India’s Suicide Crises
Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that feels unbearable. Individuals at a high risk of suicide are often deeply conflicted about dying by suicide because they have a strong desire to end their problems, their life. Blinded by hopelessness, isolation, self-loathing or other difficult feelings or thoughts they are often unable to find a solution to end their pain other than taking their own life.
WE LOSE 1 INDIAN TO SUICIDE EVERY 3 MINUTES
8 OUT OF 10 SUICIDAL PEOPLE SHOW WARNING SIGNS
Anyone can prevent suicide by picking up these warning signs and offering support
Suicide Causes
Suicide is rarely a result of a single cause. Suicide most often occurs when multiple life stressors, such as personal, political, social, economic, existential, environmental, biological factors co-exist to create feelings of hopelessness. It is difficult to predict the exact cause of suicide, however, one can save lives by learning about risk factors and warning signs of suicide.
Mental Health
Mood disorders, personality disorders, untreated illnesses.
Lifestyle Concerns
Substance abuse, lack of sleep, body image issues.
Social & Cultural
Isolation, discrimination, socio-economic struggles.
Physical Health
Brain Brain injury, chronic pain, diseases, improves overall quality of life.
Environmental
Access to lethal means, neglect, abuse, trauma.
Precipitating Events
Sudden distressing events, relationship breakdowns.
Warning Signs
Increased awareness about warning signs of suicidal behaviour is the first step towards reducing the stigma surrounding suicide, as well as shifting the blame away from the individual can help in preventing suicide.
Verbal Cues
- Wanting to die or kill themself
- Experiencing unbearable pain
- Seeking revenge
- “If _____ does/ not happen, I’ll kill myself.”
- “I’m tired of life, I just can’t go on.”
- “My family would be better off without me.”
- “I won’t be around much longer.”
- “Pretty soon you won’t have to worry about me.”
Behavioural Cues
- Past suicide attempt
- Drug/ alcohol abuse, or relapse after a period of recover
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Isolating from friends and family
- Stockpiling pills/ poison
- Co-occurring depression, mood disorder
- Unexplained anger, aggression and irritability
- Putting personal affairs in order
- Giving away prized possessions
- Sudden interest or disinterest in religion
Protective Factors
While there are many factors that influence a person’s chance of developing suicidal ideations, and there are also many factors that offer a safety net to protect them from suicide. These are called Protective Factors – personal and environmental characteristics that reduce the risk of suicide. Some of them are a result of the environment, or come naturally to the individual while some can be cultivated regardless of age, sex, gender and cultural diversity.
- ➜ Sobriety
- ➜ Social connectedness to friends and family
- ➜ Life skills such as emotional resilience
- ➜ Self-esteem and a sense of purpose/ meaning in life
- ➜ Cultural, religious, or personal beliefs that discourage suicide
- ➜ Access to mental health services
Suicide Prevention seeks to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. Reducing risk factors may not always be easy as some are a result of deeper cultural, societal and systemic issues. Hence, it is vital that we work towards fostering protective factors that act as a barrier against suicide.