 Attention
to Suicide - Giving It As Much Attention as the Tsunami
By Riaz Manji of Stepping Stone Healing
Last December, we were all horrified as pictures of the South Asia
Tsunami were broadcast around the world. After some 200,000 adults and children
died and billions of dollars of property were destroyed, the world came to the
rescue. The compassion and generosity of everyone was evident. Money was
collected by charities such as the Red Cross; volunteers packed their bags and
took the next flight to the devastated areas. People were ready to adopt
orphaned children. The true nature of humanity, which is one of love,
generosity, kindness and compassion, came to the forefront. It was wonderful to
see the world come together as one.
As I watched the sequence of events, my emotions flowed from sorrow as I felt
the pain of the victims and families that were left behind, to utter joy as I
saw all the aid that was pouring into the area. I then began to think of my own
quest for suicide awareness. I began to compare the two tragedies and I asked
the question, “Why does suicide not receive the same kind of media coverage,
government support, public attention and money?”
Suicide is an epidemic in our world. Here are some interesting facts about
suicide:
- Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health
Organization, a suicide is committed every 40 seconds.
- Each year, approximately one million people die by suicide around the world.
More people die from suicide than from all homicides and wars combined.
- In the past 3 decades, more than 100,000 Canadians died
by suicide.
- 400,000 Canadians deliberately harm themselves every year.
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.
- Over 2.8 million Canadians are affected by suicidal behavior every year. This
includes families, friends and co-workers.
- Suicide deaths and attempts cost the Canadian economy $14.9 billion annually.
As I looked over these figures, I noticed that five times more people are killed
per year by suicides that in the recent Tsunami! Why does suicide not get the
appropriate attention? Due to the stigma and taboo regarding suicide, many
people still do not talk about it. In the past, people did not discuss AIDS or
cancer. When they noticed that their neighbor, family or friend had the disease,
people became educated in this area, showed compassion and the media took
notice. When famous people such as Freddie Mercury of the rock group Queen or
the Hollywood actor Rock Hudson contracted AIDS, there was publicity generated.
People became aware and funds and resources were generated to help fight this
dreadful disease. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for suicide.
These days, antidepressants are the leading category of drug sales - not cancer
or arthritis drugs, but antidepressants! Depression has been defined as “the
disease of the new millennium” and in the future it’s expected to be second only
to heart disease as the leading cause of premature death and disability
worldwide. I hear of suicides occurring everyday. There was an incident of a
woman who left her wedding ring on her dressing table and jumped into a river.
Another 58-year-old manager, very well off financially, went into his garage,
started his car and killed himself with carbon monoxide poisoning. A 20-year-old
friend of mine tried to kill himself with a gun to his head. His aim was off and
he was blinded in both eyes. His whole life lay ahead of him. These people are
our neighbors, family members and friends who are living and working right next
to us.
In 1991, I nearly committed suicide. After spending more than a week in
hospital, I went on a journey of self-discovery, when I researched hundreds of
“meaning of life”, spiritual and New Age books and did a lot of contemplation,
investigation and studying. I had to find the reason for my existence. Some ten
years later, when my courageous mother was dying after thirteen years of
fighting cancer, I left my job to take care of her. I wrote a book and then
started counseling people. Part of my objective now is to ensure that no one
kills him or herself. A mission we can all get involved in.
Recently, I heard of two twelve year-olds who tried to commit suicide! I was
shocked! Not long ago, I received a letter from a 21 year-old woman who told me
she had been cutting herself for seven years, was bulimic and had been about to
jump off her sister’s 27th floor apartment building. She told me that talking
about it and reading books had saved her life. I hope we can all make a
difference in our small way. It can be a small gesture, such as lending an ear
to someone who is showing signs of depression. A positive comment or a smile to
a stranger in a grocery lineup can make a world of difference. You could be
saving a life without even knowing about it. Compassion and understanding are
basic human qualities and these attributes are something we all have, although
sometimes we may not show enough of them.
I feel that a lack of spirituality and self-awareness has contributed to
depression in people. There is too much reliance on antidepressants.
Antidepressants are only “band-aid” solutions. We need to get to the root of the
problem. Also, despite this epidemic of suicide, there is still no national
prevention strategy in Canada. Until people talk about suicide openly and the
media, politicians and the public take notice, our governments will not take any
action to create an effective national strategy. This strategy should include
holistic healing techniques such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture, naturopathy
and others. We need to treat a person’s body, mind and spirit together. We need
it now more than ever before. Let us not lose another person to suicide in this
holistic age of immense knowledge and wisdom.
Riaz Manji is an Intuitive Counsellor & Author. He is the owner of Stepping
Stone Healing & can be reached at
403. 247.2763 or visit
www.steppingstonehealing.com
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