10th Sept is World Suicide Prevention Day.
We all know that 800,000 people die every year due to suicide. 250,000 of those are Indian. So every third suicide happens in India.
Though Suicide is biggest cause of death for young Indians (15-30 age group), we do little about it.
Can you help someone stay away from suicide?
In this blog, I try to give simple tips to help you prevent suicide without feeling overwhelmed. Everyone can help.
1. All of us feel suicidal at times. Nobody is immune. If you haven’t felt it so far, give life a chance. In spite of my years of training and work in Psychiatry, I have felt suicidal at times and at least twice i was quite close to ending my life but my therapist saved my life with regular support in therapy.
2. As of now, we don’t know precisely what causes final act of suicide. People reach that point through various pathways.
3. One thing is sure, loneliness and hopelessness contribute a lot to final stage. Anger may be a big push for some who die by impulsive acts of self destruction.
4. So, whenever you realize that your friend, acquaintance, lover, student, neighbor, relative, is avoiding people , you should ask if they are okay.
5. If you are wondering about their suicidal thoughts, ask them a direct question about it. Asking is the best way to help. Dont be afraid that you may INDUCE suicidal thoughts in their mind by asking such questions. You will NOT be inducing suicide by asking.
6. Offer to talk, brew a cup of tea/coffee/hot meal. Don’t advice. Just hear them out. At the end, thank them for trusting you with all the information, thoughts and feelings.
7. Ask what you can do to help them feel better. It is a simple question but a powerful one at the end of patient and helpful listening.
8. Keep in touch. Don’t disappear from their life after this conversation.
9. If you feel overwhelmed, don’t be afraid of saying that (“it is so much to experience. Listening to your experience is overwhelming for me. I don’t know how you brave it all. Tell me how do you cope with this?”)
10. When you feel worried about their safety, call a helpline. All cities have suicide prevention helplines.
11. Lastly, remember, company and patient listening are most powerful tools to prevent suicide.
A supportive hand in hand and a patient ear goes a long long way.
Get professional help whenever it crosses your desire to help.
If you want to read Marathi translation of this article, my friend Prasad Shirgaonkar has posted it on his Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/prasad.shir/posts/10157411734091411 .