Creating hope through action #WorldSuicidePreventionDay

 

I was very young when I discovered about the term “suicide”! My younger siblings and I were very excited about the movie “3 Idiots”, and we were jamming on the song “Sari umr hum mar mar ke jee liye, ek pal to ab humein jeene do”. Freedom to choose the right thing for our career and the intolerable pressure by parents leading to a drastic consequence on someone’s life, we had seen in front of our eyes right then. I clearly remember, my siblings didn’t understand what happened on the tied rope through the spinning-camera-drone, but that night I didn’t sleep. The words “Ye suicide nahi, murder hai” were dancing on my mind, showcasing the harsh realities of upcoming life. How can giving up be so easy?

One of my classmates attempted suicide just after the result night. I didn’t know him personally, but joining the dots was easy about why it happened! Our whole school, local news were filled with negative vibes that day. His parents were crying, blaming themselves, for pressurizing him to go to Kota. He didn’t fail on the marksheet, he failed in front of his parent’s eyes. That was dreadful. 

My marks were pretty average too in high school, far opposite than the ritual that I had followed of being one of the toppers till then. I always wondered, or I should say scared, in my teenage years, what would happen if I didn’t get admission in any college. I had sleepless nights. I scribbled contrasting poetries on life, struggling to express them openly. But you know what hold me tight to not give up, was my family. They stood by my side and never criticized me. They always looked up for different opportunities for me, shoving all the relatives’ taunts. How could I not make them proud, just by not surrendering. 

I have never experienced this horrendous thought of suicide, but I have seen it happening around because of mental pressure. Pressure of performing the best among all ( without even carving the best, what you got), pressure of facing financial crisis, pressure of not getting basic human rights amidst domestic violence, pressure of swimming in the heart-broken-lake, pressure of pain after losing closed ones - everything everywhere you will encounter something related to mental pressure in every household. Why does no one teach us how to face failures? Why does no school provide lessons for making back-up plans in life? Why is taking help from counselors still a taboo for societies?  

Mental stability is a necessity for this generation. Whenever I feel low, I use to write, paint mandala and madhubani art, and talk with my friends and family. I travel to clear up my mind with messy feelings. I also try to help someone in need, either financially or emotionally, because I know how it feels to be lonely. With evolving time, my way of conducting actions changed, and so do my reactions. But one thing I learnt with every phase is that I should find solace in myself first, then only I can justify others. In the same way, everyone should figure out their own way of coping with things correctly. 

Following are the few suggestion I want to give to the common people around and hope to make their tough life at least little easy:

• Promote open conversations about mental health to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. Taking help is not a crime, taking life is!
• Offer training to teachers, parents, and community members to recognize signs of distress and provide support. They are the pillars of our society, and if they initiate this small step at an early age, its impact will be lifelong. 
• At national level, implement comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies, and allocate resources and funding for mental health services. 
• Making latest tools, such as anti suicide fan device, will not reduce suicide rates if someone wants to take his/her/their life. Change the strategy to mend the internal functionality, rather than inventing extraneous machines. 
• Encourage individuals to prioritize self-care and seek help when needed. Promote mindfulness, meditation, and stress reduction techniques.

"Suicide doesn't end the chances of life getting worse, it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting any better."

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023