Myths & Facts about suicide
- By Prof. AbdulKarim Mustafa Awadh
- 17- December-2017
“That suicide is only prevalent in Western societies and is not a phenomenon in our societies.” This is a myth.
The fact: is that no society is immune against suicide. Suicide happens and is just covered up by people, making it difficult to determine an accurate record of it, leading us to another myth that there are no accurate statistics on suicide.
The truth is that there are many statistics from several countries and organizations”. For example, there is a statistic from the United States that says that about every 40 seconds, there is an attempted suicide, and every minute and a quarter, a woman attempts suicide. These are attempted suicides that did not result in actual suicide or death, but they are still suicide attempts. Every 17 minutes, there is a suicide that results in death, and every hour and a half, an elderly person dies by suicide. The statistics say that 70% of those who attempt suicide have a mental illness, which could be depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, and 50% from alcohol, drugs, or medicinal drugs. One million people around the world commit suicide annually, and about 10 to 20 million attempt suicide. Some statistics say that the rate of suicide attempts can be in the range. Sometimes it reaches a hundred times the actual suicide!!? And 400,000 of these attempts that do not lead to death end in serious injury that could hinder the person who attempted suicide for the rest of his life.
“That people who talk about suicide do not commit suicide but only talk about it.” This is a myth.
The fact: is that 80% of those who committed suicide were found to have talked about suicide and even given clear warning signs that, if taken advantage of, would have saved their lives.
“That suicide is an impulsive act without any prior planning.” This is a myth,
The fact: is that most cases of suicide have been carefully planned for weeks, during which the patient could have been saved.
“That suicide only affects the mentally ill.” This is a myth,
The fact: is that samples collected from suicide victims have shown that they were not necessarily mentally ill.
“That suicide is hereditary” This is a myth
The fact: this is inaccurate, but people who experience suicide in their families or close friends increase their risk of suicide as a risk factor and not inheritance.
“That attempts to commit suicide that are intended to attract attention should not be taken seriously because they are not dangerous.”
This is a myth,
The fact: many attempts to attract attention lead to unintentional death. The person did not intend to commit suicide, but he wanted to attract attention, and death here was not due to suicide but due to an incident. He wanted to attract attention by attempting to cut his hand, so his blood flowed, and he died before anyone could save him.
“That suicide victims are filled with a desire for death, and others have nothing to say or do to help them.” This is a myth,
the fact: is that suicide can be prevented, most suicide victims are filled with a desire for life, but they gamble with death, hoping for help from others. They do not want to die; they just want to silence their psychological pain. Their problem is that they cannot see alternatives to solving their problems.
”Those who think about suicide will remain suicidal for life.” This is a myth,
The fact: is that suicidal behavior lasts for a short period and can be overcome by the person. Unfortunately, those who try once are closer to death the more suicide attempts are repeated.
“That suicide only affects the rich or the poor.” This is a myth,
The fact: is that suicide crosses social and economic boundaries.
“That the suicide is an infidel, and it is not permissible to pray for him.” This is a myth,
The fact: it is permissible to pray for him, but the imam should follow the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and leave the prayer as a punishment for him for his actions, but others should pray for him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Pray for your brother,” so your brother is supposed to be a Muslim, and when a person reaches his Lord, we leave his affairs to his Creator. If He wants to punish him, He will punish him, and if He wants to forgive him, He will forgive him.
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