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Give a little love
When I first heard of Yama Buddha’s suicide, I thought that it was a hoax. I remember reading about it on the internet and waiting for a genuine news source to confirm that it had actually happened, after which I posted a short condolence message on Facebook before returning to my work.Zenith Shah
When I first heard of Yama Buddha’s suicide, I thought that it was a hoax. I remember reading about it on the internet and waiting for a genuine news source to confirm that it had actually happened, after which I posted a short condolence message on Facebook before returning to my work.
Yet, I kept thinking of it. Why suicide? I know that killing yourself is no easy feat and that there had to be some grave problem that haunted him. So grave that the rapper who so many had looked up to and whose music had inspired so many couldn’t find a solution to it. His suicide not only ended his own life, but snatched the hopes of many for whom he was a reason to live and a reason to hope.
In 2015, the WHO ranked Nepal seventh in terms of annual suicides. Internationally, 90 percent of suicides are because of depression and mental health issues. Sadly, in a country like ours, mental health issues like depression are stigmatised to such an extent that the victim would be hard pressed to own up to their situation. When they quit life, people swarm to social media and express their various views regarding suicide. What they fail to realise is that had they noticed the person’s pain, had they shown even a little concern, that person might have found a reason to live.
Moreover, someone considering suicide can only feel more cornered when confronted with an apathetic society that would rather dismiss them than provide them with help. Because confessing your depression or any mental health issue is often met with cynicism, people are not inclined to share their problems, even with their kith and kin. The result is that they remain unheard, and even if heard, suppressed.
It is a cliché that beneath every problem lies a solution and death is not the only way out. Humans are more than capable to sort out their problems, if not on their own then with the help of others. This is why humans are social creatures. With the help of others, all problems can be dealt with. However, our culture regarding mental health impedes this problem-solving process. Talking about mental health issues is not acceptable in our society and the average person is more inclined to mock rather than lend a hand.
If only people were more sympathetic to the lives of others. Instead, they end up saying harsh things without even thinking of the consequences. For someone considering suicide, an unsympathetic society makes life so much easier to end. Suicide would perhaps happen a lot less often if the victim is counseled and consoled. All one needs to do, in most cases, is listen to them.
Suicidal tendencies might occur in your closest people, even among your family members and friends. We can’t read people’s minds, but we can notice changes in the behaviour of the people we know. Next time you notice someone change in a worrisome way, talk to them. If your time is worth a life, why not give it?
Shah is currently doing his A-levels at St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar.