India has been on World Health Organization’s list recently all for the wrong reasons. This time we are dealing with the negative impact of suicide. Its rates are steadily rising. According to the Lancet Public Health Review, our country accounts for over a third of the world's annual female suicides and nearly a fourth of male suicides, a significant rise in global share from 1990.
While the Mental Health Care Act 2017 will ensure a few effective steps from the government, we need to play our part too. Here are top three ways we all can help the people in need as well as our loved ones.
BEING MORE CONSIDERATE TO EVERYONE
Everyone has their own problems and personal ways to cope with the daily struggles of life. Some people have better coping mechanisms than the others. Often a huge personal, financial or familial loss leaves people clueless on how to deal with the huge blow of sorrow or disappointment. They quickly fall into depression.
We as responsible members of the society should be on the constant lookout for people needing help. A majority tend to hide their symptoms due to fear or shame, especially in Indian Society. Being a good empathic listener can do wonders to people suffering from depression or anxiety.
Also we need to educate ourselves with the common suicide warning signs and factors. This will help us identify any potential mishaps. For instance if we start the very act from our own homes and are considerate to our own family members we can cut India’s suicide rates to a large extent.
HELPING THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY SUICIDAL
Suicide in some cases can be a surprise but in the majority of cases the individual tends to give all the predictable warning signs. We should make maximum effort to help them in the early stages of suicidal ideation. Those who already have attempted suicide should not be judged at all. They should be given extra care and be observed at all times.
One can reach out to local NGOs, Government Agencies or Counsellors to seek the proper course to help such people. Kyts for instance runs educational and awareness campaigns on various sensitive topics including suicide in and around Bangalore all the time. Kyts also has a steady team of Counsellors who provide affordable counselling services in non- judgmental spaces. You can always reach out to Kyts for any assistance or counselling needs.
BREAKING THE STIGMA AND CREATING AWARENESS
Let’s accept for a moment that we as Indians have an inherent tendency to look down upon mental health. It’s not something that we readily acknowledge or give much heed to until it’s too late. The rising suicide rates are an indication of this. The present adult generation of Millennials in India are more sad, lonely and frustrated than the whole of India ever was. With growing urbanization, shallow relationships and capitalism, no one has the time to listen to one another nor do they trust each other. Spreading awareness that we are in fact facing a suicide crisis should be our first step. Once we break the barriers and make the topic commonplace, something to be discussed and taken action upon, the stigma associated with suicides and mental health will naturally fall. This needs to be a common theme in schools, colleges and offices.
Let’s take the first step ourselves and do our minor part in spreading awareness. Feel free to share the theme and information about Suicide Awareness both online and offline.
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