Tuesday, May 08, 2007

How To Save A Life

What would you do if a close friend of yours or even a sibling tells you that he/she is depressed and thought about ending his/her life? At first instant, you would probably think that person is just joking or craved for unnecessary attention. You would probably dismissed it and tell that person to stop being silly and stop talking about committing suicide because as a Muslim it is against the religion to do so. That’s probably what I would say, I think.

Committing suicide is a sin in all religion. In fact, it is even against the law. In the Penal Code it says that whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence that person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. Can you imagine going to jail AFTER you’ve failed to kill yourself?

I have been reading the newspaper these past few weeks and there are so many reports on suicide. Secondary students as early as 15 year olds who failed their exams and couldn’t take the pressure and the thought of disappointing their parents decide to end it all by drinking pesticides. Or the story about a 15 year old boy who quarrelled with his girlfriend and then decided to hang himself because he was so depressed about the break-up. I would think that teenagers would be so afraid of dying because they have so much to look forward to. But I guess I was wrong. One mistake and they think that they have nothing to live for, that ending their life is the answer to everything.

I guess these kids take cue from the adult. I read in the newspaper about the 33 year old guy (that’s MY age!) who quarrelled with his mother and committed suicide. How about the housewife who jumped from her apartment building because she suspected her husband was having an affair and she just couldn’t take it? Thank god she didn’t have any kids. Can you imagine what the kid would have to go through? For the rest of his life the child may be thinking that his mom didn’t love him enough to stay alive.

Why is it that people are so depressed nowadays? Does it have to do with how stressed we are at work? Or that we are so busy with our own lives that we failed to notice a friend in a depression or is suicidal? Why do teenagers commit suicide? What do teenagers have to be depressed about or do they even understand what depression is?

I’ve never had friends or relatives who had died from suicide before and I hope I never have to experience it. I would hope that if a friend or a close relative were to come to me and tell me that they are depressed and thinking about ending their life then I would drop everything and listen to them, take them seriously.

After all, that’s what everybody need sometimes. Someone to listen and just be there for them. I was watching MTV with thehubby and the videoclip of “How to Save a Life” came on. Thehubby told me what the song was all about. You should listen to it.

7 comments:

Leen AshBurn said...

I've never had any suicidal yg betul2 seriously suicidal ones. Only uh, depressive lots lah, thank god. I too hope I wont have to ever deal with people begini. Takut tak semapt help :(

Why suicide? It seems like an easy way out kot? Life's aint easy nowadays, unfortunately.

UglyButAdorable said...

when i was in college i ade kawan who tried to kill herself...it was so stupid..nasib all of us yg crazy bonkers nie were there to like save the day..

i think family values is important..what you instill in the family is what makes you a better or a bad person...

bukan senang kan nak jadie parents..

EDDY PURNAMA said...

in my younger days ive got a friend who called and said she slit her wrist...over a guy....i just left everything and rushed 2 her place...thank god tak banyak darah...it was an attempt....and the slits were not deep

but people must be in that level of depression sampai sanggup terpikir bende ni...

now she is happily married..alhamdulilah

Cosmic_GurL said...

Leen - I guess we've all had the thought of ending it all when we're in that really dark place in our life kan? I've had them thoughts too when I was younger but thank god i was too chicken shit to do anything about it

uglybutadorable - ure so right! being parents are definitely not easy

eddy - oh dear! thank god she was okay..at least she called you, which means she was not ready to die yet..alhamdulillah

suzequatro said...

How to save a life by the fray? cool song :)

TriStupe said...

commiting suicide is an easy way out. It's also the most selfish one.

you have to be really really brave to do so...no two ways about it.

Cosmic_GurL said...

Suze - Yup, very cool. Theyve got quite a number of good songs :)

Stupe - U got that right. Very selfish indeed