Every 40 seconds, someone in the world commits suicide, which means by the time people are done reading this article, another precious life would have been lost that will lead to another tragedy. Suicide is a tragedy that affects the people that they leaves behind such as their loved ones, friends, and the society that they used to belong to. Even though suicide is a widely known issue today, people consider it disgraceful and tend to tone down the word ‘suicide’ itself. This can make it difficult for people who would like to reach out for help and get mental support they need. So today, I would like to discuss deeply about this topic such as understanding the people who commit suicide, how it affects society, and how we can help a suicidal person.

To explore about this serious topic deeply, it is important to know why people commit suicide. Most people with healthy mind and body would not necessarily think about the reasons people attempt to suicide. There are several factors, but the common thing is the emotion of hopelessness and helplessness. Hope is important while we live our lives because it helps us to cope with challenges, have a high self-esteem, and a positive mindset. There are also quotes related to hope. For example, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevksy famously said “To live without hope is to cease to live.” This suggests that living without hope is not worth living. People who are at the edge of committing suicide have no hope to carry on their life and feel too lethargic to do anything. People who lost their job, people who got scammed, and people who think they failed apply to this example. There are many reasons why people commit suicide, such as psychological disorders, bullying, abuse, and anything that might harm people’s mental health. The largest reason for people living in the 21st century might be depression. Depression is an illness or a mental state that negatively affects a person's thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. The major symptoms can be continuous low mood and energy, feeling of anxiety and worthlessness, overdependence on another person. If these things continue, they can slowly make up their mind to end their lives.

After a person commits suicide, the bereaved family will be left with a deep grief and sorrow. Some might be unable to accept the truth and be in denial of reality. They might also regret and wonder what clues they have missed and could have done something to prevent it. Since the majority of people view suicide negatively, the stigma about suicide might make others view them negatively as well. Similarly, if someone committed suicide at their home, no one is going to move into that house afterward. As they feel the absence of the person, they might find it difficult to return to their daily life again. Mostly, the government supports these bereaved family members financially by providing funeral expenses or offering counseling.

A few years ago, there was a shocking event where a high school student death-leaped while livestreaming. It became an issue and was also reported in the news. Shockingly, suicides during livestreams already happened several times. As these videos are exposed to the public, they might cause trauma and might influence people unconsciously. It might also lead to a Werther effect, which can affect people psychologically and make them commit suicide too. It is also called a “copycat suicide.” This usually happens when a popular celebrity with many fans suddenly dies, and their fans also die as well because they consider their situation to be similar to them and also want to follow them. It is also a reason why the Werther effect might increase the number of people who commit suicide, leading to societal harm.

These are the things we could do to help a suicidal person and reduce the stigma attached to them. We should try to care for mentally unstable people, such as looking out for any suicide warning signs and listening to their words without any judgment and asking if they are fine. Suggesting to visit a therapist or a counselor also might be helpful. Raising awareness for mental health might reduce the stigma as well. As time passes, suicide rates are increasing. If we at least try to help these people, the situation might become better and will save lives. I strongly believe that suicide is preventable.