1,53,052 cases of suicide were reported in India in 2020. India lost more people to suicide than to the coronavirus pandemic. On a daily average, one can say that 418 suicides happened each day in India. Worldwide, about 800,000 people die of suicide. These alarming statistics prompt questions like why would someone does this? Why would they feel like this is the best decision for them? How could they find the courage in them to take their own life?
Daily wage labourers, followed by housewives, made up the greatest portion of those who died by suicide.
Daily wage workers struggled severely during the pandemic. They could not go to their families, and they could not find decent work where they were either. Without work, they had no money to survive and none to send home for their families to survive. The mental pressure from this living state was too much to bear.
As for Indian housewives in conventional households, daily life becomes torture. Many of them are confined to their in-laws’ homes as they cook, clean, and do the chores. They seldom have any money of their own and are restricted in many ways by their husbands and in-laws. Many women are also subjected to domestic violence. Such living conditions contribute to a large number of suicides, with one Indian woman killing herself every 25 minutes.
Another significant portion that makes up India’s suicide rates are students. Almost 34 students died of suicide each day in 2020. It is often assumed that students resort to suicide due to the extreme burden placed by the Indian examination system. Empirical findings of the latest data cancel this theory as 2020 was when examination pressure was at the lowest, with most students being promoted without any exams at all. These finding sheds light on various other factors that affect young children- factors that society assumes children have nothing to do with. These may include dysfunctional families, significant changes in the child’s environment, social and economic distress.
Those who die of suicide are often assumed to be ‘weak’ individuals. This ignorant and heartless assumption is incorrect. Stigmatization of mental health issues and their related treatment lowers an individual’s prospects of recovery, worsening their state of mind and driving them towards what seems like the only viable option. If you need help or know someone who does, seek help from professionals. Hope, Faridabad’s best psychology clinic, can help you understand your concerns and overcome them.
What are some warning signs of suicide?
- Severe mood swings
- Aggressive behaviour
- Increased alcohol and drug use
- Reckless behaviour
- Withdrawal from friends, work, family
What are some risk factors?
- Family history of suicide and substance abuse
- Access to firearms or potentially dangerous substances like flammable fuels, stockpiled medication, knives, and poisonous substances.
- Sexism- lesser pay, lesser freedom, more burdens
- Lack of support and increased pressure for members of the LGBTQ community
- Continuous bullying
- Trauma/abuse
- Prolonged stress
- Recent tragedy/ loss
How to help someone in such a state?
- Always seek professional help either from their psychiatrist or from helplines
- Remove potentially dangerous objects like those mentioned above
- Try to have a calm conversation, ask open-ended questions and listen silently without jumping to give advice
- If there are many people present in the room, speak one at a time
- Do not argue or make the individual feel threatened
Suicide affects all ages, and it is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. There are long-term impacts to suicide. People who attempt suicide and survive might have serious physical injuries and mental health issues. Receiving professional help at the earliest stage possible is crucial to preventing suicide. Seek the best psychological care at Hope- The Psychology Clinic Faridabad. Suicide is preventable, and it is certainly not the only choice.
Charu Aganpal
Hope- The Psychology Clinic
2142, Sector 28, HBC
Near Geeta Hospital, Faridabad
To book your appointment:
Call/message- 9999409435
