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Myths About Suicidal Thoughts

Written and reviewed by
Dr. Neha Shah 91% (29 ratings)
Psychiatrist, Mumbai  •  13 years experience
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Know more about myths and facts related to Suicidal Thoughts

Hi! I am Dr. Neha Shah, I am a consultant psychiatrist in Mumbai. 10th September was World Suicide prevention day and what better way to honor this day than to talk a little bit about the myths surrounding suicide.

The suicide rate in India is 21.1 per lakh population, that’s one of the highest in the world. But most of the time we are immune to it and it doesn’t affect us until we lose someone close to us and that’s when there is a ripple of tragedy that affects not only the person himself but also the people surrounding, his family, his friends and everyone who knows him.

So what are some of the suicide myths?

The first one, is people who talk about 'wanting to die' are just asking for attention and are not really going to kill themselves. But the fact is most of the people who attempt or commit suicide usually talk about it first. They are in pain and usually do seek help. So always take any talk about suicide seriously.

The second myth, people who attempt or commit suicide are weak, but the fact is that anyone can commit suicide. These are people who are in pain, who have lost hope and do not see any other way. Often they suffer from depression or other mental illnesses so they need the right help.

The 3rd myth is that suicide occurs without any warning sign and one cant tell when someone will attempt suicide but that’s not true, there are always warning signs. People who are suicidal often talk about wanting to die, they may express their plan to someone. They use languages like it will be better if I die nobody is going to miss me, life is not worth living, you'll be sorry when I am gone, I don’t have to go through these much longer. So beware of these little expressions that they may use. They may start giving their possessions away. They may start calling on people saying good bye. They may buy weapon. They may write a suicide note. So be alert to these signs.

The most common myth is one should never talk or ask anyone about suicide because this gives them idea and encourages suicidal behavior. This is absolutely not true. If you think a person is suicidal please ask them about it and ask them if they have a plan. Most of the time talking about it simply dissipates the suicidal urge. Remember asking them will let you know their intentions and getting them the help they need. So these are some of the myths that surrounds suicide. In keeping with the theme of world suicide day lets connect, communicate and care and spread a positive ripple of awareness.

Thank you. If you would like to get in touch with me please contact me through

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