Everything viewed, experienced, rationalized, thought, read, believed, discounted, and debased, as well as all the people met and subsequently loved or hated since childhood, affects people individually. In respect to such unique occurrences, reality is not a general or universal thing and no two people share the exact same reality. Everything, similarly, is inputted through the five senses, which are, themselves, subjective, creating a highly complex, almost ambiguous meaning of “reality,” even for the individual who is experiencing it. A person’s self-view, as well as their perceptions of how others view them, has a key role in determining the relevancy or importance of the world and life in general. Humans exist as themselves, inside themselves, as conscious “minds” and are inherently individualistic. Source
Humans also exist in groups, ever learning and changing due to exterior events and other people. They also are made up, biologically, of neurotransmitters and complex hormonal systems which affect moods and responses. All these factors entwine inside people to create the intricacy of human life. While it is possible one of these things is more powerful than another in each individual, it is highly unlikely that solely one is responsible for a decision as deterministic as suicide. The causes of suicide are as complex and varied as humanity itself. As long as suicide is considered a taboo subject, the deeply integrated causes may never be fully realized. Source
© Nalini Hebbar/openmind/2009 - all rights reserved
A million people commit suicide and about 10 million to 20 million people attempt suicide annually. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in males and the 16th leading cause of death in females. Suicide (Latin suicidium, from sui caedere) "to kill oneself" is the deliberate self-destruction of a living being. Crisis in individual or family life resulting from financial factors or from the investments of the hear,t can lead to suicide because of a feeling of extreme helplessness over the inability to control the situation. 87-98% suicides have been attributed to mental illness- mood disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia and personality disorders.
Some of the Warning Signs include:
- Change in eating and sleeping habits
- Withdrawl from friends, and family and regular activities
- Violent actions, rebellious behavior, and running away
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Unusual neglect of personal appearance
- Marked personality change
- Persistant boredom, difficulty in concentrating, or a decline in the quality of work
- Frequent complaints about physical symptoms, often relating to emotions, such as stomach aches, headaches, fatigue, etc...
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
- Not tolerating praise or rewards.
A teen contemplating suicide may also
- Complain of being "rotten inside"
- Give verbal hints with statements such as: "I won't be a problem for you much longer" "nothing matters" "it's no use" or "I won't see you again"
- Put his or her affairs in order--for example, give away personal possesions, clean his or her room, throw away important belongings etc...
- Become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression - Source
The steep cliff rose above the seas
Jutting rocks sharp and cruel.
Birds in nests perched in the nooks
Safe from the stiff wind that blows.
Deafening sound of waves and birds
Rose high to the platform set on the top.
A girl stood there clutching the rails
Her fingers pale and her eyes vacant.
The wind blew her hair out behind her
Her skirt flapped briskly around her legs.
She leaned over to take a long look
At the jagged rocks and the sea below.
Stood lost in thought for quite a while.
Silent and rigid in the noise and wind
She seems to sway pulled by the force.
She lifted her face to the wind that played
Her arms rose heavenwards as she stood.
Tears streamed down her lovely face
Dried up fast by the blowing wind.
Then her mouth suddenly smiled
And laughter pealed above the sounds
Of the birds, the sea and the wind
Her body sung with the distant sea
Her body softened and mellowed.
There was a spring in her steps
As she walked back to her car
That would now take her back
To live in peace with joy and sorrow.
© Nalini Hebbar/openmind/2009 - all rights reserved
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