, one goes for killing self.
Problems/failures in love life
Young age is filled with the fragrance of love. In a few lives this fragrance itself becomes dangerous. Death of partner, failure in love, break-ups, one-sided love, cheating etc makes the heart hopeless. Darkness around forces them to end life.
Comparison
Comparison between children within family - by parents, at school by teachers for academics, sports, other activities makes the child feel humiliated. Negative ideas grow in their mind. They lose hope, faith, and confidence in self. This provokes them to commit suicide.
Discrimination and domination
Discrimination is what generally humiliates everyone. If this is found within family from parents or siblings, then life becomes miserable. Domination is followed by discrimination. It affects the mindset, emotions, education, job and even daily life. If this discrimination and domination goes without identification, it will surely affect the life of youth.
Unemployment
Job is what every student desires after studies. Unemployment is a common reason today for suicides among youth. Proper job brings independence to start a new life and live one’s own dream.
Rejection from loved ones
Youth generally urge for the nearness and love from parents, teachers and friends. It’s common to expect love from the one you love and care for. Rejection from loved ones like parents, partner, siblings, friends etc hurts the heart directly.
Prior attempts
Prior attempts of suicide should be considered as one of the important factors for suicide. As frustration exceeds one can’t control their inner desire of ending life.
Clues or warning signs of suicide
Sudden changes in behavior
Withdrawal from family and friends
Severe changes in eating habits
Neglecting personal appearance
Use of drugs and alcohol
Changes in mood with loneliness, isolation , withdrawal
Pre-occupation with death in the drawings, letters, scribbles
Signs of depression
Expressive feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, loneliness,
Giving away cherished possessions of self
Preparing things or giving away valuable things to others.
Disturbed sleep
Changes in facial expression
Situational clues like
Love failure
Quarrel
Suicide prevention strategies
Increasing public awareness about suicide as a problem through information channels like media, magazines, internet sites etc influence the attitude and stigma towards mental illness
Society has a lot of stigma and bias towards mental illness and the people who suffer with mental illness. People need to be made aware of the mental illnesses. As the body gets the illness, so also the mind too needs some treatments at times. Depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, stress related, behavior problems, people who are specially challenged, physically challenged persons, psychiatric problems with children – behavior, learning problems etc are some of the mental or psychiatric problems.
Positive thinking, approach towards these individuals is a better way to remove stigma.
Counseling - ventilation of suicide ideas, thoughts, helping youth in healthy distraction of suicide ideas and renewing hope, dreams to live life.
Crisis intervention: This involves finding solution for the problem along with the youth who has made prior suicide attempts. Positive thinking needs to be injected into them towards life.
Suicide in the family has great impact on all the family members. Due to any problem or crisis one commits suicide, but later each day it brings sadness, trauma to the family members of deceased.
Care, love and respect is what every youth expects from his/her family, friends, teachers, and society. Without being biased and without any stigma one should speak to and mingle with youth in a healthy relationship.
It’s very difficult to define or explain why someone commits suicide, but the feelings, pain of the deceased are unknown to us.
Yes, suicide is not the solution for any problem.
Let’s think and share our views here.
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