Suicide is not a new phenomenon. People have committed it in the ancient past and as per the data shared by Gapminder—an organization that is fighting ignorance with fact-based worldviews that everyone can understand—the incidence rate has not come down. On the contrary suicidal tendencies are birthed in depression, eventually leading to the extreme step! Now that we have realized it, let us find ways to deal with it! Remember these 5 things to save yourself and your friends from bouts of depression and eventually from suicide.
1. You only get one body in this lifetime.
This mortal body of ours will not be around forever. It is a temporary vessel through which we can briefly experience life on Earth. You only have one body in this lifetime, and there are so many things you can do with it. It would be a shame to throw it away. Would it not be worth it to take good care of your own self? In fact, when people take their own lives, they think that it is the only solution to end suffering. This is simply not true.
2. Suicide is not a problem-solver.
People who commit suicide have this deceptive notion that it is a great problem-solver. On the contrary, it creates more problems than it solves! Man has been ever so deceived to believe that ending something that is so temporary in the first place is the best way of dealing with it. Understanding this fact will help us when such thoughts creep into our mind.
3. Start spending more time with others.
I have been to hospitals before where all I could think about was that my ailment was big and painful. But when I arrive at the hospital and look around, I see that there are so many people who are in greater pain than me. To cut it short, life and problems are synonymous. It will help to know that your friends and colleagues have problems that are graver than or equal to your own. Start spending time with them. Your problems will start fading away! Even the rich and the glamorous have their own problems. Some say, that money solves all problems. But a great teacher St. Paul, taught, For the love of money, is the root of all evil.
4. Call your friends, even if you don’t want to.
When depression hits you, you tend to retreat into a shell like a tortoise’s head! But deep inside, you yearn for someone to help you out. It is disheartening to know that in this age of technology, suicide rates have reached an all-time high. It would be prudent to keep the contact details of a few people whom you really trust and can share things with complete privacy. This is most difficult bit when you are fighting depression! Working Mantra: Fight depression to Fight suicide !
5. Spend time with Nature.
I am sure that we all enjoy Mother Nature in all her beauty. Who doesn’t want to travel, explore new places and marvel at the beauty of life? But somehow, the inertia of our lives hold us back! It is time to move out of our self-made concrete cages and into Nature’s caring lap, at least every once in a while. The vast expanse of green & yellow fields, blue skies and the roaring seas, the sun, moon and stars are all FREE. Some wise man said, “The best things in life are free.”
We need to realize that we have to strive to rise above the things causing clatter in our lives, including iPhones and emails. Trust me, Nature has an amazing way of communicating, loving and healing us. Try it—it works !
Featured photo credit: Ashley Rose via flickr.com
