No suicide attempt should be dismissed or treated lightly!
Why Do People Commit Suicide ?
A suicide attempt is a clear indication that something is gravely wrong in a person's life. No matter the race or age of the person; how rich or poor they are, it is true that most people who commit suicide have a mental or emotional disorder.
The most common underlying disorder is depression, 30% to 70% of suicide victims suffer from major depression or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder.
Warning Signs of Someone Considering Suicide
Any one of these symptoms does not necessarily mean the person is suicidal, but several of these symptoms may signal a need for help:
Verbal suicide threats such as, "You'd be better off without me." or "Maybe I won't be around."
Expressions of hopelessness and helplessness.
Previous suicide attempts.
Daring or risk-taking behavior.
Personality changes.
Depression.
Giving away prized possessions.
Lack of interest in future plans.
Remember: Eight out of ten suicidal persons give some sign of their intentions. People who talk about suicide, threaten to commit suicide, or call suicide crisis centers are 30 times more likely than average to kill themselves.
What To Do If You Think Someone Is Suicidal
Trust your instincts that the person may be in trouble.
Talk with the person about your concerns. Communication needs to include
LISTENING.
Ask direct questions without being judgmental. Determine if the person has a specific plan to carry out the suicide. The more detailed the plan, the greater the risk.
Get professional help, even if the person resists.
Do not leave the person alone.
Do not swear to secrecy.
Do not act shocked or judgmental.
Do not counsel the person yourself.
The Statistics of Suicide
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 1% of all deaths.
More years of life are lost to suicide than to any other single cause except heart disease and cancer.
30,000 Americans commit suicide annually; an additional 500,000 Americans attempt suicide annually.
The actual ratio of attempts to completed suicides is probably at least 10 to 1.
30% to 40% of persons who commit suicide have made a previous attempt.
The risk of completed suicide is more than 100 times greater than average in the first year after an attempt - 80 times greater for women, 200 times greater for men, 200 times greater for people over 45 and 300 times greater for white men over 65.
Suicide rates are highest in old age: 20% of the population and 40% of suicide victims are over 60. After age 75, the rate is three times higher than average, and among white men over 80, it is six times higher than average.
Substance abuse is another great instigator of suicide; it may be involved in half of all cases. About 20% of suicides are alcohol abusers, and the lifetime rate of suicide among alcoholics is at least three or four times the average. Completed suicides are more likely to be men over 45 who are depressed or alcoholic.
Preventing Suicide
Although they may not call prevention centers, suicidal people usually do seek help; for example, nearly three-fourths of all suicide victims visit a doctor in the four months before their deaths, and half in the month before.
Helping a Suicidal Person
No single therapeutic approach is suitable for all suicidal persons or suicidal tendencies. The most common ways to treat underlying illnesses associated with suicide are with medication, talk therapy or a combination of the two.
Cognitive (talk therapy) and behavioral (changing behavior) therapies aim at relieving the despair of suicidal patients by showing them other solutions to their problems and new ways to think about themselves and their world. Behavioral methods, such as training in assertiveness, problem-solving, social skills, and muscle relaxation, may reduce depression, anxiety, and social ineptitude.
Cognitive and behavioral homework assignments are planned in collaboration with the patient and explained as experiments that will be educational even if they fail. The therapist emphasizes that the patient is doing most of the work, because it is especially important for a suicidal person not to see the therapist as necessary for their survival.
Recent research strongly supports the use of medication to treat the underlying depression associated with suicide. Antidepressant medication acts on chemical pathways of the brain related to mood. There are many very effective antidepressants. The two most common types are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Other new types of antidepressants (e.g. alpha-2 antagonist, selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and aminoketones), and an older class, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), are also prescribed by some doctors.
Antidepressant medications are not habit-forming. Although some symptoms such as insomnia, often improve within a week or two, it may take three or four weeks before you feel better; the full benefit of medication may require six to eight weeks of treatment. Sometimes changes need to be made in dosage or medication type before improvements are noticed. It is usually recommended that medications be taken for at least four to nine months after the depressive symptoms have improved. People with chronic depression mayneed to stay on medication to prevent or lessen further episodes.
People taking antidepressants should be monitored by a doctor who knows about treating clinical depression to ensure the best treatment with the fewest side effects. It is also very important that your doctor be informed about all other medicines that are taken, including vitamins and herbal supplements, in order to help avoid dangerous interactions. Alcohol or other drugs can interact negatively with antidepressant medication.
Do not discontinue medication without discussing the decision with your doctor.
Resources in Your Community
Telephone hotlines (Can be obtained from the telephone book, local Mental Health Associations, community centers, or United Way chapters)
Clergy
Medical professionals
Law-enforcement agencies
Infosys employee dies after falling off parking lot in office campus at Hyderabad
Reported by Uma Sudhir
A woman employee of IT major Infosys has died reportedly after falling off a multi-level parking lot inside the company's campus in Hyderabad late on Monday night. The police is investigating whether she jumped from the building or was pushed. Infosys suicide, suicide, woman jumps to death Infosys woman manager found hanging at home Indo-Asian News Service
An assistant manager with Infosys Ltd was found hanging in her apartment in a suburb here, police said Monday. Smita Rao, 32, was also was found hanging Monday in her apartment in the northeast suburb of Geddelihalli.
Read More: Bangalore suicide, Columbia Asia hospital, Infosys manager suicide, Smita Rao
Did the Infosys manager attempt suicide ?
The police have rubbished reports of Infosys manager Satish Gupta attempting to commit suicide saying that he was under constant observation. At the same time, they are not ruling out the possibility of his parents' involvement in the murder. Satish confessed to killing his wife Priyanka over a domes.
Read More: infosys, manager, murder, wife
Bangalore: With 727 friends on Facebook, Malini Murmu was like any other college student who logged on often to the social network.
On Sunday, however, Malini found that her boyfriend, who she had fought with earlier that day, had posted a hurtful message. In his status update, Abhishek Dhan, who had graduated from IIT Roorkee, declared that he had "dumped" his girlfriend.
Malini hung herself that evening in her hostel room at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Bangalore. The 23-year-old, who is from Jamshedpur in Jharkand, left behind a message scribbled on the white board in her room. "He ditched me. This is the best I can do to take revenge."
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A statement released by IIM today said, "The Bangalore Police are investigating what appears to be a case of suicide... Ms Murmu, 23, hailed from Jamshedpur. Malini came to IIMB last June, having worked at Infosys after completing her B. Tech. from KIIT. We have lost a bright young person in the prime of her life.
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