THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forty-three-year-old Binu Kumar (name changed) now looks at life every day with hope. When his parents had an altercation with each other more than three decades ago, his father wanted to take revenge on his wife. The father, who is in his early 70s now, fed Binu, when the latter was 10, fruit juice and ice-cream laced with pesticide. The father also ate the same. Fortunately, their condition was found by his wife’s parents in the nick of the time.
For months, the duo had to undergo washing their stomachs for months by doctors at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital who struggled to save their lives. Now Binu is working as a top banking official in a leading nationalised bank.
On World Suicide Prevention Day which falls on September 10, their survival implies that there is hope for those people who wish to end their life and that there are indeed people who care and want to support them. This is what helped Binu fight all odds and succeed in life. Though his parents are estranged since the unsuccessful suicide attempt, Binu has ensured that he is there for both during their old age. Even if one survives suicide, the person has to endure the social stigma.
“As a 10-year-old, I was confused. I faced lots of hormonal changes then and had undergone counselling by doctors at the MCH. I have ensured that my parents live peacefully, though they are separated. The whole credit goes to my maternal grandparents who instilled hope and courage in all three of us. Now, my dad must be regretting as I’ve made it a point to not blame him,” said Binu.
Kerala ranks fourth in the suicide rate (26.9%) along with Puducherry, while Andaman and Nicobar Islands has a rate of 39.7%, Sikkim 39.2% and Chhattisgarh 31.8%. The suicide rate in Kerala is more than twice the national average (12%). Suicide has become a serious social problem which is the second leading cause of death, after accidents, for people aged 10 to 34. As per 2019 statistics, more than one in every 100 deaths (1.3%) happened due to suicide.
Dr Anju Mathew, associate professor, department of psychiatry, Thiruvananthapuram MCH, told TNIE that suicide occurs against a background of complex interacting biological, social, psychological and environmental risk and protective factors. “We cannot say that suicides occur due to a single reason as the human behaviour is complex. The biological factor can be depression because of even a negative vibe. You feel so helpless when the thinking process leads to suicide,” said Dr Anju.
Implications of unexpected issues in one’s life can lead to the extreme step. If a person is suspended from his/her job or fails in an exam, it can lead to suicide. Following the pandemic, there was a surge in the suicide rate, mostly among men, due to loss of business and earning. Kerala hogged the headlines during the pandemic when a record number of 66 children committed suicide in less than two months with a majority of them being unable to attend online classes. Thanks to various NGOs and personalities, a large majority of the children belonging to the backward communities managed to get smart phones.
Despite the complexity of causes, suicides are preventable. The state government has come up with the Jeevaraksha project aimed at providing suicide prevention clinics. The helpline number for this is the same as that of Disha, 1056. Dr Anju said the Thiruvananthapuram MCH has also been organising suicide prevention clinics every Tuesday.
“Chances are high for an unsuccessful person to try to commit suicide again. We help them to come out of their negative thoughts through counselling and medication. Suicide is actually a cry for help,” added Dr Anju. Prevention of suicide is not a doctor’s responsibility alone. It’s everyone’s business as the public support is of paramount importance to address this issue, she added.
(Suicide helplines -- Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090, Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060, Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726, Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102)