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Suicide
is commonly referred to as Atmahatya in (Hindi, India), Kha
Tua Tai in (Thai, Thailand), Bunuh
Diri in (Bahasa, Indonesia), Itahathya
in (Bangla, Bangladesh), Siya
Diivinasa Ganima in (Sinhalese, Sri Lanka) and by other local terms in
different countries. Even within the same country, people use different terms
in their language, culture and communication. The practice of singing Maromi is prevalent in south-west Bangladesh, where suicide rates are high.
Information from Sri Lanka, which has a predominantly
Buddhist population, reveals that a large number of suicides are among
Buddhists, even though their religion does not favour suicide. The belief in rebirth and the lack of
definite statements on suicide by Buddha makes suicide much less ‘sinful’
than killing another person. However, in Thailand, where also the majority of the
population is Buddhist, suicide is considered a sin. The same is true with
the Islamic and Christian communities of Indonesia.
Suicide
has been glorified or condemned through the ages and the debate continues
even today. With the thinking on and understanding of suicides changing, it
is now regarded more as a tragedy than a ritual. The first scientific attempt
to understand the rationale behind suicide started in 1763 with the work of Merian who emphasized that suicide was neither a sin nor
a crime, but a disease. The first in-depth examination by Farlet
in 1822 of suicide by Jean Jacques Rousseau concluded that the great writer
had graphically and sequentially described the circumstances leading to his
own death, thus enabling a broader understanding of suicide. In 1905, a
famous psychiatrist, Dr R. Gaupp, indicated for the
first time that there were some peculiar and unique personality traits among
people committing suicide. Over the last 50 years, researchers have advanced
this idea further to conclude that it is the state of mind, along with all
external influences, which result in suicide.
 Suicide means an intentional or voluntary detemination to end one's life.
In suicide, the willingness to die originates
within the person.
The presence of a known or hidden reason
causes one to end one's life.
Suicide is a state in which choices or options
are never considered before the act.
Commonly used Terms …
Suicide Act of killing oneself intentionally, performed by the
person with the full knowledge or expectation of the fatal outcome.
Suicidal attempt A life-threatening act with a conscious intent to
end one’s life, requiring medical intervention after the act.
Suicidal gesture An act or display of a self-threatening behaviour which may be injurious or non-injurious.
Suicidal idea A wish or thought, often setting up the process
leading to the ending of one’s own life.
Suicidal risk A characteristic, the presence or absence of
which leads to the increase or decrease of the tendency to commit suicide.
Suicidal pact An agreement between two or more people to die
simultaneously by committing suicide.
Suicidal cluster Groups of people committing suicide usually for a
common cause.
Suicidal counters Set of factors operating within the individual,
family or society, likely to prevent suicide.
Rewati Taware
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The word "suicide" was first used by Sir
Thomas Browne in 1642 in his Religio Medici. The
word originated from SUI (of oneself) and CAEDES (murder). Since then, the
word has evoked constant and continuous debate and has been defined in
various ways for medical, social, psychological, administrative, legal,
spiritual and religious purposes.
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