The way to rally round and save an individual who sees suicide as the one method out

Puroitree Majumdar, a Medical Psychologist, shares insights into assist forestall the tsunami of suicides that we’re possible going through. (Ohoto: US-CDC)

World Suicide Day focuses consideration on the difficulty of serving to people defeat the considered ending their lives, serving to cut back stigma and elevating consciousness amongst organisations, authorities, and the general public, giving a singular message that suicide may be prevented.

Ms Puroitree Majumdar, Senior Medical Psychologist & Medical Product Improvement Lead at YourDOST. Ms Majumdar is an M.Phil in Medical Psychology from the Institute of Psychological Well being and Hospital, Agra and is registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Ms Majumdar specialises in working with people with trauma, OCD, ADHD, Schizophrenia and their households, therapeutic modalities similar to CBT and Narrative Remedy, Household Remedy, Transactional Evaluation, Arts based mostly remedy and mindfulness-based approaches similar to Acceptance and Dedication Remedy. She has in depth expertise working with mother and father of younger children, youngsters, working professionals, college students and many others.

Here is what Ms Puroitree Majumdar informed Occasions Now on the difficulty of how all of us can rally round to assist any particular person in misery earlier than she or he makes an attempt suicide, and recognise if somebody is in want of assist to beat an impediment that makes them take into account suicide as an choice. A suicide sufferer is continually sending out indicators. We solely have to learn them proper and attain out.

Occasions Now: By which age group is suicide extra prevalent?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Suicide was the second main explanation for demise amongst people between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34. In a current World Suicide Statistics by The Worldwide Affiliation for Suicide Prevention half (58 per cent) of all deaths by suicide happen earlier than the age of fifty years previous.*

{*1.6 lacs reported suicides in 2021—which is 7.2 per cent above final yr’s determine —the Nationwide Crime Information Bureau’s (NCRB) 2022.)}

Occasions Now: What are the main components which drive an individual to excessive steps and what’s the proper time to intervene?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: A number of components can contribute to a person concluding wrongly that suicide is the better method out. They could be a historical past of suicide makes an attempt, despair, different psychological problems, or substance use dysfunction, power ache, household historical past of a psychological dysfunction or substance use, household historical past of suicide, publicity to household violence, together with bodily or sexual abuse, publicity, both instantly or not directly, to others’ suicidal behaviour, similar to that of relations, friends, or celebrities are a number of the components. Anytime you see pink flags similar to speaking about hurting themselves, jokes about suicide or demise, persistent disappointment, withdrawing from individuals and conditions or expressing emotions of helplessness and hopelessness are all instances when it’s best to discuss to somebody. Don’t promise that you’ll preserve their suicidal ideas a secret, contain a trusted good friend, member of the family, or different trusted grownup and shift their focus to how there may be assist obtainable and it’s completely alright to hunt it.

Occasions Now: Is addressing psychological well being extra essential now, given the variety of will increase in suicide instances?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Sure, it’s essential in lots of points as suicide is a necessary challenge within the Indian context. A couple of lakh (100 thousand) lives are misplaced yearly to suicide in our nation. Within the final 20 years, the suicide fee has elevated from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000 – which is about 80 per cent of all suicides that happen in low and middle-income nations

Occasions Now: Have the variety of suicides elevated for the reason that COVID pandemic started?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Sure, it has. Proper on the onset of the pandemic, a number of psychological well being consultants warned the world to arrange for a concurrent improve in charges of suicide utilizing phrases such because the probability of “a tsunami of suicides” observing mankind. Suicide charges in India elevated in the course of the first yr of the COVID-19 pandemic, and though the rise in suicide charges, particularly amongst males, predates the pandemic, the rise in suicide charges was highest in 2020, in comparison with will increase in earlier years.

Occasions Now: What are the indicators in an individual that ought to inform a father or mother, relations, pals, colleagues and many others that she or he may very well be on the verge of suicide?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Household and pals are sometimes the primary to recognise the warning indicators of suicide, and so they can take step one towards serving to a beloved one discover psychological well being remedy. A few of the indicators embrace speaking about eager to die or eager to kill themselves. Speaking about feeling empty or hopeless or having no purpose to stay. Speaking about feeling trapped or feeling that there are not any options. Taking nice dangers that would result in demise, similar to driving extraordinarily quick. Speaking or interested by demise usually Different severe warning indicators that somebody could also be in danger for making an attempt suicide embrace displaying excessive temper swings, immediately altering from very unhappy to very calm or completely satisfied.

Occasions Now: What can one do to make a reluctant particular person search assist from a counsellor and/or a psychiatrist?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Normalise actions similar to in search of skilled assist (like counselling from a medical psychologist or a psychiatrist) or going to remedy, simply as you’ll see a physician for bodily well being points. Inform them about confidentiality and moral remedy. Encouraging them to hunt assist and permitting them the time to suppose it by is an energetic method. Moreover, it helps to help them in taking step one, similar to who to fulfill, accompanying them for his or her session or discussing what they should speak about within the first assembly.

Occasions Now: How can one safe an individual bodily if they appear hell-bent on committing an act of suicide?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: It’s important that when somebody shares they’ve a plan to harm themselves, you take away any risks from their environment, similar to eradicating sharp objects, medicines and many others. Moreover, they could profit from having a buddy or a trusted member of the family who stays with them and ensures their security and there’s a disaster plan in place, ie, whom to succeed in out to if they’re having persistent ideas about suicide. They should search psychiatric assist instantly.

Occasions Now: Ought to there be extra helpline numbers to succeed in out to the children to battle despair which finally results in suicide?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: Extra help and consciousness of the identical are wanted, so further helplines can be a boon. However it’s also important to normalise in search of assist and that younger individuals know when to succeed in out and the way.

Occasions Now: Even when one is into remedy with a superb counsellor, when can one know that not simply counselling, however a session with a psychiatrist is required?

Ms Puroitree Majumdar: If there are persistent suicidal ideas or a plan, then it’s important to attach with a psychiatrist. It’s by no means a nasty concept to fulfill with a psychiatrist, consider it as a psychological wellness check-up. psychiatrist will information you effectively and if nothing is the matter, will ship you house with some fundamental steering.

Disclaimer: Suggestions and ideas talked about within the article are for common data functions solely and shouldn’t be construed as skilled medical recommendation. At all times seek the advice of your physician or a dietician earlier than beginning any health programme or making any adjustments to your food regimen.