Life is like a pendulum between a smile and a tear. Neither there’s happiness all the time nor sorrow prevails forever. Most of the time life is about how we react or respond to the situations we face. Whatever be the situation, ending a life or suicide is not the solution.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a surge in number of suicides especially during the time of this ongoing pandemic. Bankruptcy, hopelessness, fear, depression, stress etc. are some of the reasons why some people are ending their lives.
On the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, Suniti Barua, Psychologist and founder of Iscah Wellness, shares some ways to cope and prevent suicidal tendencies along with busting some myths pertaining to suicides.
If you feel that someone you know is depressed and feeling suicidal, try the following steps.
- Make sure that the person is comfortable and communicating with you.
- Don’t judge him/her, not even with your expressions.
- Acknowledge his/her feelings be respectful.
- Give him or her assurance of their worth by focusing on their strength
- Try keeping dangerous items such as blades and knives alchols and drugs at safe distances from his/her.
- He/she may not have the self motivation or will to ask for help so encourage them to seek help from a therapist.
What to do when you are feeling suicidal.
- Remember that your emotions are constantly changing, how you feel now may not be how you felt yesterday or how you will feel tomorrow.
- Your absence would touch the hearts of many of who you love. It would bring grief.
- Try to set a simple goal and work on even more goals from there. There are so many things for you to achieve in life.
- There’s so much for you to experience, sounds to hear, food to taste, places to go and people to love who will love you back!
- Just as you feel great sorrow, you feel also feel great pleasure. It gets better.
How to help someone who is suicidal.
- Encourage them to talk about it, to talk about their feelings.
- Encourage them to seek treatment.
- Help them to find ways for self help, i.e. help them realise a goal they would want to fufill in life and help make a plan of how they would achieve it. Help them find ways with which they can cope with problems they have at hand.
- Encourage them to be able to talk about it with their families.
- LISTEN, LISTEN & LISTEN!
There are numerous myths related to suicide. Let’s look into some myths and facts regarding suicide which will help in coping better with it.
Myth: People who talk about suicide, won’t really do it.
Fact: Almost everyone who attempts suicide has given some clue or warning. we must not ignore even the smallest references, even jokes, regarding suicide, which we might think are harmless.
Myth: People who want to kill themselves are crazy and unhinged.
Fact: Most suicidal people are not psychotic or crazy. They are upset, depressed or have feelings of hopelessness.
Myth: If someone really wants to kill themselves, nothing is going to stop them.
Fact: Even a very severely depressed person might have doubts about killing themselves since their goal is not to die but to end the pain.
Myth: People who die by suicide are weak and don’t want help.
Fact: Many people try to get help before attempting suicide. studies actually show that more than 50% of suicide victims had sought medical help in the six months prior to their deaths.
Myths: Talking about suicide may give someone the idea to kill themselves.
Fact: You can’t give someone the idea to kill themselves. As a matter of fact, the opposite works. Talking about suicide openly might save life.
Understanding these simple but important points and taking the suggested measures can help us all in saving precious lives. Also, do check out the Unmute series for detailed understanding on mental health. Unmute is a series on mental health awareness by Iscah Wellness in association with The FERNS Society and supported by Guwahati Foodie and Discover East.
The episodes of the Unmute Series is available for free on the Facebook and YouTube.
