Suicide: A social stigma
‘Astagfirullah, gunah kardia phir ek aur bachi ne’, my grandfather said as he flipped over the newspaper. It was part of the ritual. Every day, someone from my family would come across another suicidal case and read it off with a disapproving expression. Some would call them ‘kamzor’, some would call them hopeless and some would regard them as ungrateful beings who do not respect God’s incredible gift called life. The word ”khudkhushi” was heard more often with the rise in suicidal cases every day, yet, it would haunt us just as terribly and surprisingly as it did years ago. I sat at the edge of the chaarpayee, shivering, thinking of the absurd words that will be spoken about me from those I am related to by blood. And if our family can be this harsh, what do we expect from those who haven’t even watched us take our first few steps? The poor life isn’t as simple as it seems to be. The electricity bills my mom pays after sewing clothes for the entire neighborhood and the daal roti we eat every day because that’s the only thing we can afford, speak it all.
While the tingling of the cups and saucers formed sweet music our ears danced on, my heartbeat raced and my heart went numb. I looked around the clothes I had to wash within an hour and the mess my brothers had created while going to school. But what captured my attention was the sparkling cover page of the book my little brother owns. He would read a few pages each day, the English words entering my ears like a melody. I was just as clueless as to what they mean as a little kid would be. The big words written in curvy handwriting amazed me. Just then my mom walked in with the tray of unwashed dishes and asked me to wash them.
After the long day working at home, I served food to my brothers who walked in from school, throwing away their bags and shoes because I was there to pick them up. And I? How would I describe myself? A daughter whose parents do not care about her? Or a girl who’s just bound to the expectations of society? Every night I stand at the rooftop wondering what my life is. I’ve spent hours fighting for my rights; a few books, the permission to go to school and the mere necessity to talk to friends. But I guess women do not deserve trust. Or else why would my drunk dad abuse my innocent mom?
Suicide. This is one thing that hits my brain each time I go into a flashback of my life. The times my dad slapped me. The times I was caught using my mom’s cellphone and they considered it as a sin. It was heartbreaking. I don’t want to live this life. I want to die.
This is, just another example of the many stories we hear every day. Be is poor, be it rich, be is successful, be it a failure. Suicide is in the mind of every person. Not because we are ungrateful, but because we are wronged.
Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. 1 We need to realize what the people around us are going through.
‘apni jaan dedi? Itna kamzor shaqs tha?” This is the first thing we hear when there is a conversation about suicide or self-harm. This is because this world does not understand the feelings and thoughts that lead to this big step. It is the vulnerability, the harshness of the world, and the hopeless feelings mixed up with the uncertainty and pain that comes along with the unacceptance of mental health issues. No one in this world wants to give up on their life. However, some people are forced to kill themselves to find peace from the injustice they are bound to face in this already so little life.
According to a survey conducted, 38% of respondents said they know someone who has taken their own life. The results were:
• 43% said they personally know someone who has attempted suicide.
• 45% said they have thought about suicide but never acted on it.
• 9% said they have tried to end their lives.2
Life is certainly a blessing. However, the real meaning of life and living means to care about those around us. It is very necessary to see how we treat our loved ones. Teens tend to commit suicide because of peer pressure, failures due to the stress in schools and universities, and comparisons implemented at home and with friends. In this modern world and after this threatening pandemic, A lot of people have undergone lots of tension and financial issues even.
Mental health is just as important as any other disease. And it is time we see how important it is to take care of our loved ones.
References:
1.
Who.int. 2021. Suicide data. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/suicide-data> [Accessed 15 February 2021]
2. Haque, Atika. 2021. “Pakistan’s Silent Suicide Problem”. DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1494208.