BENGALURU: Raising awareness and destigmatising suicide are significant steps towards suicide prevention. Stigma that surrounds suicide often prevents vulnerable people from seeking timely help.
“There are numerous myths and misconceptions around suicide that form the basis of stigma. For instance, contemplating suicide is a sign of weakness.
To a person, who is experiencing suicidal thoughts this comment, albeit made with good intention by someone he has confided in, may make him withdraw from seeking help he was hoping to receive. People, who contemplate suicide are constantly battling between living and ending life, which means that they don’t wish to end their life. When someone speaks about ending life by suicide or displays a change in behavioural patterns, one should take note.
Listen to him without being judgemental. Make him feel heard. He doesn’t want to hear others’ examples or platitudes,” said Prof & Head, Emergency Psychiatry, Acute Care Services & Gatekeeper Training in Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), V Senthil Reddi.
“An alert and empathetic person can be a gatekeeper and encourage the person to talk him out of it. It needs further resource help and follow-up by medical professionals and caregivers,” he added.
“People with suicidal thoughts give out enough warning signals. They may speak about it or display some changes in behaviour, like withdrawing from friends and family, changing eating habits, showing lack of interest in daily chores, hygiene, displaying anger, irritability, missing work etc. These are actually cries of help and telltale signs. For lack of knowledge and awareness, people tend to dismiss these symptoms,” added Reddi.
