World Suicide Prevention Day: Causes, signs and ways to prevent it!

The world is observing the 16th World Suicide Prevention Day on December 10, 2018. But unfortunately, many of us do not know anything about it, and of course have never done anything to take the movement forward.

The awareness day was first observed by International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), keeping in mind the increasing number of suicides across the world.

As per a data released by WHO, a person commits suicide in every 40 seconds in this world which takes the total to over 40 lakh suicides in a year. The shocking number is the result of people misunderstanding mental illnesses with madness and hesitating to visit a doctor. People believe that psychiatrists are only for mad people.

What are the causes of suicide?

The cause of suicide can vary from person to person, but some common reasons are:

• Mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.
• Substance abuse (primarily alcohol abuse)
• Family history of suicide
• Difficulties in relationship with girlfriend/boyfriend, wife, other family members or close friends
• Losing hope of something really important
• Death of a loved one, loss of an important relationship, loss of employment or self-esteem
• Unbearable emotional or physical pain

How to trace if someone has a suicidal tendency?

• The person will show the signs of clinical depression
• Will cut off from family and friends
• Will always look sad and hopeless
• Will show no interest in the activities happening around them
• Will always look short of energy
• May have different sleep patterns
• The body weight may decrease or increase
• Keep speaking negative about oneself
• Keep mentioning about suicide or death while talking or writing

Many people believe that people willing to commit suicide always seem sad, but they may also be filled with excessive amount of energy. Restlessness, agitation and hyperactivity may indicate an underlying depression that is being concealed.

It is often believed that someone might be talking about suicide, but he will not do it. But to be very precise, this is a warning sign that the person is at greater risk.

How we can help?

We should never shy away from talking to someone about suicide. If you find that any of your acquaintances is considering suicide, you yourself go to him/her and talk about their situation. It will lighten up their heart and their intensity of ending their life will diminish.

Apart from this, we can also keep asking them direct questions about their wish instead of ignoring to talk about it.

If these things do not help, try inspiring the person to visit a doctor and narrate the entire story.

The other possible ways to prevent suicides is to spread awareness about mental ailments through more such campaigns like ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’, by bringing the issue in the mainstream companies, schools, colleges and other such institutions, so that we collectively create a group of such people who suffer in silence.

Once the people will get to know their condition better, they will be more equipped to deal with these issues.