October is acknowledged as World Mental Health Month. It’s probably no big surprise that many people with mental health issues step back and don’t readily seek treatment for their concerns. The near and dear ones of the patients hardly pay heed to such patients and often ridicule them as losers, hopeless. Social anxiety and inability to perform adds to the trauma of the patients.

Only a few weeks back the Blue Whale game took the world by storm. Google trends for the past year show India saw the highest number of searches in the world for `Blue Whale Game`. While Supreme Court and police did their bit to rescue children from the deadly trap of the game, what failed to draw attention was the increasing cases of depression that the Indian teenagers are suffering from and which in return catapulted their interest in being a challenger of the game.

“Thoughts of suicide is a kind of mental disorder. People prone to suicidal tendencies are suffering from depression, bipolar disorder or other mental disorders like schizophrenia. Signs of suicide are present in the victim himself. Such people often make depressing conversation to family and friends. They are hints that should be taken care of to suspect suicide.” told Dr Rakesh, Psychiatrist, Civil Hospital, Lucknow in an exclusive interview with Nyoooz.

Let us delve deeper to know what signs can help you detect if your loved one is contemplating suicide.

Tone of Conversation

If a person talks about:
• Being a burden or embracement to other, to being able to handle to pressure or finds himself not socially acceptable
• If the person tries to make you understand that he is feeling trapped may be in a job he doesn’t want to do, a course for students, a household or a marriage.
• If the person is experiencing a pain, the mental trauma that he cannot explain, a condition that is hard to describe but impossible to bear any further.
• If he feels that there is no reason to leave, escapist tendencies, the futility of life or his deeds.
• If he purposefully mentions of killing himself again and again

Behavioral changes

Specific things to look out for include:
• If the person has resorted to consuming alcohol not just occasionally but frequently or got addicted to drugs, it means he is trying to release pressure or forget the pain. Addictions momentarily carry away from worries
• Check his web history. He will be on a constant lookout for ways to suicide or kill oneself without pain.
• If he is losing temper readily or acting recklessly without any reason. If he is reacting to any situation more than it is normal for him.
• Isolating from social network, friends, withdrawing from usual activities that require group participation
• Having insomnia or sleeping too much then he usually does. Feeling drowsy and less energetic all the time
• Calling people more often and bidding them a sad goodbye. Giving away his most favourite processions.

Changing temperament

People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Grief
• Irritability
• Rage
• Loss of interest
• Panic attacks
• Phobia

Incidents of the past

• If a person has suffered from sad life events which may include a death, divorce, or job loss
• If the person has undergone harassment, bullying, relationship problems, and unemployment
• Often exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts often viral on the web can trigger suicidal tendencies in a person.

Signs of suicide are many. The trick is to detect them effectively. India suffers from a social taboo. Mentally ill people are considered abnormal or insane. If a bit of compassion and medical aid, the giant of depression leading to suicide can be battled leading to a fulfilling life. There are helplines and app available 24X7 at your service.