Suicide rate and incidence of depression among women are constantly on the rise:
December, 14, 2008
By Sajid Bashir
LAHORE: Saima Afzal, a 21-year-old graduate, who reached Lahore from Okara with high hopes for the future, faced great disillusionment in this city, not knowing that thousands of youth loiter aimlessly in search of work here. She was full of idealism and had come to seek a job and settle here once and for all but her search for job could not last for more than three-four months. Saima committed suicide on Nov 11.
Saima Afzal is one of the many hapless victims of unemployment. She belonged to a poor family. She was staying at her cousin's house and went from pillar to post to get a reasonable job but failed. On the day of the incident, she went to railway lines and ended her life by jumping in front of a train.
Later, her cousin Naveed said that Saima was depressed at not finding a suitable job. She committed suicide from depression and stress, he added.
Data collected by TNS reveals that most of the women ended their lives due to abject poverty. One of the major causes which led 35 women to commit suicide, is poverty. While poverty and family disputes may sound different to some, the main reason boils down to unhappy family life.
Depression is said to have seeped into our female population and there are many reasons for that. One is managing the household in the little income that she receives from her husband and few venues other than home for women in our society. The people have been facing great financial crunch and it is the edibles which have become out of reach of commonman. Then there are unrealistic expectations from a woman. She is supposed to care not just for her husband and children, the in-laws are quite demanding in some cases. In an instance a man slapped his elder brother's wife at which the woman committed suicide. Women look upto their husband for most of the things that can bring them independence, like a job or an initiative that can bring substantial improvement in their lives.
Its not just home where the environment is restrictive for most women, our society also doesn't give much consideration to her well-being, it seems. For instance, where there are playgrounds in an area, you will never come across women or even little girls there, especially in areas populated with middle and lower middle class. In summers when everybody needs to come out in the open, the grounds are found full of boys and men.
As many as 54 women committed suicide during the year 2007 in the provincial capital. Majority of these women committed suicide by taking poison and most of them took the cheapest poison which is rat poison and that used to prevent wheat from pest.
Of the 54 victims who came from different areas of Lahore, 39 committed suicide by taking poison, five hanged themselves, five took their lives by lying in front of train, two by shooting themselves, two set themselves on fire and one by cutting her wrist vein.
"In our society depression and emotional frustration are the main reasons for committing suicide," a psychiatrist Dr Yasmeen who runs a hospital in Gulberg, said. Majority of the women who commit suicide are between the age group 25 to 40.
Dr Yasmeen said that individuals suffering from depression show high risk suicidal behaviour. When depression is a major factor, successful treatment of depression usually leads to the disappearance of suicidal thoughts, however, medical treatment of depression is not always successful and lifelong depression can contribute to recurring suicide attempts.
There are several reasons for committing suicide and we can overcome this problem by giving women awareness. Dr. Yasmeen said that a person who wants to commit suicide tells a family member or friend atleast once before doing so. "Never take a suicide threat or warning lightly. This is when a person should be rushed to the doctor for treatment otherwise he/she most probably would commit suicide because it is a sure sign of mental depression," the doctor said.
"While anti-depression medicine is recommended for such patients, we have to promote mental resilience thought optimism and rapport with the person. We should improve the health and welfare services so that they respond to people in need. This includes better training for health professionals and employing crisis counseling organisations," Dr Yasmeen said. More importantly, she emphasized the need to hold seminars to create awareness among people, to hold interactive theatre to enlighten masses on the issue.
Particularly, media can dessiminate this message to the masses to reduce access to convenient means of suicide. In this regard government's role is important for it is the government which can check the sale of poisonous chemicals and pills openly, she said.
A word of advice to those contemplating suicide: Do not take acid. If you survive, you will be in real trouble and the doctor warns most likely you will survive.
Saima Afzal is one of the many hapless victims of unemployment. She belonged to a poor family. She was staying at her cousin's house and went from pillar to post to get a reasonable job but failed. On the day of the incident, she went to railway lines and ended her life by jumping in front of a train.
Later, her cousin Naveed said that Saima was depressed at not finding a suitable job. She committed suicide from depression and stress, he added.
Data collected by TNS reveals that most of the women ended their lives due to abject poverty. One of the major causes which led 35 women to commit suicide, is poverty. While poverty and family disputes may sound different to some, the main reason boils down to unhappy family life.
Depression is said to have seeped into our female population and there are many reasons for that. One is managing the household in the little income that she receives from her husband and few venues other than home for women in our society. The people have been facing great financial crunch and it is the edibles which have become out of reach of commonman. Then there are unrealistic expectations from a woman. She is supposed to care not just for her husband and children, the in-laws are quite demanding in some cases. In an instance a man slapped his elder brother's wife at which the woman committed suicide. Women look upto their husband for most of the things that can bring them independence, like a job or an initiative that can bring substantial improvement in their lives.
Its not just home where the environment is restrictive for most women, our society also doesn't give much consideration to her well-being, it seems. For instance, where there are playgrounds in an area, you will never come across women or even little girls there, especially in areas populated with middle and lower middle class. In summers when everybody needs to come out in the open, the grounds are found full of boys and men.
As many as 54 women committed suicide during the year 2007 in the provincial capital. Majority of these women committed suicide by taking poison and most of them took the cheapest poison which is rat poison and that used to prevent wheat from pest.
Of the 54 victims who came from different areas of Lahore, 39 committed suicide by taking poison, five hanged themselves, five took their lives by lying in front of train, two by shooting themselves, two set themselves on fire and one by cutting her wrist vein.
"In our society depression and emotional frustration are the main reasons for committing suicide," a psychiatrist Dr Yasmeen who runs a hospital in Gulberg, said. Majority of the women who commit suicide are between the age group 25 to 40.
Dr Yasmeen said that individuals suffering from depression show high risk suicidal behaviour. When depression is a major factor, successful treatment of depression usually leads to the disappearance of suicidal thoughts, however, medical treatment of depression is not always successful and lifelong depression can contribute to recurring suicide attempts.
There are several reasons for committing suicide and we can overcome this problem by giving women awareness. Dr. Yasmeen said that a person who wants to commit suicide tells a family member or friend atleast once before doing so. "Never take a suicide threat or warning lightly. This is when a person should be rushed to the doctor for treatment otherwise he/she most probably would commit suicide because it is a sure sign of mental depression," the doctor said.
"While anti-depression medicine is recommended for such patients, we have to promote mental resilience thought optimism and rapport with the person. We should improve the health and welfare services so that they respond to people in need. This includes better training for health professionals and employing crisis counseling organisations," Dr Yasmeen said. More importantly, she emphasized the need to hold seminars to create awareness among people, to hold interactive theatre to enlighten masses on the issue.
Particularly, media can dessiminate this message to the masses to reduce access to convenient means of suicide. In this regard government's role is important for it is the government which can check the sale of poisonous chemicals and pills openly, she said.
A word of advice to those contemplating suicide: Do not take acid. If you survive, you will be in real trouble and the doctor warns most likely you will survive.
No comments:
Post a Comment