Busting The Myths About Suicide

Suicide is a very difficult subject to talk about. People often tip toe around the topic of depression and mental illnesses because they are afraid of what these words mean. What is it that we are so afraid of?

Only if we educate ourselves on the topic of suicide can we truly understand how we can prevent death by suicide. Thus, we are going to address some of the more common myths regarding suicide.

Myth 1: Suicidal ideations and thoughts are always a result of depression.

This is certainly not true. It is common that individuals suffer from depression for a period of time before they begin to have suicidal thoughts, but it is not necessary that one has to suffer from depression to experience these thoughts. The same goes for depression as well, it is not necessary that all individuals who experience depression have suicidal ideation. For that matter not all mental illnesses are linked to having suicidal ideation. Thoughts of killing oneself is a result of extreme feelings of despair and unhappiness that can be a result of a mental illness or situation specific (e. g. farmers who have experienced floods and drought).

Myth 2: Talking about suicide encourages someone to attempt suicide.

This absolutely not true. The reason suicide remains a stigma is because we fear addressing it. Since the topic is stigmatised individuals don’t know whom to talk to. Talking about suicide openly can actually help reduce stigma and allow individuals to try and seek help for their maladaptive thoughts.

Myth 3: If you are intelligent or have a high IQ you are less likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thought.

This is not only untrue but can be highly misleading as well. One’s intelligence and IQ don’t make them immune to experiencing suicidal thoughts or any mental illness for that matter. Anyone can be vulnerable to these ideations since suicide is usually situation specific and not specific to one’s intelligence level. This is why it is important to keep one’s mental health always in check and not disregard the possibility of having a mental illness or suicidal thoughts.

Myth 4: Suicide is sudden and unpredictable.

More often than not, there are always symptoms or signs that one is suicidal. Some of the signs to look out for are:

• Talking about killing oneself or wanting to die
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Searching for methods to kill oneself
• Feeling trapped and helpless
• Feeling like they don’t have a purpose
• Talking about oneself as a burden to others
• Withdrawing from others and isolating self
• Mood swings
• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Feeling anxious and agitated
• Acting reckless
• Getting estates or valuables in order e. g. Giving away objects of value and talking about plans regarding distributions of estate.

Myth 5: Individuals who are suicidal once are always suicidal.

Suicidal thoughts aren’t permanent. These thoughts are usually short-term and in most cases situation specific. There is a likelihood that the thoughts may return if not addressed properly there is no evidence that suggests that individuals are perpetually suicidal. This makes it all the more important to acknowledge these thoughts and seek professional help.

Myth 6: Individuals who are suicidal want to die.

Those who are suicidal, view suicide as a solution to their life’s problems. They are often uncertain and ambiguous about killing themselves which is why they show multiple signs before they attempt to die by suicide. Some signs can be extremely apparent (talking about wanting to die and having no purpose) while some others are more veiled (Disturbances in sleep patterns and mood swings). Individuals who are suicidal are in such despair that they are incapable to find a rational solution to their problem and look towards ending their life as the best possible solution for their difficulties.

Facts of Suicide

Now that we have busted some myths about suicide it is important to look at some facts that shed a light on why it is so important for us at an individual level should educate on topics like mental health and as to why it is also important to have a suicide prevention strategy at the governmental level.

• Statistics show that women are more likely to attempt suicide while men are more likely to die by suicide. This is largely because men employ more lethal means as compared to women.
• The most common method used to attempt suicide in India is by ingesting poisons/ pesticides and hanging. This is largely due to its accessibility.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals aged 15-39.
• Around 8,00,000 people die every year, worldwide, from suicide and India, alone, counts for 17% of this number.
• A student loses their life to suicide almost every hour in India. This highlights the importance of introducing school-based interventions.
• Suicide is one the most preventable, if not the most, preventable form of death in the world.

It is quite apparent that the myths regarding suicide and the statistics on suicide are alarming. Suicide is a heavy topic and very difficult one address due to the stigma surrounding it. If we were to normalise seeking help do you think things would be different?

Topics of mental illnesses, especially topics related to depression and suicide, have been in and out of the picture for as long as we can remember. It is pushed into the spotlight when celebrated artists die by suicide, like in the case of- Sushant Singh Rajput, Preksha Mehta, Pratyusha Banerjee, Kushal Punjabi, Sai Prashanth, Jiah Khan and the list goes on. How many more lives do we have to lose, actors, singers and even the unnamed fellow citizens, before we take mental health more seriously. It is not just important that it is given the spotlight but we have to make sure it stays their long enough that it is no longer veiled by the stigma that has surrounded it for so long.

Trying to understand why someone would be compelled towards taking their own life can be difficult. The process of grieving after losing a loved one in itself is a difficult task, but for suicide it is especially traumatic because not only do they have to come to terms with a loved one’s death but they are also confronted with a lot more question and very little closure. There are various forms of questions and thoughts that interfere with the bereavement process:

• There is a lot of anger especially in the case of a parent losing their child- “How dare you leave me behind”; “Why did you never tell me that you were going through this?”
• There is often self-blame involved when they ask questions like- “could I have done something different?”; “Did I overlook the symptoms and signs?”.
• There are also the ‘what ifs’ – “what if I had stayed in touch?”; “what if I had called or messaged her/him?”.
• Some even stay in denial and have the need to blame someone- “This was staged, they couldn’t have taken their own life”; “This was murder”.

Unfortunately, these thoughts and questions can’t change what has already happened. This is why grief counselling can provide support to come to terms with such traumatic forms of death.

In order to prevent death by suicide there needs to be change at an individual level, at a family level and at a societal level. There is a long road ahead when it comes to spreading awareness about suicide. It is at a point of becoming an epidemic and the time to act is now. Any time someone attempts to share their feelings and thoughts, don’t push them away or offer an alcoholic beverage. Instead offer them an empathetic ear and a shoulder. If the individual shows signs of deteriorating mental state guide them towards seeking professional help (professional help refers to psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist). It is never too early to seek help. Early intervention is the best intervention.

*For more information on the suicide helpline numbers (available based on your state and region) please visit http://www.aasra.info/helpline.html

Kommajosyula Nivedita Member since June 15, 2020

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I am a psychologist by profession and passionate about spreading awareness about mental health through my writing. Hope you enjoy my articles!

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