Mit Reklaw’s Truth on Suicide

In 2010 New Zealand suffered 522 deaths by suicide. To put this figure into perspective, that is around 12 people per 100 000 of population who thought it best that they depart this world on their own terms.

Those are the facts, the figures. Facts and figures have a habit of coming off impersonal. Truth be told I went to school with four people who, by their own volition, are no more.

Consider the reasons behind suicide – specifically youth suicide.

In 2010 the youth suicide rate was 17.7 people per 100 000 of population. That’s 78 males and 35 females between the ages of 15 and 24, who decided that the world would be a brighter place if they instigated their own demise.

I have to wonder if their friends and family felt the same way.

Depression. It’s a legitimate illness. I should know. Depression can be caused by a range of factors or seemingly, it can have no cause at all. ‘A chemical imbalance in the brain’, is the technical cause, but who really knows what that means? I would’ve thought that any chemicals in the brain was bad. Apparently not. Not so long as they’re balanced. Depression can affect anyone at any time; that’s the terrifying truth. More susceptible though are those of us who have a hereditary predisposition to mental illness or perhaps, as in my case, have sustained some level of brain trauma. In fact any kind of serious illness or even a significant change in lifestyle can bring about depression: the forcing of one’s body through any major adjustment has the potential to affect the mind detrimentally.

The Maori youth suicide rate is around 35 people per 100 000 of population. This is more than 2.5 times the Caucasian rate of 13.4. So why is this? Why in 2010 were there 21 per 100 000 Pacific Islander suicides along with 28 Asian? These people are considered ‘Minority Groups’; so why is there a disproportionate figure among the minorities? Where is the correlation? Does it relate to poverty? Is it location or living conditions? Or could it be the hardship that these people face on account of being a minority?

Another leading cause of depression is low self esteem; brought about by low self confidence; which can often be related to verbal or physical abuse.

Imagine that, abusing someone to the point of suicide…

Yeah. Don’t bother imagining it. It’s actually nothing new. This was the case for one of the four I mentioned earlier. She effectively died of unrelenting mockery; in this instance, despite being the target of much verbal slander, this beautiful girl left behind a great many shocked friends.

Depression can affect anyone and it is not always visible.

In my experience it begins by pulling down the brim of your cap – you’ll know what I mean if you’ve been there. The world becomes a darker, shadier and more uncertain place. Courtesy of your newly enclosed scope you’ll see no way to escape this permanent onset of dusk, should you even feel the need to. Probably the act of being depressed won’t bother you, you’ll be too tired to care. You will no doubt feel at peace with your melancholy as if it’s all that you deserve: it’s the world’s fault that you feel this way thus you are not beholden to do anything about it. It’s likely the world’s fault that you were even made. You don’t want to have to deal with, talk to or even see people. Dragging yourself out of bed in the morning becomes a pointless exercise. Life loses its direction and before long, it’s lost its will to survive.

No will to survive amid a darkened mind is a lethal combination.

From the perspective of the suicidal mind: of course, your fall from existence will actually benefit the rest of the world; your actions therefore, are more selfless than selfish.

If you want to brighten your world – which you probably don’t…

If you want to brighten the world of your depressed friend, in my opinion, there is only one sustainable solution. Exercise. They won’t want to do it, so force them. It is the only decent way that you will be able to pull them from their slump.

Antidepressants? Put simply, these are moderated doses of Speed.

Of course I will never claim that these drugs are pointless – antidepressants have saved lives. The problem with them can be that even if they do have the desired effect, they will mess with the mind of your friend just enough to allow them to enjoy life again; the downside, as well as the possibility of them becoming dependent on prescription medication, mentally, essentially, you’ll have lost your friend.

Exercise. Natural, healthy, exercise. Take the depressed soul out for a walk. Next day, same thing with increased pace and so on. If not walking, try a different athletic avenue. Start easy, build into it. Exercise promotes exercise. After a while, like a neglected Labrador, they’ll be gagging for their stint of therapy.

Mind you, that’s only my opinion…

That said, exercise did save my life.

 

 

Article by Mit Reklaw

Edited by Happy Dais

Photography by X A Scyze

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