Tipping over the edge of life is a difficult task. It is supposed to take a lot to reach this point of no return, but once you arrive here the dangers are that you may not see beyond despair and desperation. ‘Hope’ is a word that you would rather avoid but desperately seek. ‘Giving up’ you befriend but know that it is your deadliest enemy.
Such is the state of mind when one of the most common mental health problem sets in. The WHO estimates that one in five men and one in seven women will suffer from clinical depression at some point of time in their life. What is also disturbing is that there has been an increase in rates of suicide among adolescents and young adults when clinical depression or other mental disorder is absent?
This raises question of the probability of risk factors that trigger suicide attempts amongst young adults. Can we show some sensitivity while discussing suicide?
One risk factor that has emerged and needs to be considered is suicide "contagion," a process by which exposure to the suicide or suicidal behavior of one or more persons influences others to commit or attempt suicide.
Young adults, who are feeling down or feel that their life is no good tend to make errors in their thinking. Their tendencies for arbitrary inferences often minimizes the positive and magnifies the negative. At such times, all one needs are triggers that could induce thoughts of endings rather than beginnings.
In particular, nonfictional newspaper, social media and television coverage of suicide have been associated with a statistically significant excess of suicides. This effect of contagion appears to be strongest among adolescents.
At a national workshop in the US in the early 1990’s which included suicidologists, public health officials, researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and news media professionals deliberations on what should be some rules that might need to be considered that could hinder suicide contagion was deliberated upon. Following this workshop, a mandate was suggested that required to curtail or limit reporting of suicide especially youth suicide. Sadly such directives do not seemed to be followed in our State.
Although news media professionals are requested to decrease the prominence of the news report and avoid the use of dramatic photographs related to the suicide, one often finds exactly the opposite. What is even more disturbing is that various social media sites (which include all of us) send vivid details and photographs, like the one circulating of the 17 year old boy and 14 year old girl who committed suicide by hanging. It is not surprising that it followed the earlier reports of suicide by the famous actor/model.
Thus presenting suicide as a tool for accomplishing certain ends or as a means of coping with personal problems (e.g., the break-up of a relationship or retaliation against parental discipline) may suggest suicide as a potential coping mechanism to at-risk persons.
Imagine other 17 year olds going through this image. They are not going to decipher the contents, nor see the irrationality of the decision the youth took. In their own hopeless state of a love affair going wrong, such could be a decision being taken.
Additionally glorifying suicide or persons who commit suicide through reports of community expression of grief maybe mistaken as honoring suicidal behavior of the deceased rather than mourning the person’s death. For news worthiness often the deceased is glamourized having positive qualities and being driven to contemplate suicide as helpless means of dealing with the problem results in suicidal behavior seemingly attractive to other at-risk persons , especially those who rarely receive positive reinforcement for desirable behaviors.
The complexities of human existence is such that there are no easy answers on how to live. But what helps finally is our own initiative to seek help. To have more good days than bad days we need constant maintenance. Like a machine, our physical, mental and emotional health requires upkeep.
Often, we let the problem boil to a point that it erupts into a major disability to lead a normal life. Especially psychological problems such as anxiety, stress, depression, and fear, we hesitate to think that we may need someone to help us cope with these emotional conflicts.
Why do we shy away from visiting a specialist who could probably guide us through this process? Why do we suffer in silence? What stops us from visiting a counsellor, psychotherapist or psychiatrist for help?
Sometimes, all it takes are small changes, a mere awareness, and a simple paradigm shift to cope with the problem. Yet we let the emotions and thoughts stew and wait for it to become severely damaging to the extent that coping becomes a difficult strategy. This is where hopelessness begins to dawn and despair takes over.
Mental health is about well-being. It is about our ability to enjoy life, experience enriching relationships and maximize our potential. This we often take for granted and believe that well-being is an automated aspects of life. To be happy and have a good quality of life does not happen by default. Problems in life are just as common as having no problems. The good days nor the bad days are going to last forever. This is the message to take forward.
