The recent demise of Sushant Singh Rajput and his ex-Manger sent chill down my spine and made me think about the importance of communication and the need for a support system in our lives. More so when the future seems dark and we are hopeless, we need to communicate and talk about it more with our loved ones.
Suicidal thoughts are quite universal and commonly experienced by people undergoing severe stress. Suicidal ideas usually occur when a person feels that they are no longer able to cope, with an overwhelming situation. For some individuals, these thoughts might be temporary while for some it might be difficult to come out of the spiral of negative thoughts. As we all know that the suicidal rate is increasing in today’s world; it becomes essential to gain some insight as to why a person loses his/her life by suicide. It is not always possible to tell about how the person is feeling and what he/she is thinking. Thus, focusing on a few signs and changes in behavioral patterns can serve as trigger points.
Suicide or suicidal ideas refers to preoccupation with suicidal thoughts. When the stress levels are high and individuals feel that they have reached a dead-end, suicidal thoughts become frequent. Below is the pointer which may be the reason for suicidal thoughts:
HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
Research has suggested that in most cases, people who committed suicide had some mental disorder. But remember that suicide is not a mental disorder but an outcome of mental health disorder. Suicidal ideas are a common symptom in many psychiatric disorders and mental health issues like Depression, Bipolar disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc. History of mental illness, substance abuse, violence, hurts the individual’s life and puts them at the risk of suicidal tendencies. The individual may be disposed of it directly or indirectly. Thus, it has become indispensable to take mental health and feed it with positive thoughts.
INABILITY TO DEAL WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
There is no doubt that life is not always happy, negative emotions are a part of life. Emotions such as fear, sadness, and anger are basic parts. But many times we give these emotions a lot of time and attention. We don’t know where to draw the line. We need to learn how to process these emotions, instead of suppressing them. The major problem that occurs is that the inability to accept reality and emotions. Dealing with emotions is tougher for men due to the societal expectations of them. Another stigma which adds to the problem is that people feel that emotion makes you weak but they don’t realize that emotions are the biggest asset which enhances the quality of life and makes you happy and content.
NO SUPPORT SYSTEM
We all need people in our lives on whom we can depend and share our feelings. The fact that we need to communicate with our friends and family cannot be stressed enough. But many times parents and friends are not able to realize that the changes in behavior are due to changes in the thought process of people. Many times even if people have a support system they don’t feel connected and have a tough time pouring their hearts. It is necessary that people feel that they are valued and loved. Even if you have no time, people around you should feel comfortable and feel that they can approach you in times of crisis. When individuals feel that no one understands them or supports them, it adds to the already existing problems.
STRIVING FOR PERFECTION
People strive for excellence and if anything less than that is achieved they feel it is not worth it. Individuals need to understand that if one plan doesn’t work out it is ok, some other plan might work. Just because we want it to be done in a certain way doesn’t necessarily ensure that that is the best way. No matter what your goal is, life always has a Plan B. We don’t have to anticipate failure but we just have to be prepared for it. No matter how tough the situation maybe there is always a solution. Many times it is not even about the failure or success it is about the feelings associated with it.
HOPELESSNESS
In various situations, people feel that this is it, they feel that things won’t change no matter what they do or how hard they work. Hopelessness is the most crucial sign as individuals feel that even if they take the desired action, things will remain the same. Many times this feeling can occur when we are not able to follow our passion or not able to achieve success. In many instances, even if we are doing good for ourselves, such feelings can still arise.
LONELINESS
The way we experience loneliness will be different for different people. When the expectations we have from our social relationships are not being met, individuals tend to feel lonely. In this fast-paced life individuals, hardly find time for themselves and others. Loneliness leads to the feeling of emptiness which is tough for the people to break the cycle. Many times when an individual tries to share, he/she feels that they are not understood and are not provided with a safe environment. So, they get into their cocoon.
PERSONALITY TRAIT
Introverts may have more ideation towards suicide because they might not be expressive and communicative about their feelings with others. They like to be by themselves and try to deal with everything on their own. Introverts also have a tough time speaking what is on their mind and even in social settings, it takes time to open. Problems also arise when one is placed at a pedestal level and feels that they will let down people in case they show their vulnerable side.
CAN’T FACE REJECTION
Many times individuals tend to have high self-set standards for themselves, when they are unable to achieve those, they feel like a failure. Individuals tend to prepare themselves for success but never for failure. Just because they have to face some hurdles in life, they start to view themselves negatively and tend to feel that they can’t deal with the situation. People must understand that failure and rejections catalyze success.
Self-isolation during COVID-19 has affected the mental health of people. It is very normal for people to feel lonely and scared during such times. If you feel that people around you are not available for you or are not able to understand you. Then you must seek help from a counselor, a lot of people try to find an easier way of taking medicine prescribed by a psychiatrist but this will only give you short-term relief.
