Suicide is a self-inflicted death and can be defined as “choosing the mode, time, situation, or occasion for ending one’s life.” In general, the word suicide has a negative connotation and is looked upon unfavourably.
In ancient Europe, especially during the time of the Roman Empire, suicide was an approved and sometimes an honoured act. The Romans, affected by the doctrine of stoicism, recognized many legitimate reasons for suicide. The Roman philosopher, Seneca, praised it as the last act of a free human.
Most social scientists agree that suicide is a complex form of behaviour that has biological, psychological, and social causes. Psychiatrists, for example, have found deep depression to be common in suicides that they study. Arguments have found that some people are more genetically disposed to depression, and thus prone to suicide, than others.
Suicide is a national health problem that takes an enormous toll on the entire community. But sadly, every minute of every day, someone attempts to take their own life, and every 12.8 minutes someone dies on account of suicide. Suicide does not discriminate; it occurs in every age, sex, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and financial status. Studies have consistently found that the overwhelming majority of people who die by suicide had a mental disorder at the time of their death. Often, however, these disorders had not been recognized, diagnosed or adequately treated.
Unfortunately, young men/women taking their lives have become so common that it’s hardly alarming anymore. If any reader is contemplating or even thinking of committing suicide, I would like to inform them that life is precious and there are resources available if they will just avail themselves of any church or professional counselling services, all of which can be found in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory.
Most teenagers commit suicide due to a variety of factors. Bullying is a prime reason why teenagers begin to think of ending their lives. It can occur in the classroom or anywhere in the school/college premises. The bullies might resort to verbal bullying to get under their skin. Sometimes it gets physical too. When nobody steps in, it triggers thoughts of suicide.
Parental divorce is another reason why problems begin to occur. When a beloved parent permanently leaves the household, it generates a feeling of abandonment. It also destabilises the family household and removes one of their sanctuaries. Without any emotional outlet, they start to believe the only option is to commit suicide.
Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Teenagers experiencing such thoughts believe that there is no future for them. A lack of long-term future and no way of being able to imagine a positive future leads to apathy. Apathy eventually moves to depression, which leads to suicidal thoughts.
Jubel D’Cruz
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
