SUICIDE & ITS REAL FACTS by BR. SARATH THOMAS CHAMAKALAYIL, sarathcthomas@gmail.com

SUICIDE

BR. SARATH THOMAS CHAMAKALAYILsarathcthomas@gmail.com

ETYMOLOGY OF SUICIDE

Suicide derived from the two latin words sui & caedere = "to kill oneself“ suicidium Suicide, also known as completed suicide, is the "act of taking one's own life"

HISTORY OF SUICIDE In ancient Athens, a person who committed suicide without the approval of the state was denied the honours of a normal burial. The person would be buried alone, on the outskirts of the city, without a headstone or marker.• In Ancient Greece and Rome suicide was deemed to be

an acceptable method to deal with military defeat.

• Historically in the Christian church, people who attempted suicide were excommunicated and those who died by suicide were buried outside consecrated graveyards.

• In 19th-century Europe the act of suicide shifted from being viewed as caused by sin to being caused by insanity.

RELIGIOUS VIEWS ABOUT SUICIDE• CHRISTIANITY: suicide is considered a sin , based mainly on the

writings of influential Christian thinkers of the Middle Ages, such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

• In Catholic doctrine, the argument is based on the commandment "Thou shalt not kill"

• The idea that life is a gift given by God which should not be spurned, and that suicide is against the "natural order" and thus interferes with God's master plan for the world.

• JUDAISM: suicide is tantamount to denying God's goodness in the world.

• HINDUISM: suicide is generally frowned upon and is considered equally sinful as murdering another in contemporary Hindu society.

• Hindu scriptures state that one who commits suicide will become part of the spirit world, wandering earth until the time one would have otherwise died, had one not committed suicide.

• ISLAM: Suicide is PROHIBITED.

WHY SUICIDE IS TO BE SERIOUSLY DISCUSSED?

• Around 800,000 to a million people die by suicide every year• It is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide. suicide is the

second leading cause of death among college students.• It is also especially common among physicians, lawyers and

psychologists• Rates are higher in men than in women, with males three to four

times more likely to kill themselves than females.• There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted

suicides every year. Attempts are more common in young people and females.

• Suicide rate in Kerala is 24.8/lakh during 2010. The latest figures from the National Crime Records Bureau show that 8,431 people killed themselves during 2011, the State accounting for 6.2 per cent of the total number of suicides in the country.

• In Asia, most women suicide attempts are happening in this small state Kerala.

• Of the half million people reported to die of suicide worldwide every year, 20% are Indians, for 17% of world population.

• In a study published in The Lancet in June 2012, the estimated number of suicides in India in 2010 was about 187,000.

• A large proportion of adult suicide deaths were found to occur between the ages of 15 years and 29 years. There are about 250,000 suicide attempts in US each year. Roughly one in eight of these attempts are successful.

• It seems that great majority of suicides are linked to depression, hopelessness, despair, alcohol and drug disorders are correlated with an elevated incidence of suicide.

• Studies reveal that in countries were Catholism and Islam are strong; the rates of suicide tend to lower than in countries where religious beliefs are not so deeply held. H.KAREN, Psychology in Action, p.504.

METHODS OF SUICIDE

• firearms 80-90%, (possibility of death)

• drowning 65-80%,• hanging 60-85%, • car exhaust 40-60%,• jumping 35-60%, • pesticides 6-75%,• medication overdose 85 %

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SUICIDE

1. People who talk about suicide don’t actually commit suicide: people who talk about suicide are high risk group, and their veiled threats should not be ignored

2. Suicide usually takes place with little or no warning: it is estimated that 80% of suicide attempts are preceded by some kind of warning. It may range from clear threats to vague statements.

3. People who attempt suicide are fully intent on dying: it appears that only about 3.5% of those who attempt suicide definitely want to die. Others only want to send out a dramatic signal. Suicides threats are often a last ditch cry for help. They often see it as the only source of their problems.

4. People who are suicide remain so for ever: If they could manage their crisis period, thoughts of suicide may disappear entirely.( W.WAYNE, Psychology Themes and Variations, p.596.597)

5. People who threaten suicide are only seeking attention: 75% of successful suicides had made previous attempts.

6. Only insane people would take their own lives: the contemplation of the suicide reflects a narrowing of the range of options that people think are available to them. (A.S. RATHUS, Psychology, p.499)

7. Only depressed people commit suicide: suicide is not limited to people with depression. Poor physical health, serious illness, substance abuse, loneliness, unemployment, and even natural disasters may push many of the people to suicide.

8. Thinking about suicide is rare: estimates from various studies find that 10 to 80% of the general public has thought about committing suicide at least once in their lives.

Warning signs of SUICIDE……….!!!

• Significant changes in eating and sleeping patterns

• dramatic change in personality or appearances

• decline in social performances • drug or alcohol abuse • obsession with death • with drawl from friends and regular

activities • profound guilt or hopelessness • giving away favourite possessions.(D.SUE, Understanding Abnormal Behaviour, p.364)

CONCLUSION

REMEMBER………

Suicide is the most selfish, satanic thought of human mind……our life is actually a real blessing of God. Accept it …..as it is. And as we are the social workers we can be the shock absorbers of the society… so lets pray.......

And provide hope unceasingly……….

THANK YOU……….