Section 1: The Silent Weight

She comes home, unrested, heart full of the burden she carries just from existing. The pressure of functioning in an ever so shunning social hemisphere. Pressure that can make diamonds crack and willpower fragment into miniscule pieces. She cuts her blue hair (an euphemism for her veins) as many times as she’s been failed by mankind, marking it as tallies each time the weight becomes unbearable. Each mark is a muted cry for help, a silent testimony etched into her skin that no one ever stopped to read. At a whim, she decides enough is enough, letting the weight collapse over her frail frame. She succumbs to the agony of living, she seeks her own salvation. The isolation that she’s felt for what seemed like centuries, in an instant, felt like a breeze of pseudo solitude. Her escapism was permanent. Cold, still, no bodily functions. Heaven gained an angel, they say — nevertheless, Mother Gaia lost one of her offspring.

He, who has been constantly told that he isn’t man enough, holes himself up in his room, balls himself up like an armadillo. His exterior seems hard and rigid but his interior, as vulnerable and delicate as a glass house pelted with stones. He puts up a strong face, a mask appealing to the expectations of those that perceive it — yet he had been pushed past the brink of existence. He too surrenders to the torment eternal and finally lets go. In simpler terms: both chose to end their lives.

Section 2: The Cost of Silence

740,000 deaths a year — almost one death every 43 seconds. These are not just numbers. These were a mother, a father, a brother, a lover; someone who brought life to others yet failed to see any in their own. This truly shows how one can become their own worst enemy. The mind can consume you to a point where you decide to silence it permanently. Suicide is a lobotomy of life itself. As Robin Williams described it: “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

It takes nine months to create human life. Embedding a soul into an empty vessel, nourishing the young with warmth and sustenance, crafting bones and tender flesh from dashes of stardust and blood. An intricate display of craftsmanship can be taken away by one simple act.

From here, the question arises —

Why commit suicide?

It can be attributed to various hidden factors ranging from depression stemming from isolation, bullying, societal pressure, personal problems, and more.

The curse of mortality often gives rise to self-infliction. People don’t commit suicide out of curiosity or boredom. A prolonged exposure to a cesspool of depressive agents results in a slow-burning mind-set, formulated to cause self-immolation. We can’t talk people out of it that easily. It is like watering a dead plant. Their mind is already gone.

Section 3: A Call to Compassion

So how can we prevent suicide?

We, as a collective, should promote the idea of talking to someone who can be trusted to hear people’s problems. We should normalize expressing one’s sentiments. The higher number of suicides are prominent in men. Men have been programmed with the idea of being independent and keeping their feelings to themselves. Men are written to portray themselves as stoic, strong, and self-reliant — often burying their feelings rather than sharing them. Instead, men should talk it out and not succumb to the unwritten regulations imposed on them. Men should embrace vulnerability without shame.

Suicide prevention hotlines exist — lifelines for the broken. The idea of referring to these hotlines should be heavily promoted. Alcoholics Anonymous and drug rehabilitation programs for those affected by drug-induced suicidal tendencies should also be integrated into the public mind-set. It is important to note that suicide can be born from addiction’s grip.

We must weave into public consciousness the understanding that seeking help is not weakness but survival.

Because every life, no matter how burdened, is a story worth saving.

World Suicide Prevention Day not only garners attention to a silent killer but also raises awareness of an issue we often overlook. It serves as a testament to those who fell prey to their own corrupted minds and as a plea to protect those who are still here.

“People don’t fake depression. They fake being okay. Remember that and be kind.”

Written By: Yeran Fernando

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