Top Health Tips on Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts

Although there is no single reason why someone may have suicidal tendencies, certain things can increase the risk. An individual is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if he has a mental health condition like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The vulnerability also increases in cases of alcoholism, drug abuse or poor job security. It may not be possible to prevent suicidal thoughts, but keeping one's mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships can help one deal better with stress.

It can be very upsetting, when someone says things which sound as if the person is considering suicide. One may not be sure what to do to help, as to whether one should take talk of suicide seriously or if intervention might make the situation worse. Taking action is always the best choice. One of the best things one can do if someone is feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say. One can provide the best help by listening and not being judgemental. If the person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, one can take advice from his care team.

One should avoid offering solutions. While listening, do not give in to the temptation of providing a solution. One should ask open ended questions so that the person remains in control and expresses his feelings. On the contrary, it will offer an opportunity to talk about feelings, which may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. Ensure that the person is not left on his own, if there is immediate danger. One cannot always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide, so one must be on the lookout for warning signs. The warning signs could be talking about suicide, buying or stocking pills, withdrawing from social life, increase in alcohol or drugs, personality changes like severely agitated and saying goodbye to people as if seeing them for the last time. It is also important that one does not make judgements about how a person is thinking or behaving.

After listening to their feelings, one may feel that certain aspects of their thinking and behaviour are making their problems worse. But pointing this out will not be particularly helpful to them. Reassurance, respect and support will only help someone during these difficult periods. As a final note, one must realise that talking to someone about their feelings is not long lasting and can help them feel safe and secure temporarily. A professional help can provide the long-term support to help someone overcome their suicidal tendencies. That will the person to deal with the primary issues behind someone's suicidal thoughts, besides offering advice and support.

Although there is no single reason why someone may have suicidal tendencies, certain things can increase the risk. An individual is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if he has a mental health condition like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The vulnerability also increases in cases of alcoholism, drug abuse or poor job security. It may not be possible to prevent suicidal thoughts, but keeping one's mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships can help one deal better with stress.

It can be very upsetting, when someone says things which sound as if the person is considering suicide. One may not be sure what to do to help as to whether one should take talk of suicide seriously, or if intervention might make the situation worse. Taking action is always the best choice. One of the best things one can do if someone is feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say. One can provide the best help by listening and not being judgemental. If the person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, one can take advice from his care team.

One should avoid offering solutions. While listening, do not give in to the temptation of providing a solution. One should ask open-ended questions so that the person remains in control and expresses his feelings. On the contrary, it will offer an opportunity to talk about feelings which may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. Ensure that the person is not left on his own, if there is an immediate danger. One cannot always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide, so one must be on the lookout for warning signs. The warning signs could be talking about suicide, buying or stocking pills, withdrawing from social life, increase in alcohol or drugs, personality changes like severely agitated and saying goodbye to people as if seeing them for the last time. It is also important that one does not make judgements about how a person is thinking or behaving.

After listening to their feelings, one may feel that certain aspects of their thinking and behaviour are making their problems worse. But pointing this out will not be particularly helpful to them. Reassurance, respect and support will only help someone during these difficult periods. As a final note, one must realise that talking to someone about their feelings is not long lasting and can help them feel safe and secure temporarily. Professional help can provide long-term support to help someone overcome their suicidal tendencies. That will the person to deal with the primary issues behind someone's suicidal thoughts, besides offering advice and support.

Have you noticed yourself feeling diminished consistently? Do you find yourself apologizing to your partner even despite being on the receiving end of your lover s bad behavior? Have you been feeling that your partner takes you for granted and also takes advantage of you? If the answer of these questions is a YES then it establishes that your partner could be manipulating you emotionally.
Being in a relationship with an emotional manipulator may not only scar you emotionally but also cause severe damage to you in the long run. Here are some warning signs to watch out for:

1. Your partner diminishes your feelings: Emotional manipulators are selfish people and are concerned solely about themselves and their desires. They do not care about your feelings and when you try to share some grief or feelings, they may turn you down by saying you are stupid or are over-reacting. Sometimes, their manipulative nature makes you think that they are right. An emotional manipulator also does not apologize and blames you for something, which is actually their fault.

2. Your partner often lets you down: If you get insulted, embarrassed or are made fun of by your partner frequently, especially in public, he or she is likely to be an emotional manipulator. The person is likely to prey on all your insecurities. You may be made fun of in front of your family and friends, by your partner, which crosses the limit of joking. Even if you convey that you are hurt by these actions, they do not change.

3. Your partner blames you for their bad behavior: An emotional manipulator will never take the blame or responsibility of their bad deeds. Instead, they will try to put the entire blame on you with lame justifications. If your partner could be manipulating you emotionally, it is likely that he or she would ask you over and over about your feelings.

4. Your partner does not explain themselves: Emotional manipulators are likely to hold back their issues and do not bother to explain their actions. Actually, such people do not intend to connect emotionally with you. They will try to impose themselves upon you and feel that they are superior than you. Such people get angry very easily if you cannot manage time for them.

5. Your partner changes ways only after extremities: Emotional manipulators do not care about your feelings and when you are fed up and want to leave, they start overreacting and promise to make positive changes. However, after a while they regain their previous attitude.

If you relate with the above mentioned pointers, it is possible that your partner might be manipulating you emotionally. The best way to deal with such a situation is to seek professional help from a Psychologist and work around the problem. If your partner does not agree for professional help, at least you must take guidance to protect your mental and emotional well-being.

Sadly, millions of people around the world attempt to commit suicide every day. This can be defined as the act of purposefully taking one s life. There can be many causes for a person to take this extreme step but in most cases, the person gives out warning signs before committing suicide. It is important for us as family and friends to look out for these signs and protect our loved ones.

Social withdrawal: When a person loses interest in things he or she likes to do normally or starts keeping a distance from others, it may be cause for concern. Social withdrawal is one of the most common symptoms of depression. Depression could in many cases trigger suicidal thoughts.
Focus on death: People having suicidal thoughts may talk openly about death and wanting to die. Do not take this lightly. In other cases, they may be fixated on death and begin researching various ways to take their life. This could also take the form of buying a gun, sleeping pills or a sharp knife.
Despair: Nobody likes listening to others crib but in many cases, this may be a way for a depressed person to seek help. Many people commit suicide not to end their lives but to end the physical or emotional pain they are suffering from.
Making Plans: People thinking of committing suicide may begin drafting suicide notes or start making plans to get rid of their belongings. This could be in the form of a sudden garage sale or drawing up a will.
Reckless behavior: People who are depressed and contemplating suicide may show signs of reckless behavior as they think they have nothing to lose. They could start drinking excessively or doing drugs or even have unprotected sexual intercourse. Drugs and alcohol could also be a way for them to lessen their pain. Driving under the influence or driving too fast could also be a sign to look out for.
How can you help?
If you do notice something strange, do not ignore it. Try talking to the person and help them express their frustration in words. Find ways for them to meet more people and do something different. You should also encourage the person to talk to a professional mental health care expert. If you are in a situation where someone threatens suicide, do not leave them alone. Try to calm them down and call for help immediately.

Of late, are you experiencing suicidal thoughts as a result of some severe trauma or loss in life? Suicidal thoughts may arise because of several reasons when you lose yourself totally and feel that you are not worthy enough for living in the world anymore. Such thoughts lead many people into actually committing suicide. Hence, you have to deal with suicidal thoughts carefully and prevent anything bad from happening.

Here are 10 useful ways through which you can deal with suicidal thoughts:

Although you may feel like withdrawing yourself from all activities and socializing, it is important for you to talk to someone every day regarding your thoughts and what you are going through. Spend time with someone you trust. You can also call a crisis helpline and discuss your feelings.
You have to develop an efficient safety plan. The plan must include the contact number of your doctor, friends and family who would help you during a crisis.
Try to make a written schedule for yourself and follow it strictly. Keeping and maintaining a scheduled life is important for your mental health and will keep you diverted from suicidal or negative thoughts.
Spend time in the sun and get into nature for at least one hour every day. This will help you to connect with something full of life and is important for eliminating suicidal tendencies.
Daily exercise is also very important. You should exercise for 30 minutes every day. The bursts of activity and exertion will have a positive impact on your mind.
You should devote your time for things which you like to do, but could never continue them in life. This will give you joy and a positive vibe, which is essential for fixing your mind.
You should not forget about your personal goals. Think about the things you dreamt of doing, the places you planned to visit, and all the things in life you want to accomplish. This will bring back your hope of living in order to fulfill those goals.
You should promise yourself not to do anything when you think of suicide. You need some distance between thoughts and actions. Promise yourself that you will not do anything stupid and will wait.
Consuming alcohol and taking drugs can trigger your suicidal thoughts rapidly. Hence, you should not take these substances as an escape from your conflicting thoughts.
It is also important for you to make your home safe. You should remove all the things, which you may use to hurt yourself such as knives, pills, razors or firearms. You should go to a safe place and avoid being alone when you experience suicidal thoughts.

A new type of psychology called Positive Psychology is having a radical impact on people s lives. It has offered many techniques like radical acceptance, focusing on gratitude, openness, and resonating with the positive. People are improving the quality of their lives with these techniques. Today we are going to discuss two of them Openness and Acceptance and what benefits do they offer.

Openness and How it Helps

Openness to experience is used to study and measure the individual differences in personality of different people. There are certain benefits to people who have a high level of openness to experience.

They tend to enjoy venturing beyond their comfort zone. They are always eager to seek out new and unconventional experiences like travelling to new places, embracing different cultures and practices.

Higher levels of openness can lead a person to be more open to novel or unconventional ideas. This results in a higher level of creativity and a radical perspective.

People with low openness to experience are happier to seek refuge in their comfort zone and familiar surroundings. They are likely to pass opportunities like making a drastic career change, travelling to exotic places. They adhere to set routines and schedules and prefer the tried-and-tested familiarity of traditions.

Acceptance and How it Helps

Improving the quality of one s life begins with acceptance. In psychology, acceptance occurs when a situation or scenario, usually negative, is acknowledged and accepted by an individual. The goal is to develop a complete acceptance of all situations and emotions, and to all people, experiencing everything without mental reservations and blockages.

When you practice acceptance, you have more compassion for yourself. You will start forgiving yourself for your past mistakes and stop judging yourself so harshly. That is an amazing gift in itself. Moreover, the more you accept yourself, the more you accept others.

Acceptance helps us to become better problem solvers. Once we acknowledge reality and face the problem for what it is, we are in a better position to consider our options and choose an appropriate action plan.

Acceptance supports both our physical and emotional health. This is because resistance and denial can throw our peace of mind out of place. With acceptance, we are likely to have more energy because we no longer have to exert effort trying to avoid or deny our feelings.

Accepting our feelings helps us to know ourselves better because running away from our feelings can result in our being estranged from ourselves and forget who we are.

The words 'stress and 'anxiety' are often used interchangeably, but bear different meanings in medical terms. Stress is caused by particular situations or events in one's life that makes one feel frustrated, angry, worried or even anxious. The stress response is different for each individual such that the same event can often elicit disparate responses. For example:

Public speaking excites some but terrifies others;

Pressure from deadlines increases productivity in some but renders others paralyzed;

Difficult circumstances in family or friend settings find some eager to take control and others stricken with panic;

Social situations requiring people to voice their opinions are easy and comfortable for some but stressful for others;

Changes in the work environment are welcomed by some but not by others.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a general feeling of apprehension or fear, the source of which is not clearly defined. Anxiety disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions that cause excessive anxiety. They include:

Generalized Anxiety: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events);

Specific Phobia: A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of a particular type of object, animal, activity, or situation that poses little to no actual danger;

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviours that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). Often the person carries out the behaviours to get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only provides temporary relief (not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety);

Social Phobia: Social Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of situations that may involve scrutiny or judgment by others, such as parties and other social events.

Those suffering from anxiety disorders display such symptoms on a regular basis and thus have difficulty with daily activities and relationships. These symptoms present themselves sporadically and often without warning.

In many cases, anxiety is developed by overdue stress that is no longer linked to a specific cause.

Homeopathic Treatment for Stress and Anxiety:

Homeopaths for the last two centuries have been constantly pushing this theory of mind and physical body being deeply interconnected and about fixing the problem at a mental level that can often help the other. In homeopathy, mental symptoms of the patient are given the utmost importance. Constitutional treatment in homeopathy combines the understanding of both the psycho and the physiological profile of the patient, with the psychological profile being given more importance.

Homeopathic Medicines for Stress:

A number of homeopathic medicines are effective in treating disorders where one who has learnt the wrong way of handling or responding to stress.

Homeopathic remedies for stress - for the Classic - Type A Personality: Medicines such as Argentum Nitricum and Tarentula are very effective in controlling the accelerated behaviour of Type A people. Anxiety is very marked in such patients . Anxiety disorder is very effectively treated with homeopathy

Homeopathic remedies for stress: When Anger is the Key symptom: Stress manifests through anger in some patients .Nux Vomica and Staphysgaria are meant for the easily angered and impatient ones.

Homeopathic Medicines for stress: When grief is the cause: Ignatia and Natrum Mur where long-standing grief is a reason for stress response.

Homeopathic remedies for stress: for those who are 'Overworked': Kali phos is for a good individual who over-stretches himself physically and mentally. It is great homeopathic remedy for those have 'burnt out' their minds for over work.

Hi,

My name is Upasana hai aur mai ek counselling psychologist hun and I am also the founder of Mindscape Centre for Counseling & Psychological Well-Being. Hamara centre malviya nagar, south Delhi me hai. Aaj jis baare mein hum baat karne jaa rahe hain wo hai about communication skills, usually hum dekhte hain hamare environment mein relationships and communications ye 2 aise words hain jinke baare me bohot baat kari jaati hai. Ek insaan ki life mein relationships bohot essential maane jate hain saath hi saath us relationship me jo communication hai uske baare me bhi bohot charcha hoti hai. So we all understand ek relationship ko acche se chalane ke liye communication bohot important hai, but at the same time hame ye bhi dikhta hai ki jitna hum communicate karte hain utne hi hamare arguments aur differences bohot jyada nikal ke aate hain. So ek effective relationship ke liye ek effective communication bohot important hai aur kya techniques hain jo hum use kar sakte hain such that hum apne communications, apne relationships me better kar sake, we are going to talk about that today. I am going to tell you 5 communications skills jo apki life mein, apke relationships mein bohot saare differences la sakti hain.

Out of these 5 skills, 3 are going to be listening skills, hum kehte hain ki kabhi bhi hum jab baat-cheet karte hain it is not about only talking it is also very important ki hum kitne ache se dusre insaan ko sun paa rahe hain aur samajh paa rahe hain. So 3 listening skills I will tell you about today and 2 will be self-expression skills, jisme hum jo baat kar rahe hain use hum kitne acche se jahir kar sakenge. Skill no. 1 is the Disarming technique ye listening skill no. 1 hai. Ye sabse jyada difficult to apply hai, but ye jitni difficult to apply hai usse jyada powerful technique hai that we can use in our relationship. Now what does disarming technique means, it means ki aapke samne aapka kabhi koi friend, koi aapka romantic partner, aapki wife, aapka spouse koi bhi jab aapko koi cheez bolta hai, aapko criticise karta hai ya aapke saath disagreement karta hai, no matter how unreasonable, how irrational, how illogical it might seem to you, it is very important at that time to find out ki wo insaan jo bhi kuch keh rha hai usme kahin na kahin some grain of truth would be there. Kuch na kuch sacchayi jarur hogi in that thing he is saying to you.

It is important that you are able to accept the truth, acknowledge it to the other person and this person will get disarmed, that means if he is attacking you, criticising you with his own weapons, apni talwar lekar yadi wo aapko personally attack kar raha hai, criticise kar raha hai. Hamara ek automatic response hota hai defend karne ka aapni bhi talwar aur dhaal nikal ke apne aap ko protect karne ka. The disarming technique is basically that you are not able to defend yourself, but agree to what the other person is saying, In this process what happens is that this other person also feel accepted, does not feel to attack you further, feels validated and at the same time will be open to your opinion also because kabhi agar koi argument ya disagreement hota hai usme dono ke alag-alag viewpoints hain aur aap agar dusre ke viewpoint ko pehle accept kar lein so this other person will be very okay and acceptable to understand it. I will give you a small, short example of it, aap ghar pahunchte hain aur apki wife kehti hai ki aap hamesha hi late ate ho main to pareshaan ho gyi hun tumhara wait for kar-kar ke, you are always late and I do not like it. Now one is that you can give excuses ki main kaam hi kar raha tha wahan aish to nhi kar rha tha and usse further ek ladayi shuru ho sakti hai.

The first thing you can do is use the disarming technique by saying that I understand ki ye baat sach hai ki mai late hun and tumhara pura haq banta hai gussa hone ka and you can be mad at me I can understand. When you have said that to this other person, the person feel ki us insaan ne respect kiya, acknowledge kra ki haan wo late hai aur mera haq banta hai gussa hone ka. Wahan par hi apne jo dusra insaan angry tha usko calm kar diya hai, usko disarm kar diya hai, now this other person is more than open to understand that where you got stuck because I am sure even the wife understands that if you had not left the office by 5:30 aur agar aap 15 minute bhi late niklenge to shayad ghar pahunchne me aapko jyada late ho jayega. The idea is to take down argument at that moment and de-escalate them versus unko jyada escalate kare. Ab pura right hai aapko bolne ka, ki main ye technique kyun use karun. Kyunki irrational hai, merko us time pe gussa aa rha hai mai nhi disarm kar raha. You might not choose to do it, you might feel you are right to defend yourself, but the more you try to defend yourself wo argument badhti jayegi and it will be of no benefit. If you instead choose to use this technique, you will see the argument gets de-escalated and you will also be able to also able to tell your point of view at the same time your partner is also able to give their point of view. So this technique that is going to help you a lot if you use it, practice it more, the more effective it will become in your life.

Skill no. 2 is the empathy, empathy ka matlab hai ki aapne aap ko ek dusre insaan ki jagah pe rakh ke, uske thoughts ko, uski feelings ko samajhna. So it is very important when someone is talking to us that we are able to empathise. Jab bhi ek conflict hai to dono ki aap agar baat sunenge to dono ki baaton me kuch na kuch apko baat sahi jarur dikhegi, kyunki both of the people s version is going to be true and correct to some extent or the other, jab aap in that relationship, in that conflict and conversation ek dusre se baat karte hain, to agar aap dusre insaan ke prespective se cheezon ko dekhen, uske saath empathise karein, uske thoughts ke saath, uski feelings ke saath this other person again feels validated and he would feel understood and at the same time will feel better about it. So jaise ki aapke friend ya spouse na aapko bola kuch bhi ki tum hamesha ek hi particular tarike se behave karte ho mujhe bilkul pasand nhi hai ya tumse baat karne ka matlab hai deewar pe apna sar marne wali baat now here again you can get agitated and also you can feel ki aise kaise bol rhe ho tum merko, but at the same time you can also empathise with this person s thoughts and feelings you can say that I understand ki kuch time se aapko aisa lag rha hai ki mai aapko sun nhi rahi, aapko samajh nhi rahi and i know ki iski wajah se aap frustrated ho please tell me a little more about it so that is again somewhere you are also disarming, somewhere you are trying to understand ki is insaan ki thoughts aur feelings kya hain. Empathise karne ka ek bohot accha tarika jo hum use kar sakte hain wo ye hai ki jo insaan ne hame kuch bola hai usko shayad hum apne shabdon mein paraphrase kar sakte hain, usko out loud wapis bata sakte hain taki dusre insaan ko ye samajh me aye ki that you are also trying to listen to them versus rejecting what they are saying, so when you are empathising with the person it works very nicely when you are listening to them and listening for ki dusra insaan kya soch raha hai, kya mehsoos kar raha hai. Usko jab aap paraphrase karte hain wapis bol ke dekhte hain, the other person also feels all the more better about it.

Skill no. 3 is enquiry. Jo maine aap ko thodi der pehle example mein bataya ki that I understand ki you feel ki mujhse baat karne ka matlab ye ho raha hai ki I come across somebody who is stubborn because mujhse baat karke aapko lag raha hai ki aap deewar pe sar mar rahe ho, so tell me a little more about it is basically asking more questions, asking them in a manner gentle but probing ki aap kya jan na chah rahe ho, aap enquiry kar rahe ho because you want to know what this other person is feeling. When this other person is feeling ki mai actually important hun, I am being cared for, I am being appreciated, my partner wants to listen to me, giving that feeling from that enquiry in itself is helping the person cool down a little. Kyunki mostly hum dekhte hain ki arguments mein jab koi baat hoti hai to wo hamesha in the heat of the moment ya anger mein hoti hain. These listening techniques Disarming, Empathy and enquiry are helping the climate of that relationship at that point of time, helps tone it down a little, so these 3 listening skills if you start applying in your life, in your relationships you will see a lot of changes in how you are effectively communicating and you are much more in control of your relationships and your emotions. Ab baat ati hai self-expression ki, ki hamne baat to sun li dusre insaan ki but hame express karna hai ki how do we express it effectively. Sabse pehli self-expression techniques that I always talk about is I statements. Hum jab bhi baat karte hain you karke ki tumne aisa kra, tumhari wajah se mujhe gussa aa rha hai, so it is again attacking the other person. Every time you will attack the other person, he will defend and it will take on to be a constant battle which is fruitless. So when you use the I-statements, when you take the responsibility of how you are feeling in the relationship you are not attacking the other person, the other person then does not need to take out his things to defend himself.

To aap agar I-statements use kar rahe ho, aap bol rahe ho ki mujhe bura lag raha hai ya I feel sad aur I feel rejected aur I feel unloved and this is happening, you are not blaming the other person you are taking the responsibility on yourself, the other person is not feeling attacked and that is when he is able to calm down a little because then it is not about him it is about you and then he will be prone to helping you because ultimately aap ek relationship mein hain jisme dusra insaan aapko bhi samajhna chahega and ultimately when we are together we want to be happy, so they will also want to put those kinds of efforts. 2nd Self-expression technique jo hum use karte hain wo hai Stroking wherein we are giving messages out to people which calls appreciation in it aap appreciate kar rahe hain dusre insaan ko, aap positive messages bhej rahe hain. You know in our culture every human being basically chahta hai ki agar wo kisi bhi relationship mein hai, the major purpose we get in to a relationship is because we want to feel cared for, we want to feel loved and we want to feel appreciated. Unfortunately, in the society that we live in there is very less appreciation that happens and a lot of criticism that is always around us like how we are not doing the right thing aur how we are not being the perfect partner aur how we are not being a great co-worker.

When we get into this habit of stroking the other person, stroking means positive messages dena and ye messages repeatedly dete rehna. Wherein you are telling this other person how important is this other person is for you, how important is this relationship is for you it works all the more nicely. So when you make sure that even in that argument you give out that message ki hum dono is time gusse mein hain, hum dono ko is time shayad nahi samajh aa raha hai ek dusre ka point to view, but I know we value and care for each other and we will move through it. When you are giving a positive message like that, that time again you are creating an environment you are giving out a communication that despite the fact that we are disagreeing to what we are talking about despite the fact that I don t like the way you are doing anything, I am not attacking you as a person. Hamara disagreement hai but iska matlab ye nahi hai that we do not like each other, we do like each other, we do value each other and we have a disagreement and we will work upon it, when we are communicating things like that it becomes much more easier for people to go forward and resolve their conflicts in a much better manner. So these are the basic 5 techniques, disarming technique, empathy, enquiry and I-feel statements that you can use and stroking for effective communication. The more you start using them in your life the more changes you can see in your relationships and for any other relationships related conflicts or troubles that you have you can always get in touch with us at Mindscape Centre for Counseling & Psychological Well-Being.

Thank you!

Know more about myths and facts related to Suicidal Thoughts
Know more about myths and facts related to Suicidal Thoughts

Hi! I am Dr. Neha Shah, I am a consultant psychiatrist in Mumbai. 10th September was World Suicide prevention day and what better way to honor this day than to talk a little bit about the myths surrounding suicide.

The suicide rate in India is 21.1 per lakh population, that s one of the highest in the world. But most of the time we are immune to it and it doesn t affect us until we lose someone close to us and that s when there is a ripple of tragedy that affects not only the person himself but also the people surrounding, his family, his friends and everyone who knows him.

So what are some of the suicide myths?

The first one, is people who talk about 'wanting to die' are just asking for attention and are not really going to kill themselves. But the fact is most of the people who attempt or commit suicide usually talk about it first. They are in pain and usually do seek help. So always take any talk about suicide seriously.

The second myth, people who attempt or commit suicide are weak, but the fact is that anyone can commit suicide. These are people who are in pain, who have lost hope and do not see any other way. Often they suffer from depression or other mental illnesses so they need the right help.

The 3rd myth is that suicide occurs without any warning sign and one cant tell when someone will attempt suicide but that s not true, there are always warning signs. People who are suicidal often talk about wanting to die, they may express their plan to someone. They use languages like it will be better if I die nobody is going to miss me, life is not worth living, you'll be sorry when I am gone, I don t have to go through these much longer. So beware of these little expressions that they may use. They may start giving their possessions away. They may start calling on people saying good bye. They may buy weapon. They may write a suicide note. So be alert to these signs.

The most common myth is one should never talk or ask anyone about suicide because this gives them idea and encourages suicidal behavior. This is absolutely not true. If you think a person is suicidal please ask them about it and ask them if they have a plan. Most of the time talking about it simply dissipates the suicidal urge. Remember asking them will let you know their intentions and getting them the help they need. So these are some of the myths that surrounds suicide. In keeping with the theme of world suicide day lets connect, communicate and care and spread a positive ripple of awareness.

Thank you. If you would like to get in touch with me please contact me through lybrate.com

A suicidal patient will not ask for help, but that doesn t mean that he/she doesn t need it. People who become suicidal do not necessarily want to end their lives, they just want their sufferings to end. You can prevent suicide by recognizing the warning signs and by taking necessary actions. If you think a friend or a family member is undergoing too much stress and suffering and is considering suicide, please talk to him/her. You may feel scared to bring up the subject but talking to them about their suicidal thoughts and feelings is the only way to help them.

When you see or know someone in pain who wants to end their life, follow these steps to help them get through their suicidal thoughts.

Talk, talk and talk: Let the person know you care about him/her and that they aren t alone. Listen to what they want to share and help them vent their feelings and anger. Be sympathetic, calm and non-judgmental while listening to their feelings. Offer hope by reassuring the person that help is available, and these feelings are temporary. Let them know the importance of their life to you and to their family and friends.
Get professional help: Do everything you can to get help for a suicidal person. Call an emergency mental help facility for advice and referrals. Encourage the person to seek professional aid and visit a mental health counsellor. Help locate a good psychiatrist or make the doctor s appointment for them.
Follow-up: Make note of what the doctor prescribes - be it medications or just therapy. Make sure the suicidal person is following the instructions given and taking the medicines on time. Know the side effects of the medicines and notify the doctor in case the person gets worse. It takes time and persistence to find the right treatment plan for every suicidal person.
Be proactive: The person contemplating suicide often feels they cannot be helped. So, you need to be more proactive in offering help. Drop by every alternate day and call daily to check on them. Just don t stop at saying, call me if you need anything," as it sounds too vague and it s very likely that the person will not bother calling.
Positive affirmations: Maintain a positive atmosphere around the suicidal person. Encourage them with positive affirmations and healthy lifestyle changes to keep them healthy and happy. Ensure that a healthy diet, 30 minutes of exercise and plenty of sleep forms part of their day. Daily exercise is important as exercising releases endorphins which are happy hormones that help relieve stress and promote emotional well-being.
Plan: Make the person develop a set of steps that they should follow during their suicidal crisis. Help them identify their trigger that leads to the suicidal crisis such as the anniversary of a loss, alcohol or stress due to work or love relationships. Include contact numbers of the therapist, as well as close friends and family members along with yours who will be there in case of an emergency.
Continue your support long-term: Even after the immediate suicidal tendency has passed, stay in touch with the person and periodically keep checking on them. Your support is necessary to ensure their well-being and that they remain on the track to recovery.
There are times when you may fail despite following all these steps. Do not blame yourself. You did the right thing by helping the suicidal person. Just follow the above steps and try to help as many people as possible.
Mental well-being is the most important and needed state in order to be healthy. Stay happy, stay healthy!