Our contemporary world creates a fully paradoxical environment. While the whole world is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences and working hard on developing vaccines, some people exert their best to invent suicide machines, hoping to make it legally available in their homelands and all nations, to help those who contemplate suicide or seek assisted suicide or euthanasia to end their lives.
Recently, the Australian former physician and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International has invented a 3D printed suicide capsule that rapidly reduces the oxygen level to 1% from 21% in about 30 seconds, through just lying down in. It is described as “very comfortable and painless”, which seems to be a way of glamorizing suicide. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing to glamorize when we talk about killing oneself.
Many people, due to some challenges or adverse circumstances they face, fail to realize that life is a precious heaven blessing. Many communities, regardless of race, color, gender, or religion, suffer from this inexplicable phenomenon but with different levels. Various statistics report that every 40 seconds someone commits suicide. According to Statista.com, “suicide rates for men are significantly higher in most countries… Russia and South Africa have the highest rates among men, at 38.2 and 37.9 cases per 100,000 populations in 2019, respectively. For women, South Korea and India have the highest rates, with 13.4 and 11.4.”
In this regard, it is worth mentioning that a study conducted by the University of Michigan in 2020 found that connectedness is the most prominent protective factor for suicide. If we contemplate on social engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it might be relative to suicide, we may find that being fully engaged, connected to each other, and following precautionary measures are the key means to confront the pandemic. Accordingly, we may infer that suicide is a result of individual disorders in various ways. One’s perception of their life in that moment is the core reason for committing suicide. People have different needs. Yet, the one thing in common is the urgent need for anyone to be understood and connected.
In fact suicide is preventable, as there are many simple effective tools that can help in suicide prevention. If these tools are wisely used, they may be wonderful game changer. It is all about listening to others to understand them, and not to argue with or blame them. COVID-19 has already taught us a lot about being humane with one another and the value of being connected to each other.
Therefore, the world is in an urgent need to give those who contemplate suicide opportunities to reveal their feelings and emotions in order to help them regain their psychological health, and not to make killing oneself the easier solution for them. We should exert our utmost to help people overcome all difficulties and hardship by connecting with and reassuring them and giving them hope and a second chance to lead a prosperous life. Let us work together under the slogan (zero suicide life) to realize a better life for all of us.