Sometimes, we come across suicides cases of students who decide to end their lives due to exam pressure and sometimes because they are not able to achieve a short term goal. These incidents have become so common that they are conveniently ignored or the person who committed suicide is blamed. But rarely does society try to understand the real cause behind this drastic step. Death is not the solution; that is extremely true but it is equally true that suicides can be avoided with help, understanding and counseling especially when the victim is a teenager.
A painful incident took place in Kolkata on Friday(21st June) wherein a class 10 student of GD Birla High School was found dead in the school washroom. Her wrist was deeply slit and her face was covered with a polythene bag.
The young girl was a brilliant student and aspired to join the Indian Statistical Institute after graduating from high school. But she could not even reach that phase of her life. A suicide note suggests that she might have been suffering from severe depression. Before her death, she was in a state of sadness and had suffered through months of sleepless nights. What was even more unfortunate was that her mental illness was not identified. Here are some excerpts from her suicide note that will give us glimpses into what she might have been going through:
“Wherever I look… they have come for me and I must go. Now I am no longer needed. They hurt me. They want me to be hurt, be in pain…they have taken away everything I used for my survival. Everything is so foggy. Nothing seems real now. Everything is a dream…everything. Nothing stays, everything will fade,” the letter read.
Further, she writes, “They have destroyed me. They will destroy everything that is mine. Oh no that shit forget it. Just like everyone, they will forget me, after all what am I? Nothing at all. I do not know what else to write. I will be over in (a) few seconds, a little pain for greater bliss and eternal oblivion. My lifestyle change drastically over the last few months. I stopped sleeping soundly. Being jolted away in the cold thread by dream of a life I believed I had left behind long ago. I needed help and they only said that I was doing everything for attention. That I did not have the guts to kill myself. Here you go…you look here…I am messed up now. I hold myself responsible for my physical death,”
This leaves us pondering about the bitter reality of depression being ignored and mocked. A girl who had barely started her life went through such deep trauma that she thought of suicide as not only a means to free herself but also as a challenge. Police have not yet identified who she addressed in the letter, however, the autopsy report has confirmed suicide.
Depression is a common mental ailment that cripples a large population across the globe. In a recent Mental Health Survey by WHO, it has been revealed that India is the country with the highest number of people suffering from depression. In spite of this, there is a lack of timely diagnosis or expert intervention in most of the cases.
The stigma associated with mental illness makes it all the more difficult for people to seek help. If we refer to a line in the above note, the girl had mentioned that she needed help but she was told that she was simply seeking attention. This is one of the most common criticisms a person suffering through depression faces. Their concern is simply blown off without even giving it a thought. However, depression is not a silent illness as it comes with a number of evident symptoms but ofter those are termed as voluntary actions by families and friends. The major symptoms of depression are:
Sleep Deprivation
-Lack of appetite/overeating
-A state of sadness that doesn’t get better
-A state of social seclusion
-Notable lack of interest in hobbies and other activities
-Irritability and frequently crying
-Other symptoms of physical illness
When there are qualified professionals present how can people decide what is voluntary and what is not. Do we go ahead and self diagnose cancer or jaundice? No. Do we say somebody is faking a shiver? No, we don’t! Then why is this the attitude towards a grave mental illness? Especially the parents of teenagers and young adults must actively cooperate so that they can combat the effects of this mental illness. There should be frequent conversations between the parents and children about different issues, whether it’s academics, friends circle or societal pressure. We have to shed the undue inhibitions towards depression so that we can stop it from claiming more lives.
Next time as parents, please do not neglect your child’s words by saying things like, “You think unnecessarily”. ” Focus on studies and activities”. ” Wake up early and eat healthy”. “Stop being dramatic all the time and ” Don’t be an attention seeker”.
Few of these things are good advice, but definitely not the treatment for depression. A small step in the right direction by every individual in society can actually make the world a better place to live.