On September 10, there is a day set aside to raise awareness about suicide prevention. It’s called World Suicide Prevention Day. The goal of this day is to disseminate optimism, inspire individuals with hope and bravery to overcome various challenges in life, and stand by those who feel helpless, depressed, or defeated. Suicidal thoughts are frequent; they affect many people at some time in their lives. In terms of careers, life has gotten faster, especially in the big cities. Additionally, suicide is increasingly becoming a regular problem in the entertainment sector. ‘Appnapan’ actor Jay Zaveri shares his thoughts on the importance of the day and his personal experiences.
“Suicide is the worst thing that any person can do. And, there can be many factors including depression and mental illness like chronic health issues, guilt, trauma, loss of substance or a person that can trigger suicidal thoughts. The tragic thing is that so many of those who consider suicide as the last option doesn’t really want to die, but they don’t know how to deal with the pain they are experiencing. The emotional pain becomes so much that they consider suicide as an option of escape,” says Zaveri.
Personally, Zaveri shares of not having faced any such instances or been in any such mind frame where he had such thoughts. “If you ever have suicidal thoughts or know someone that has such thoughts, you should know that without help, escaping that feeling of wanting to end is very difficult. If you have difficulty of opening up to others about your problems, then we can find another way out. There is a saying that, ‘Suicide doesn’t end the chances of life getting worse, it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting any better’. Those who are deeply depressed and consider suicide, usually have difficulty realising that their life can get better. If you choose to suicide you are eliminating the future possibilities of finding happiness and enjoyment. When the mind is so dark it can stop you from seeing happiness but that does not mean it is the end of the road,” he adds.
Taking medication, counselling, eating well, exercising, setting goals, getting into a routine etc helps one to stay in the right path and come out of negative thoughts, feels Zaveri.
The actor explains, “You should know that it is possible to recover from the feeling of depression. As far as the entertainment industry goes, it is a show business where you are gathered with people all around you but in the end when you go back home you are all alone and especially for actors who are not from Mumbai. When they reach home there’s no one to talk to or family or friends and it does get depressing. I sometimes call up my friends who are not from Mumbai, and make sure to communicate with them. In this age where things are moving so fast and everyone is so fixated on getting success, it’s always better to communicate with your loved ones to maintain sanity. The more you stay happy there are fewer chances of having suicidal thoughts.”
