Monday, September 10, 2012

Prevent Suicide - World Suicide Prevention Day

Suicide is the process of purposely ending one's own life. The way societies view suicide varies widely according to culture and religion. For example, many Western cultures, as well as mainstream Judaism, Islam, and Christianity tend to view killing oneself as quite negative. One myth about suicide that may be the result of this view is considering suicide to always be the result of a mental illness. Some societies also treat a suicide attempt as if it were a crime.

The effects of suicidal behavior or completed suicide on friends and family members are often devastating. Individuals who lose a loved one to suicide (suicide survivors) are more at risk for becoming preoccupied with the reason for the suicide while wanting to deny or hide the cause of death, wondering if they could have prevented it, feeling blamed for the problems that preceded the suicide, feeling rejected by their loved one, and stigmatized by others. Survivors may experience a great range of conflicting emotions about the deceased, feeling everything from intense emotional pain and sadness about the loss, helpless to prevent it, longing for the person they lost, and anger at the deceased for taking their own life to relief if the suicide took place after years of physical or mental illness in their loved one.

The official World Suicide Prevention Day Facebook event page opens your eyes to a tragedy worse than death. On this page are daughters and sons, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, locked in the cellar of sorrow, recalling how they lost their loved ones to suicide.

Millions across the globe will join them on Monday to light candles by their windows (at 8 p.m.) to emphasise that life is not meant to be thrown away and that suicide is preventable.

Maithri, a voluntary agency working to prevent suicides, will be instrumental in Kochi joining the worldwide commune of volunteers, health experts and others in renewing the city’s pledge to protect life.

Maithri, which operates a helpline (0484-2540530 and 8606222666) all days of the week between 10 a. m. and 7 p. m., is organising a day-long programme. A kite-flying session on Marine Drive at 5 p.m. will be the highlight of the day.

Young Indians are more likely to commit suicide than previously thought, especially those living in wealthier and more educated regions, according to a study on Friday that experts say suggests India's rapid development is driving many youths to despair.

Opportunities that have come with two decades of economic boom and open markets have also brought more job anxiety, higher expectations and more pressure to achieve, mental health experts said.

India has some of the world's highest suicide rates, with many believing the biggest risk group to be rural farmers facing debt after poor harvests.

The WHO reports about 1 million suicides a year, which would be a rate of about 14 per 100,000 in a global population of 7 billion. By comparison, the U.S. had 37,790 suicides in 2010, or a rate of 12.2 per 100,000, while India's rate under the Lancet's projected suicide tally of 187,000 would be near 16 - far higher than earlier reports and estimates of around 10.

In UK the government has promised to put £1.5m into research exploring how to prevent suicides among those most at risk of taking their own lives.

The pledge comes as ministers unveiled a suicide prevention strategy that aims to cut the suicide rate and provide more support to bereaved families

Funding will be used to look at how the number of suicides can be reduced among people with a history of self-harm.

Researchers will also focus on cutting suicides among children and young people and exploring how and why suicidal people use the internet.

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