Monday, July 2, 2007

Suicide among youths. Fulfillment is in living not in dying

Several cases of suicide by youths is reported recently in the State of Karnataka as well as in India as a whole.Failure in Examinations, not getting the Courses chosen, failure in love 'affairs' and in some cases, poverty coming in the way of one's advancement are some of the major reasons cited for the tragedy.

Every suicide is a reflection of one's concern for the quality of life, nothing less would suffice, said Albert Camus. Psychologist would say that immediate reactions to frustration are 'fight' or 'flight' and fight turned inside on oneself or running away from it all(flight) may sometimes end up in suicide. Excessive reliance only one or only a few, such as say a mother or a job or any one choice alone, excluding all other possibility may result especially when there occurs a loss-actual or imaginary- of those relied upon as then there would be nothing else to fall back on would trigger a suicidal thoughts or actions. A clinical condition, Depression, characterised by feelings of hopelessness,helplessness, inadequacy and inferiority which might underlie the above reason of over dependency is often the cause for several 'attempted' or committed suicides.

Building up of a self confidence that one is endowed with all that is necessary in the services of self and the world by Nature to lead a happy and prosperous life and one has to find and grow with it must be inculcated at the very early age by parents, teachers and others in society as it is based on 'scientific' truth. Encouraging the child to engage actively in all those activities available around-studies, art, culture, music, dance, play, sports, adventure and what have you!-just to experience yourself in the world without restricting oneself, at least in the early stages,with any particular 'choice' or even without attempting oneself to define oneself for an identity is yet another inoculation to prevent depression and suicide. Child must first get the experience of all that one can in the world around and based on those self derived data one should make choices by himself on himself alone and certainly not by here say or imagined things or books or people however valuable, great or dear one they are!

Fulfilment is in living not in dying

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