SUICIDE?

The spate of suicide both home and abroad is becoming quite alarming. In just few months, I have heard of about ten suicide and attempted cases. I started to wonder what is going on in the minds of those people, and believe you me, not with any judgement but with curiosity and empathy. I can never claim to understand what they were going through or what ultimately led to the decision but I can say without any iota of doubt that they are not the only ones that are going through that same situation (some are even going through far worse) but they choose not to "end it" because maybe the old saying "tough times don't last but tough people do" keeps them going. I want to seriously understand what opened the door to these resolutions on a global scale because I can vividly remember few decades ago suicide was a very very rare word to hear albeit present once in a long while as against the daily headline news these day of young, promising men and women killing themselves for one reason or the other.

From the suicide notes or trailing stories usually left behind by the victims, depression, neglect, ridicule and public shaming are among the top reasons why they do what they do. I can tell you about depression and all it comes with because even though I did not experience it first hand, I was a second line victim (that is a story for another day). I watched the battle for sanity and purpose and believe me, its not something I wish for anyone. Talk of neglect and ridicule, every one of us have suffered a form of neglect or ridicule at one time or the other especially during teenage and adolescence, either from family, loved ones, friends, relatives and classmates but we survived it and we are here today. Of public shaming, i.e, what people are saying or what they are doing, especially on social media or the internet, I want to believe people are bound to talk, either good or bad and as long as you breathe, you must be talked about, in fact even when you are long gone, people will still talk, dislike you and everything you do/stand for and will even look for a way of mocking you and making you a laughing stock because some people are naturally like that, they are only happy when others are suffering (that is a unique kind of witchcraft and devilry but the English dictionary call them "Sadist"- more like "satanist"). So all these, individually or combined, or in some cases with many more I did not capture come to play in the life of individuals but I still insist that "ending it" is not the solution because all the above, except depression still plays, or even more, after "the deed" is done.

The media is not helping the situation either because as a movie and book freak, script and screenplay writers don't see the ripple effect of those seemingly "innocent" suicide scenes and notes they insert in movies and books, they fail to understand that they are not only informing and educating but also shaping minds and lives. Song writers/singers/musicians, entertainers and those in the public space are not doing any better either by their music/content or even their lifestyle which most people tend to copy. A superstar for example is the "idol" or role model to millions and because of a certain situation in his personal life decides to "end it all", what do you think happens in the minds of the young looking up to him/her? I may be wrong but one key message will be to "end it" too when things get tough because it is a "cool and normal" thing to do, after all, "that person did it".

Everyone has the right to whatever lifestyle they want and however they choose to leave their lives and I am a strong advocate for freedom of living and all but sometimes, we need to look down the line and see who is watching and from what perspectives they may get the message because often times, "innocent" music, movie, book, lifestyle and actions get misinterpreted or misread.

So how do you handle all that? Guard yourself, what you see, what you hear, where you go, what you learn and who you interact with for all these and many more are the contributing factors.

In conclusion, it does not end when you "end it", it begins for others and you too, even ronins can tell you that.

TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO.

#STAYFOCUSED

Image: Courtesy google images