Reasons to Die and attempt suicide

 A point of view by Dr. Neha S Cadabam, Psychologist and Executive Director, Cadabam’s Group

The recent spate of suicides including doctors practicing in reputed hospitals and institutions has again brought the spotlight on suicide and self-harm. In this article Dr.Neha S Cadabam, the Executive Director of the Cadabam’s Group provides her point of view taking one such particular case.

Perspective of Dr. PriyaVedi

Read the News Articles:bit.ly/1DfVsFv,bit.ly/1DfV4qx

AIIMS doctor commits suicide on husband’s sexual orientation? Really? Lets take a look at a few facts. It is very rare that someone dies by suicide because of one cause.

It is estimated that 90% of people who attempt or die by suicide have one or more mental health conditions. However, it may have not been formally diagnosed by the clinician.

In general here are a few reasons why people attempt suicide:

• They’re feeling depressed: Symptoms of depression such as low mood, tiredness, loss of interest and hopelessness. People with severe depression are much more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.
• Schizophrenia:This is a mental health condition that typically causes hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), delusions (believing in things that are not true) and changes in behavior. It is estimated that one in 20 people with schizophrenia will take their own life.
• They’re impulsive:At the spur of the incident, these are people who take impulsive decisions without giving much thought to it. They are people who think after doing. Unfortunately, in case of suicide, they fall short of that opportunity.
• Poor coping: There are people who find it very hard to cope with a few situations and changes that life brings upon them. They do seek help but fail to get what they are looking for. In such a case, with poor problem solving, they believe that ending life would be the way out.
• Negative Life Experiences: There are a variety of negative life experiences that people face and find it hard to deal with because of which they may attempt suicide.

Perspective of Mr. Kamal Vedi

If you woke up one day to realize that your best friend or your partner is a gay or a lesbian, how would you respond to that? Would your behavior to that person be the same? Or would it change? Why would it change?

After the incident of Priya’s suicide, how many of them would be willing to come out (about their sexual orientation) and face consequences. Consequences of losing your life partner, carrying the guilt of his/her death, facing legal issues and going to jail.

Mental health professionals see a lot of clients who have faced stigma from society, rejection from friends and being banished by families. They are forced to marrying a person from the opposite gender. And then what? A marriage that ruins many more lives, creates more despair than ever thought. A poem so well written by Richard Blanco – ‘Until We Could’, that beautifully depicts the journey of a homosexual.

Wake up to this, let there be freedom of choice of sexual orientation, choosing a partner you want to breath your last breath with.