Unfortunate and untimely demise of talented Sushant Singh Rajput has left all of us shocked. He was hard working, affluent and accomplished still he couldn't battle his mental illness successfully and succumbed. Why he did that? How could he commit suicide? What must have been in his mind? are questions being up-floated by many. A few TV debaters are already judgemental and have reached to conclusions about weakness. I don't want to comment on his act, that's unfortunate and we lost yet another skilful artist to depression (there have been several in last few years), as to say its just "WEAKNESS" is behaving like an ostrich. We as a society are failing to learn about depression & suicide and therefore are unable to prevent such acts. Demise of Sushant is yet another reminder that we should take mental health seriously else current loss of around 4,00,000 lives per year in India will keep rising. Here are five important things we can learn from the regrettable death:
A) ITS NOT WEAKNESS
Depression is agony which only the depressed patient can explain, that too if he can put into words his emotional turmoil, "It is not weakness it's an illness". Sleepless nights with heart racing and the mind criticising every act, questioning ability, making one feel that you are the worst in the world unworthy for love and life, ghosts of past maximize minutest of mistake and hence make the person cry often. It appears too gloomy and too unworthy to speak to walk and to live even. Sushant must have faced tough times in past too from proving himself in All India Exam from a lesser known town to struggling to be an actor, from demise of his mother to breakups he faced all with strength but this time he succumbed (only God knows the reason)
B) BEING SUCCESSFUL/AFFLUENT IN PROFESSION IS NOT A PROTECTION FROM DEPRESSION
Every sixth Indian is likely to face depression in his lifetime. Its an ILLNESS and like any other illness it may happen to anyone. It happens due to complex interwinding of genetic, biological, personality, psychosocial factors resulting in disturbance of neurotransmitters. It happens across professions from various actors (glittery stars) to civil servants, from doctors to scientists, from students to farmers. IT DOESN'T LOOK AT BANK BALANCE, DEGREES and FAMILY while hitting an unfortunate guy. Sushant was successful by most benchmarks, was intelligent (his AIEEE 7th rank speaks volumes about it) but he was suffering from a common but deadly mental health problem.
C) DEPRESSION KILLS
Depression kills more than 4 lac people in India every year (and that is recorded level). Actual deaths due to suicide are likely to be much higher. Positive part about it is SUICIDE IS PREVENTABLE and unfortunate part is our SOCIETY DOESN'T TALK ABOUT ITS PREVENTION AND IS NOT VIGILANT FOR IT. Still depression is not talked about due to stigma this leads to a painful feeling of "I am lone sufferer" in the patient whereas the reality is contrary (millions suffer from it and most improve). If society gets acclimatised to new reality of rampant depression, patients would be sharing their pain easily, they would get help easily, would increase acceptability of depression treatment and vigilant society would look for change in behaviour hence taking impromptu effort to prevent impending suicide. Sushant was under treatment but how much was he regular with medications, consultations and counselling is questionable.
D) SOLITARY LIFE INCREASES SUICIDAL RISK
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Sushant lived alone (cooks and househelps are no replacement to family & friends) and hence was less likely to share his mental agony regularly. Its true depressed patients withdraw themselves from social/family lives but its job of family and friends to keep hold of them and don't let them feel loneliness in these tough times. Keeping them engaged and regularly interacting with them helps them. They need someone to take care of them, to give them medications because its part of their illness to make them negative about treatment even show them the gloomy side of everything. SUICIDAL PATIENTS MOSTLY GIVE INDICATIONS OF THE ACT IN THEIR MIND BEFORE COMMITING IT, these calls go unnoticed. Sushant wrote several such posts on social media but probably his posts were missed by his near and dear. Karan johar lamented of not extending hand so would be the friend who missed Sushant's call a night before.
E) EVEN THOSE WHO KNOW SUICIDE and ITS RISK SUCCUMB TO IT AND THAT TOO MORE OFTEN
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In "Chhichhore" Sushant played a father who did everything to keep spirits high of his son who attempted suicide. The methodical actor like him must have lived every dialogue he delivered in the movie be it pain of father, the pain of son, the trouble with societal mindset, the agony of feeling failure and ways to uplift it but he succumbed despite all that. RISK OF SUICIDE IS HIGHER IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS, DOCTORS IN PARTICULAR. A SUICIDE IN VICINITY OR IN KNOWN INCREASES THE RISK OF SUICIDE. Sushant's ex-manager committed suicide a week back this might have pushed him to the act further (I am not downplaying any conspiracy which led to the two deaths) as to a depressed person it appears suicide is a solution to problem. A suicide in vicinity gives them a type of role-modelling in handling their agony. Take care of mental health of self and others.
ALWAYS REMEMBER DEPRESSION IS EXTREMELY COMMON BUT CAN DEFINITELY BE HELPED AND SUICIDE IS PREVENTABLE.
#RIP Sushant
