Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 700,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds. Around 20 more make a suicide attempt during that time, without success.
Sri Lanka’s suicide deaths stood at an all-time high in 1995, according to police records, with 57 per 100,000 people. The suicide rate has fallen drastically since then and now stands at about 14 persons for every 100,000 Sri Lankans. No, Sri Lanka does not lead the world’s suicide charts.
Suicide is a very delicate issue that concerns a person’s privacy and family and the media should handle it carefully. Since the term “committed suicide” may impart guilt to the victim(s), foreign TV networks and newspapers use a relatively new term – “death by suicide” or in the past tense, “died by suicide”.
The media have a major role to play in preventing suicides. We have seen how some newspaper reports and TV news bulletins (especially the vernacular ones) glorify suicide, giving step-by-step details on how the suicide was attempted or committed. This is highly unethical and totally unnecessary. Sometimes, gory pictures of the deceased are carried without any attempt being made to conceal the identity of the said person(s).
Media coverage
This again is unethical and could be distressing not only to the relatives but also the public at large. The publication of any details must be measured against the impact that it would cause among the general population. In fact, some countries such as Norway have long restricted the mention of ‘suicide’ in the media coverage of such deaths and media outlets rarely include details of how these deaths occurred. Also, media coverages of suicides must include a helpline number.
There are also some songs and teledramas that seem to glorify suicide and show it as a solution for all life’s ills. Love that ends in heartbreak is often a target for suicide in these songs and teledramas. Young people may be inspired to follow a similar path by watching these programs.
Suicides by high-profile persons may inspire copycat suicides. Suicide may seem to be a heroic act for some in this background. The media can highlight what led to these deaths and show others the futility of ending one’s life to get away with life’s problems.
It has been noted that education per se is not a bar to suicide. Several suicides that we came across in the news recently were of university graduates and other similarly educated persons. Unfortunately, the education received in school or university in Sri Lanka does not really focus much on emotional well-being, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills as much as it focuses on academic achievements. These elements must be inculcated in children from the early grades. Faced with a major crisis in life, many people have no coping mechanism and veer towards suicide. The lack of “emotional literacy” is a huge stumbling block.
According to expert definitions and opinions, suicide is the result of a convergence of genetic, psychological, social and cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss. Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide many other persons suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected.
Suicide is preventable
But the saddest fact about suicide is that it is preventable if help is sought either by the suicidal person or those close to him to her. The latter option may not always be possible because some persons may not exhibit any sign of depression or other behavioural changes ahead of their decision to die by suicide.
Help is always available, no matter the extent of helplessness and despair. One of the most visible help-lines in Sri Lanka is Sumithrayo. The organisation was founded over 40 years ago and offers free over the phone, face-to-face, and online counselling. Its volunteers remain anonymous, which they say lowers the mental barrier to calling for help, and protects client confidentiality.
The World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), which fell yesterday (Sept.10), is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
This year is the first WSPD with the theme “Creating hope through action” and the same theme will continue until 2023. This theme is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in all of us. By creating hope through action, we can signal to people experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them. It also suggests that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling.
Suicide is not a solution for any of life’s problems and ideally should not be seen as one. There are alternative coping mechanisms that one can adopt. Experts have called for equipping young people with the correct skills to cope with failure, to deal with rejection by peers, parents or lovers and to manage interpersonal relationships.
People going through psychological distress often feel completely alone. But mental health advocates urge people to speak to someone near and dear and if that is not possible, to pick up the phone and ask for help from professional counsellors. However, in the more remote areas face-to-face access to professional counsellors may be limited. Some have suggested that all doctors should be trained in this, so that anyone can walk into a rural hospital and seek help if having suicidal tendencies.
Emotional pain
According to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Suicidal experiences are about overwhelming emotional pain where one feels trapped, alone and hopeless. It is not their life that they wish to extinguish; it is this pain they want to kill”.
In most cases, if one helps to extinguish that pain or the root cause of that pain, the suicidal tendencies go away. One expert has commented that suicidal thoughts are a sign that perhaps it is not your life that needs to end, but the way that you are living your life that needs to end.
But the best way out of any such thoughts is to make friends with yourself and be nicer to yourself. Others may not be able to help you if you do not want or like to help yourself. Low self esteem can sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts. So, learn to think positively about yourself at all times and engage in an activity that makes you happy. There is no need to despair – remember, there are always people having worse problems than you. There always are solutions to life’s problems. Death does not solve any problems, only living does.