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Suicide epidemic is a concern (June 15, 2018)

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Suicide epidemic is a concern (June 15, 2018)

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THE recent trend of high-profile celebrity suicides in the United States and Europe might not seem relevant to Malaysia. But all signs are that it is indeed a troubling and dangerous phenomenon permeating all strata of society even in this country.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide accounts for about a million deaths annually, with the five countries having the highest rates being Guyana, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Swaziland and Russia, ranging from 32.5 to 25.3 per 100,000 population. By comparison, the rate for Malaysia is 0.6 per 100,000 population.

But that statistic for Malaysia tends to underplay the absolute number of reported suicides, which is about a couple of hundred a year. That's already a magnitude in human lives of no small concern, let alone an estimate of attempted suicides possibly five to 10 times that number.

It is equally of concern that suicide rates in Malaysia have increased by 60% since the 1960s, according to a study conducted by the Malaysian Psychiatric Association.

Death by suicide is the ultimate Stage 4 event in the progression of many mental health conditions, whether or not they have ever been recognised and labelled as such.

Suicide affects us all - we face daily challenges and have mental health to manage, be it for ourselves, relatives, colleagues or friends. We must work diligently to help prevent situations that negatively affect mental health and which could escalate into suicide.

For almost three decades, as an international manager, I have seen, counselled and had to deal with many who struggled with lower- grade depression, from shop-floor to executive levels. I can tell you that it feels like a disease because it consumes one's thoughts and feelings absolutely beyond one's control. Suicide, then, becomes a choice but one a person feels they must make because they believe they have no other choice - or they have lost all hope.

WHO statistics reveal, even more alarmingly, that suicide is one of the top causes of death worldwide among youth aged 15-29 years (following closely behind road injury and HIV related deaths).

Correspondingly, in Malaysia it is reported that the youth suicide rate is almost twice the national average.

A host of conditions exacerbate mental illness and depression leading to suicide. Among them, deprivation and loneliness; serious personal crisis and loss; chronic pain and terminal illness; alcoholism and drug-abuse; and social exclusion and cultural barriers.

From the individual level to the home, at school and in workplaces, within the community, including religious organisations, and at the national level, there is an urgent need to recognise and help address the root causes of suicide. Let's make widely known the means that should be easily accessible and give hope to those sadly entrapped in this dismal human catastrophe as well as family and friends trying to support them.

Necessary actions include funding research to identify people at high risk and more effective reporting to help better understand and deal with the nature and extent of the problem at individual and societal levels. And increasing public awareness about the importance of effective mental health care is critical.

Government policies and programmes addressing mental health issues need to be continually reviewed and fine-tuned to reinforce these actions. Also, better coordination with and assistance to non-governmental bodies and research institutions engaged in this crucial area need to be supported.

By working together and collectively making a significant investment in suicide prevention and quality mental health care we can reverse the rising suicide rate.
Rueben Dudley Petaling Jaya, Selangor If you are in need of help, call Befrienders in the Klang Valley at 03-7956 8145 and in Penang at 04-281 5161/281 1108. You can also e-mail sam@befrienders.org.my or contact the Malaysian Mental Health Association at 03-7782 5499.

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Suicide epidemic is a concern - Letters | The Star Online

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THE recent trend of high-profile celebrity suicides in the United States and Europe might not seem relevant to Malaysia. But all signs are that it is indeed a troubling and dangerous phenomenon permeating all strata of society even in this country.

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One of the youngest person to ever commit suicide is a 7-year-old girl in Fiji. The apparent reason was because she was unhappy for not being taken somewhere.

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The teen years are an anxious and unsettling period as boys and girls face the difficulties of transition into adulthood. It is a period in life that is often confusing, leaving teens feeling isolated from family or peers. Predicting suicide is difficult. One way to prevent suicide is by recognizing the warning signs exhibited when someone is suicidal. Hence, recognition and early intervention is important in preventing it from happening.

What are some of the warning signs?

Changes in baseline behaviour:
If you notice behavioural changes that aren’t a one-time issue, we must take caution. While suicidal behaviour is often associated with symptoms of depression, you might also notice the following changes if a teenage is suicidal such as changes in sleeping habits (too much, too little, insomnia, or night wakings), changes in eating habits (overeating or eating too little), withdrawing from family and friends (social isolation) and psychosomatic symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains that can’t be explained.

Preoccupation with death:
It’s natural for teenagers to think about death at times, particularly when they are coping with loss or hear about tragic events in the news. Preoccupation with death, researching ways to die, and/or talking about their own death can be red flags. Watch for the following warning signs that involve thoughts about death such as frequent questions about looking up ways to die and statements about dying or what will happen if he/she dies (ex: “You won’t miss me when I die, I wish I was dead, I won’t bother you anymore when I’m gone.”).

Feelings of hopelessness:
Teenagers who have suicidal thoughts might communicate feelings of hopelessness for the future. They might also make statements about helplessness. These kinds of statements indicate that the child feels as if there is nothing to be done to improve their outcome, and no one who can help.

Source: https://www.psycom.net/teen-suicide-risk-factors

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Adolescent depression have becoming a serious problem in this world. Studies from U.S National Institute of xMental Health found that 2.7 million adolescent from ages 12 to 17 suffered a major depressive episode in 2013. This is so worrying as we know that depression is the main causes of teen suicide.We need to solve this worrying problem because young generation is the one who will lead the world in the future. Hence, the main step to prevent teen suicide is by recognizing and treating depression. Some of the prevention method is through protective factor, mood elevating medication and psychotherapy.

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Adolescent depression have becoming a serious problem in this world. Studies from U.S National Institute of xMental Health found that 2.7 million adolescent from ages 12 to 17 suffered a major depressive episode in 2013. This is so worrying as we know that depression is the main causes of teen suicide.We need to solve this worrying problem because young generation is the one who will lead the world in the future. Hence, the main step to prevent teen suicide is by recognizing and treating depression. Some of the prevention method is through protective factor, mood elevating medication and psychotherapy.

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Protective factor

What is protective factor? A protective factor can be defined as a characteristic at the biological, psychological, family, or community including peers and culture level that is associated with a lower likelihood of problem outcomes or that reduces the negative impact of a risk factor on problem outcomes. Protective factor is believed to help in positive physical development, increase the self esteem, coping skills and solving problems. One of the example of protective factor is in the communities,which include the after-school activities. A lot of activities can be done after school hour to develop students to become a more independant and skillful individual such as self-defense arts, piano class and varieties of sports.

Mood elevating medication

Mood elevating medication such as antidepressants will help the teen to cope with depression. A lot of antidepressant drugs available are effective to treat depression. For an efficient result, antidepressants need to be taken consistently at the prescribed dose. Overdose can be a risk for teens with depression,so the doctor may prescribe only small supplies of pills at a time.For example, Bupropion which is one of the example of antidepressant can cause hypertension and seizures in some patients at higher doses. Antidepressants reduce the number of teen suicide in the long run by improving their mood.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is another way to get help if teenager are having depression. This treatment is also called talk therapy, because they will talk with a trained mental health professional. There are a few types of psychotherapy, but for all the method, they have the same goal which is to understand the causes of depression, help teen feel more in control, and teach them ways to handle how the condition makes them feel. The purpose here is to track their mood and practice new ways to react to people and things that happen. One example of therapy is the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which is a talking therapy that can help people to manage problem by changing the way they think and behave.

Source : https://journals.lww.com/journalofchristiannursing/Fulltext/2016/04000/Teen_Depression_and_Suicide__A_Silent_Crisis.9.aspx

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Suicide management is an umbrella term used for various efforts of people health professionals to prevent either suicide thoughts or behavior. We are currently lives in a hectic life where everyone else busy doing their own things. We cannot expect people around us to notice changes in our life. Therefore, this is why we need to take initiatives to protect ourselves from suicidal thoughts.  It takes real courage to confront death and leave the brink. You can use this courage to face life, to learn how to cope with depression and to find the strength to persist life. There are few steps we can take to stop ourselves from on our suicidal thoughts before seeking for others help.

Get Safe Right Now!

Although you are in a lot of pain right now, you can distance yourself from thoughts and actions. Make a promise to yourself: " I'll wait 24 hours and during that time I won't do anything catastrophic" . Thoughts and actions are two things–your suicidal thoughts must not become a reality. There is no deadline, nobody prompts you to act immediately on these thoughts. Wait. Wait, and distance your suicidal thoughts from your suicidal actions. Remember to avoid drugs and alcohol. Suicidal thoughts can become even more powerful if you drug or alcohol. It is important not to use drugs or alcohol if you feel hopeless or think of suicide. Besides making your thought safe,  you also must make your home safe by remove such things as pills, knives, razors or firearms that you could use to hurt yourself. If you can't, go to a place where you can feel comfortable. If you are thinking about taking an overdose, give your medicines to someone who can give them back to you one day at a time.

Distract Yourself

If you think about harming yourself, find self - harm coping techniques that work for you, such as holding an ice cube in your hand until it melts and focusing on how cold it feels, throwing something into hundreds of pieces or taking a very cold bath or shower. Next, breathe steadily. Take long deep breaths and breathe longer than you breathe can help you feel more peaceful. Besides, take care of your needs. Do not take drugs or drink alcohol, because it can make you feel worse. If you can, drink a glass of water and eat something if you are hungry, sit comfortably somewhere and write down how you actually feel. Get outside if you feel tumultuous, the rain, the sun or the wind can help you feel more connected to your body. You also can reach out for help by , contact a phone support service  13 11 14  000  if you can't talk to someone you know

Challenge Your Thought

Work out a deal that you won't act today. Take time to find your living reasons. You may feel that the world is better without you or that it makes no sense to live, but this is just not the case. You actually can jot down what you look forward to, whether you eat your favorite treat, watch a loved one or catch up on the next TV series episode. Most importantly, just think of the significant people to you. No matter how bad you feel, it is important to remember that these people cherish you. Only then, you can start by saying you will get through this. We can sometimes focus on the negative things we say to ourselves and lose hope. If you repeat that you can overcome these feelings, you can regain optimism and concentrate on achieving it.

source:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/suicidal-feelings/helping-yourself-now/#.XBckplwzY2x

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Driven to death by bulliesMonday, 10 Feb 2014

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Driven to death by bulliesMonday, 10 Feb 2014

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KUALA LUMPUR: A family friend of 13-year-old T. Kavinraj ( pic), whose mother claimed that bullies drove him to committing suicide by drinking insecticide, wishes that he had taken the boy's complaints more seriously.

Sambhasivam Doraisamy, 49, whom Kavinraj had looked up to as a father figure, said the student would often come home from school crying or upset.

"He used to keep to himself and not tell us what happened. But recently, he told me and asked me to go talk to the four boys who were bullying him.

"I said 'no need lah' and told him to just inform his teacher. I wished that I had taken him more seriously," lamented Sambhasivam.

Kavinraj's father, he said, had died of a stroke a year ago, adding that the bullies would tease him about it.

"They would ask him where his father went. His friends told us that one time, they even pulled down his pants in class. I don't know what happened on Friday. They must have done something that made him do what he did," he said.

Kavinraj, added Sambhasivam, was a prefect in his school and although he was slow in learning, he was a hard worker.

"Last year, he got 4A's for his UPSR and was so upset. After appealing to the authorities over his results, he prayed very hard and was so happy when he came back with 5A's.

"He was the eldest, so his two little brothers and sister adore him. Yesterday, his sister kept calling out his name and holding his picture in bed. His mother is too distraught," he said.

Sambhasivam said the family would be meeting the school teachers and speaking to the four bullies that Kavinraj had pointed out before his sudden death on Saturday.

"I don't know who they are but I don't blame them. I just want to know why they bullied him and when it started," he said, adding that Kavinraj was cremated in Seremban on Saturday.

His mother claimed that Kavinraj, who died in a Semenyih clinic, had drunk insecticide in the toilet and turned blue in the face.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab said police had made arrangements to take a statement from Kavinraj's mother.

"We are waiting for the mother to finish all the funeral rites before we talk to her," he said, adding that her statement would shed light on the allegations that her son was constantly bullied at school.

Youths who are suffering from bullying and suicidal thoughts can find help by visiting rageagainstbullying.com.
Related story:
Show greater sensitivity

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Driven to death by bullies - Nation | The Star Online

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KUALA LUMPUR: A family friend of 13-year-old T. Kavinraj ( pic), whose mother claimed that bullies drove him to committing suicide by drinking insecticide, wishes that he had taken the boy's complaints more seriously. Sambhasivam Doraisamy, 49, whom Kavinraj had looked up to as a father figure, said the student would often come home from school crying or upset.

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Depressed student allegedly commits suicide in Seremban, cites academic stress

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Depressed student allegedly commits suicide in Seremban, cites academic stress

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Teen suicide is on the rise and this is why?

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Teen suicide is on the rise and this is why?

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Introduction
Adolescence is the time of greatest risk for the first onset of suicidal behaviors. It was proven by a study which aimed to identify the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal ideation among Malaysian adolescents. Data from the 2012 Malaysia Global School-based Student Health Survey, a nationwide study using a 2-stage cluster sampling design, were analyzed. The survey used a self-administered validated bilingual questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 7.9%. Analysis revealed that suicidal ideation was positively associated with depression, anxiety, stress.Another study shows that 7%(312 of 4,454) of students had seriously considered attempting suicide.

Depression

Remarkably, more than 90 per cent of people who succeed at suicide have been diagnosed with depression or some other mental disorder. Like suicide, depression is complicated and caused by many factors. One important contributing factor is childhood and adolescent abuse in a “toxic socialization” process.Socialization is the process where we are trained by parents, teachers, priests and others to be citizens of our societies. Toxic socialization is when this process is characterized by neglect or ongoing physical and emotional abuse. The violence of a toxic socialization process is typically justified as beneficial in some way to the process. “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is the prototypical justification.Agents of socialization hit, scream, intimidate, threaten, shame and exclude because they feel that violence such as spanking turns out a better adult product.But it doesn’t, at all. Toxic socialization including emotional abuse and the childhood trauma that is associated with it contributes to negative behaviours.Children who are exposed to maltreatment, violence in the community or marital violence in families struggle with many form of mental disability including anxiety, alcohol dependence, eating disorders, personality disorders and
depression.Why does the violence of a toxic socialization process contribute to depression and suicide? It’s certainly linked to the neurobiological and endocrine damage that results from chronic exposure to the stress of violent environments, especially during the critical early years of childhood and adolescence.

Bully
Moreover, HealthDay News -A new analysis of research from around the world suggests that kids involved in bullying are at higher risk of suicidal thoughts and actions.Kids who bullied others and were victims themselves were the most troubled of all, the report found. Researchers already know that there's a connection between bullying being a victim, a bully, or both at different times and suicidal thoughts, said Robert Faris, PhD, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis, who studies bullying. It's also clear that the link is stronger for the victims of bullying. However, we also know that bullying alone does not directly cause suicide and it's not clear how we get from being bullied to suicide. Involvement in bullying, as a victim or perpetrator, is not by random assignment, so it's possible that the factors that lead kids to bully or be victimized also lead them to consider suicide. In the new report, researchers analyzed 47 studies of bullying from around the world. They found that victims, bullies, and those youth who both bully others and are bullied all report significantly more suicidal thoughts and behaviors than youth who are uninvolved in bullying. In the new analysis, these "bully victims" had four times the odds of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, compared to those who weren't exposed to bullying. Victims (only) of bullying had odds for suicidal thoughts and behaviors that were more than twice that of people not bullied, and rates were similar for people who were bully perpetrators only. They are emotionally and psychologically maladjusted, and these are risks for suicidal thoughts. But on top of that, bullying also has the potential to cause a lot of distress for bullies, either because their bullying has backfired, or because it is distressing to be feared, avoided or hated.

LGBT issues

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people, and young people who don’t identify with or ‘fit in’ to a traditional gender, are more at risk of acting on suicidal thoughts than others. It’s important to understand that it is not young people’s sexuality or gender identity that leads to suicide; it is experiences of discrimination, prejudice, isolation and family rejection because of their sexuality that increase the risk of suicide. LGBT young people who reported high levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide. As well as this, research has shown that 81 percent of gender diverse young people in Australia who had experienced abuse and/or discrimination due to not identifying with a specific gender had thought about suicide and 37 per cent had attempted suicide. Family acceptance has been shown to protect against depression, suicidal behaviour, and alcohol and substance abuse, and to promote self-esteem, social support, and overall health.Homophobia is a common theme uniting all the stories behind LGBT suicides. Most of the men in a study spoke of experiences of violence, bullying and family rejection because of their sexuality. Others learned to internalize society’s negative view of gay and bisexual people.Because of homophobia, men described feeling isolated, lonely and invisible. These feelings often led to depression, sentiments of helplessness and thoughts of suicide. Homophobia is not the only reason these men contemplated suicide. It was often coupled with mental illness, financial problems or losing a job. For some, it was an abusive relationship, or the end of a relationship, that contributed to their thoughts of suicide.

https://theconversation.com/why-do-so-many-gay-and-bisexual-men-die-from-suicide-78587

http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/suicide/

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EFFECTS OF TEEN SUICIDE TO SUICIDE SURVIVORS

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EFFECTS OF TEEN SUICIDE TO SUICIDE SURVIVORS

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Suicide survivors are human too. They are not robots that doesn't feel anything at all.They have feelings,emotion that we should care about. But unfortunately, they are tend to be overlooked by the society even though they are also having traumatic and devastating episodes in their life grieving to the loss of the loved ones by suicide.Hence, as a concerned society , shall we know the situation that the suicide survivors have to face to prevent unwanted circumstances which are more alarming.
So, here is some of the effects.

Suicide survivors are most likely exposed to mental illness. The fact that they lost their love ones that they rely on the most can cause a tremendous effect that disturb their neuronal system that supposed to be functioning well. Suicide survivors especially parents and friends typically have the higher rates of  depression and anxiety that probably will lead to another suicide.Suicide after suicide. How ignorant we can be to let this things just slipped out of our hand?

Anger,confused and guilty. Suicide survivors tend to have emotional distress and can't even expressed their own self well. Parents for an instance, felt extreme guilt for not noticing the suicidal behavior that was shown by their own child eventhough they are connected emotionally and physically.The thought of being a 'bad parents' come through their mind and cause traumatic event to the emotion.They tend to ignore themselves. This on the other hand cause physical problems to the suicide survivors where they could lost significant lost of weight due to loss of appetite. Besides, divorce could occurs within the pitiful parents.

We are living in a cruel society. When a teen commit suicide,there is stigma around the death and the family members are the one to blame as if the pressure of losing someone is not enough to hurt the suicide survivors. This will worsen the situation  as the family members need to cope with the loss and face the social stigma at the same time.But, the society that should be the shoulder to support this helpless family rather judge and condemn them to a level of extreme isolation.

We are living together at this world. Helping and supporting each should be  one of our daily life's principle.Spreading awareness is the main highlight for this article as it can slightly contribute to us to prevent more suicide incidents. As we know,suicide is not a taboo thing anymore,somehow it become  common and be the prime cause that snatching our teens' life.

Source:https://www.healthyplace.com/suicide/effects-of-suicide-on-family-members-loved-ones

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‘’The real reason for not comitting suicide is because you always know how swell life gets again after the hell is over”

Ernest Hemingway