What goes on in the mind of a person with suicidal tendencies?
“Imagine an entire coliseum filled with people, tapos lahat ng tao nagchecheer ng ‘Go USTe! Go USTe!’ to the top of their lungs; eh ‘di sobrang lakas noon?” said Dennis Mendoza, a UST civil engineering graduate who recalled his bout with depression, regarded by the top cause of suicide.
“Imagine the school spirit burning bright and loud. Now imagine the complete opposite of it all. That was what I felt. That’s what depression is.”
Fortunately for Mendoza, his depression, brought about by academic failures, did not eventually drive him to take his own life. He was treated by a psychiatrist and, with his deep spirituality, found healing later on.
Mendoza shared his story last Nov. 20 at an event meant to discourage suicide, the “Student Suicide Prevention and Awareness Forum” conducted by the College of Science and the Department of Psychology at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium.
Dr. Dinah Palmera P. Nadera, a psychology alumna and acting executive director of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, said faith and religiosity were a strong deterrent to suicide.
“If one fears God, one fears killing oneself because of the punishment one may incur himself upon doing so,” she told the audience.
Mendoza attested to this, saying: “What I did is that I would pray to God every day for guidance, and I would realize that there is much more to life than just being depressed all day.”
“It’s funny because in the early years of my depression I would ask God to take my life,” he added.
Dr. Claudette Agnes, the head of the Psychology Department of the College of Science, said students are influential and responsible for the well-being and mental health of their peers.
“There is an urgency for everyone to recognize the increasing risk of suicide and suicide ideation, and to create the initiative to reach out to ‘risks’ and to bring them to proper help,” he said.
She urged the different colleges to create programs geared toward a healthy state of mind, through their respective guidance and counselling departments.
Depression
Nadera said depression “still persists to be the number one cause of suicide.”
“A diagnosed mental illness known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or Clinical Depression is one of the major causes of depression in general, which is characterized by low self-esteem and the loss of interest to which one finds normally enjoyable,” she said.
“It is, however, possible for us to detect these changes in an individual, for us to detect these changes in an individual, for example, the change of lifestyle and eating habits, lethargy and dramatic of attitude may be subject for depression.”
There are other causes of depression, which ultimately causes suicide, such as biological and other causal factors.
Nadera elaborated the different levels of risk, and discussed how each level brings about more suicidal tendencies as the flash of emotions and ill behavior flow within the individual.
The most fatal of all is the very high risk level of behavior, wherein one has decided to complete the suicide and the only thing keeping them from an attempt are barriers, such as removing dangerous tools.
Nadera said detecting suicidal tendencies is must knowledge to everyone. “On a verbal aspect, one is able to detect a person who has suicidal tendencies. Statements such as ‘Ayaw ko nang mabuhay,’ ‘Life has no meaning,’ ‘I want out!’ are signs that may be subjected to medical psychological inspection.”
Bringing a sense of belongingness and working a personal relationship to remove the suicidal thought are the best actions that non-professionals can do. But when the situation clearly requires professional help, such action must be taken. Alfredo N. Mendoza V
