My Profile
Active Members
TodayLast 7 Days
more...
Awards & Gifts
Online Exams
Fresher Jobs
Our fresher job section is exclusively for fresh graduates! Find jobs for freshers in major Indian
cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune or Kochi
Resources
Find educational articles, blogs, discussion threads and other resources.
Colleges
Find details about any college in India or search for courses.
|
Suicide – a growing phenomenon
Posted Date: 06 Jul 2007 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: General
|
Posted By: B.SENTHIL KUMAR Member Level: Gold
Rating:  Points: 1
|
|
|
The growing number of suicide cases, especially among the youth, is indeed alarming. It is important that these young people learn to cope with stress. Malini Shah investigates into this (in)famous tendency of ending one’s life
The increasing competition in every field demands that extra edge; not everyone is able to cope with the inevitable stress, and ending one’s life seems to be becoming the only‘solution’ for any kind of setback. Suicides have become a common phenomenon, especially among the youth. Depression caused due to failure in academics is a common factor that drives students to take this extreme step. It is important to understand that suicide is not a solution to any problem. One has to learn to accept failure and use it as a learning curve and stepping stone to success.
In technical terms, suicide isa complex set of behaviors. It is neither an illness nor a condition. For example, someone you know may wish he or she were dead, but would never intend to act on those thoughts. There might be others who give it a thought, but don’t have any plan of action. There may be yet others who may have the plan and also the intension to take the drastic step.
According to psychiatrist Dr Nirmala S Rao,“A number of medical, biological, psychological and social factors are involved in this kind of behavior. These vary according to age, gender, culture and time.” She lists down eight common risk factors:
A prior suicide attempt
Psychiatric disorders like depression, schizophrenia, etc
Alcohol or substance abuse
A family history of mental disorders or substance abuse
A family history of suicide
Physical or sexual abuse
Family violence
Significant ailments like cancer or chronic pain
“It is impossible to accurately predict who will attempt suicide,” says Pradnya Aklekar, a counsellor who specialises in helping people deal with emotional difficulties. They conceal their state of mind as psychiatric problems are a strong social stigma.Untreated depression (which can be caused due to several reasons ranging from failure to negative experiences) is the major cause for suicide.Ignoring stereotypical thoughts and helping people cope with their weaknesses can help reduce the number of suicide cases to a great extent. Dr Rao notes that over 90 per cent of people who commit suicide suffer from some mental illness at the time of their death. They do not shown any warning signs.
Is there a cure?
The best way to get a person out of suicidal temptation is boosting his/her confidence. However, in order to do this it is important to identify whether it is depression or lack of confidence that has led the person to this stage. Depression is caused by the decrease in the secretion of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. There are medicines that increase levels of serotonin, thus reducing suicidal behaviour.
Suicidal behaviour can also be a result of impulsive behavior rather than a specific psychiatric illness. There is no cure for this whatsoever.
Preventing suicide
People who have‘protective’ factors— the opposite of risk factors— are less likely to attempt suicide. Protective factors include effective and appropriate medical care, easy access to treatment, family or community support, skills in problem solving and conflict resolution, and cultural and religious beliefs against suicide.
Understanding helps prevent suicide.“Recognising depression, substance abuse and other disorders associated with suicide could give way to open discussions. You could then help the concerned person to steer appropriate treatment,” says Dr Rao.
Helping a person overcome depression is essential. But be warned! It is a well-known fact that as a person begins to overcome the weak state of mind, the possibility of a suicide attempts increases! Perhaps the level of depression has reduced because the person has finally made up his/her mind to end their life. Another reason for this is, once in a better state of mind, the person finds the strength to take the drastic step. Regardless of the reason, however, this is a very critical time.
Becoming aware of the factors that may lead a family member or friend at risk of suicide can help you keep them off the path to permanent self-destruction. Awareness of this person's vulnerability can help one guide them to treatment— and hope
|
Responses
|
No responses found. Be the first to respond and make money from revenue sharing program.
|
|
Watch TV Channels
|