Many people, most of the times, are able to cope with and manage stress and strain of life. They help themselves with adjusting to the situation with help from internal and external resources. Stress becomes distress when the individual feels these resources have been fully exhausted. In these situations, individual views stress as never ending, intolerable and inescapable that is when the thoughts of suicide start. When individuals are stressed, they are different from what they are normally. An individual’s Physical functioning, behaviour, thoughts and feeling show a lot of change and are indicators of stress and sometimes suicidal thoughts. If you observe the following symptoms, you should proactively talk to the individual and encourage them to seek help.
Physical Changes
· Lack of interest/pleasure in all things
· Lack of physical energy
· Disturbed sleep
· Change of appetite and weight
· Physical ailments and health complaints
Behaviours
· Crying
· Fighting and law breaking
· Alcohol and drug misuse
· Withdrawal
· Self-mutilation
Thoughts
· Helplessness
· Loneliness
· Guilt
· Damage
· Day Dreaming
Feelings
· Sadness
· Angry
· Worthless
· Ashamed
· Disconnected
What can I do if someone is talking about committing a suicide?
· Ask
Ask the individual when you observe changes, and the best thing is to ask directly so that the person if considering suicide may feel like talking about it since you have known their thoughts. We have to remember that we should ask about it at an appropriate time.
· Listen
If an individual is considering suicide, most of the times, they want to talk about it. Show your willingness to listen to the individual, completely without interpreting and saying that they are wrong or right. Talking always helps the individual considering suicide as talking needs thinking and thinking may lead to new ways of looking at things and many times people find reasons to live as they are talking about reasons to die. Therefore it is very important that you provide that environment of talking by concentrating on the talk and be a non-biased patient listener.
· Safety
Help the individual to keep safe. Discuss with the individual as to what sort of help they want when they have more of these thoughts. Talk to the person’s family and friends and get them to support in prevention of suicide. Advice the individual to stay away from alcohol and drugs, as they increase the suicide tendency. Ask the individual if they have a suicide plan and disable the plan which is very important to keep the person safe. Never leave the person alone for long periods of time. It is important to connect the person to professional help. Most importantly make the person feel that they are wanted.
Causes of suicidal behaviour among students:
During teens and early twenties, many changes (biological, physical, emotional and thought process) in an individual’s life occur. It is the most sensitive age and therefore anything can cause stress or depression. Some of the common causes for suicide among students are ragging at college, unable to cope with the academic pressure (ranks, marks, homework, projects, lab work career decision etc ) unable to get into the courses or colleges of their choice, moving to new college or hostel life, break up among friends and death of friends, parents divorce or death of a parent, problems with brothers and sisters, constant pressure (parental, lectures or peers) to perform well in academics, financial situations, alcoholism and drug abuse, doubts about individuals skills and abilities.
Thoughts and Facts:
1. Suicides happen without a warning:
Most people communicate how they are reacting to the feeling about the events that are making them move towards the thoughts of suicide. Many times they are certain physical signs, emotional reactions and behavioural clues are given away.
2. We should not talk about suicide in general:
Talking about suicide is not a taboo anymore. Talking about suicide seriously does not create or increase suicide risk. In fact it reduces the risk.
3. People who commit suicide do not talk of it :
People who attempt suicide usually talk about it directly or indirectly. Not taking the talk seriously leads to many deaths by suicide.
4. Suicide is committed more by an individual who has mental issues:
Not all people who commit suicide are mentally ill and all who are mentally ill are likely to commit suicide.
5. An Individual who attempts suicide will not try again:
Prior suicidal behaviour is a major risk factor among individuals. Statistics tell us that rate of suicide among those who have attempted before is 40 times higher than general population.
6. Suicide is more among poor (economical) people:
Individuals belonging to all social and economic strata have comparable rates of suicide. Each individual’s life situation and insight into it is very important factor rather than general social condition.
7. Suicidal behaviour cannot be modeled
Suicide is a learned behaviour. It can be modeled from parents to children. An individual’s risk of suicide increases if family member has ended life by suicide.
8. Youth are at greater risk of suicide
All ages are at risk of suicide. Currently, the suicide rate among all ages is almost the same.
9. Suicides are more caused because of one stressful situation
A sudden stressful event may trigger thoughts of suicide but it is not the only reason, whereas other events and feelings which have been present over long period of time contribute to suicide.
10. An individual who comes out of the thoughts and feels better, one need not worry about them
A person feeling better means two things. One, the person has decided to live by seeing hope, secondly, the person has decided to die and no longer in conflict of whether to live or die
Last but not the least, we all have to remember is, ‘thoughts of suicide is common’, whereas any type of acting on thoughts of suicide and helping or supporting in these acts are illegal and punishable under the law in India. When you have thoughts of suicide seek help and support.
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