Suicide is, in our opinion, a hot topic that deserves our attention. It is a matter of public health, and every 40 seconds¹, a person kills himself in this world. Therefore, it is necessary that we direct our efforts to contain this behavior.

Suicide assumes taking one's life voluntarily². When we mention the word suicide, we imagine the direct and conscious attempt against one’s life. However, for Spiritism there is also another indirect way of self-killing, when the person uses subterfuges to put an end to his life by driving on a highway in an irresponsible or reckless way; smoking; using alcohol… The vectors used result in a quicker disincarnating and people often do not know or pretend not to think that they are killing themselves unconsciously (alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, etc.).

Therefore, in all analyzes, suicide should be considered from the direct and indirect point of view. But we must ask: What causes a person to put an end to his own life?

In order to achieve this terrible outcome, there are complex problems involved that must be considered, be they financial (an abrupt change in the socioeconomic pattern); emotional (loss of loved ones, broken relationships, issues of sexual orientation, social stress, etc.); religious (religious fanaticism, belief in a better world after putting an end to one’s life); cultural (materialism, hedonism, etc.), among others, which deserve an accurate analysis and an appropriate intervention.

Most, however, is in the mind of the individual. That is why prevention is so difficult. Although the patient shows signs of disturbances / imbalances that deserve our attention, unfortunately we often ignore them. We think it's nonsense!

"OMS data indicate that suicide usually appears associated with mental illness - the most common being depression today, accounting for 30% of the reported cases worldwide. It is estimated that one in four people will suffer from depression throughout their lives. Among the subtypes, the bipolar depression - in which phases of deep euphoria and apathy alternate - appears to be the one of greater risk. Alcoholism accounts for 18% of suicide cases, 14% for schizophrenia and 13% for personality disorders - borderline personality and antisocial personality. The remaining cases are related to other psychiatric diagnoses"¹. 

In the brilliant pages of The Gospel according to Spiritism we find the following statement:

"Man does not have the right to dispose of his life, because it is only up to God to free him from his imprisonment in this Earth when He deems it appropriate. However, divine justice can soften its severity according to circumstances, but it maintains its entire rigor for the one who wishes to withdraw from the trials of life. The suicide is like a prisoner, who escapes from prison, before the penalty is served; when arrested again, he is more severely treated. The same is true regarding the suicidal, who thinks he is escaping the miseries of the present and is, indeed, plunging into greater misfortunes".³

The metaphor used is quite peculiar! The suicide is like a prisoner... In fact, life is the most precious thing for which we cannot repay the Creator. To misuse it by killing oneself is a very serious, selfish and rebel crime against the Creator, as well as a lack of consideration for the people who surround and care for the patient (relatives, friends, etc.). Therefore, when this crazy act occurs, the suicide comes out of a problem, which he thought was enormous, and enters an infinitely worse one. He will have to go through the same experiences that made him abandon earthly life with the aggravation of having still greater obstacles.

In Memoirs of a Suicide, by Yvonne do Amaral Pereira, and the Spirit of Camilo, the distinguished Portuguese poet, the following passage stands out, and it is a pale idea about what the brothers who kill themselves are going through: 

"As if fantastic mirrors obsessively pursued our faculties, there was the macabre vision: ─ the body decomposing itself under the attack of hungry vibrio; the obnoxious work of rotting following the natural course of organic destruction, taking our flesh, our viscera, our blood contaminated by the fetid, and finally our body, which vanished forever in the filthy banquet of millions of voracious worms, which was slowly devoured in front of our astonished eyes! ...it was dying, it was quite true, while we, its owners, our sensitive Ego, thinking, and intelligent, which had been used only as transitory clothing, was still alive, sensitive, intelligent, disappointed and aggrieved, defying the possibility of dying too! And the dark magic that surpassed all the power we had to reflect and understand! - An irremovable punishment, punishing the renegade who dared to insult Nature by prematurely destroying what only Nature was competent to decide and to perform: - Alive, in Spirit, before the rotten body, we felt the rottenness reaching us!"⁴. 

In the Spiritist and spiritualist literature, the narratives of unprecedented sufferings of the Spirits that committed suicide are fertile. Consciousness is disturbed; the repeated views of the attempt on life; to feel with all the richness of detail the worms devouring the spoils; the pursuit of cruel and vindictive groups, among other Dantesque paintings.

Prevention and control are not easy, but we can point out some paths, without any boasting on our part.

Let's look at them: 

1 - Reframe the approaches in the areas of Psychology and Psychiatry. There is a breakdown of the paradigmatic model of Psychiatry and Psychology today. It is necessary to consider the recommendations of the Letter of Ottawa⁵ and to review academic / practical concepts in the medical clinic. Suicide cannot be undermined and statistics show that existing paradigms do not address the current problems. Thus, making the access to quality mental health services without bureaucracy is the role of the state and of society as a whole.

2 - Family and friends support. It is imperative that the treatment involves all, so that the patient feels loved, protected, respected in his ontology. And, it is necessary to consider, that often what leads the patient to attempt against his life goes back to family problems, problems at work, financial difficulties, diseases of difficult treatment, etc. Therefore, the presence of the family is fundamental in therapeutics.

3 - Spirituality. It is relevant that the patient and all those involved in its support / recovery have a link with the transcendent; that they believe in life; have faith; and visualize energies / good things for their own life. In this particular, the worship of the Gospel of the home is a powerful tool of opening a channel to the beyond, as it brings balance, peace, and health.

4 - Break with the forbidden. The subject of suicide is still seen as taboo. There are sociocultural, religious, philosophical, and political vectors that surround it. However, spreading the terrible consequences of this stunned act is a way to prevent its occurrence. It should be pointed out that those who consider such an outcome may, based on their knowledge, seek the channels of support necessary for the non-attainment of the act.

5 - Seek help. There are several interesting channels for suicide support and prevention. This CVV (Center of Valorization of Life) is, for example, a very good one: http://www.cvv.org.br.

6 - Environmental control of risk factors⁶. It is essential that we analyze the environments and, consequently, eliminate the factors that promote suicide. (Example: if it is a school environment, one must pursue the respect for one's neighbor and life, ethical and moral values and so on. Violent practices, bullying, and detrimental comments and so on should be avoided).

7 - The management of a suicide crisis should not be a solitary event⁶. Suicide is a social problem. Authorities, health professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists), religious, family, community, friends at work, everyone should be involved in the fight against suicide. It is a problem that requires a multi-professional intervention.

8 – Prevention and survivors’ protection (“posvenção”).⁷ It is necessary to end the stigma and take care of the relatives, who suffer the mourning of the suicidal relative. They are called "survivors of suicide" and need full support. Thus, it is fundamental to offer them the following mitigation: "To bring relief from the effects related to the suffering and loss; to prevent the appearance of adverse reactions and complications of mourning; to minimize the risk of suicidal behavior in suicide mourners; to promote resistance and coping in survivors"⁷. 

9 - Prayer. It has already been scientifically proven that prayer brings several benefits to the human organism: it lowers stress levels, raises the immune system, apart from the spiritual benefits that we are not yet able to assess, but which are very well documented in the Spiritist literature. Thus, daily prayer is a sine qua non for balance and inner peace.

Finally, we would like to address our brothers and sisters who are in difficulties.

Do not be afraid! Do not feel ashamed! No problem is insignificant. Each person looks at it in a different way. And if you feel powerless, unhappy, depressed, you want to "give up", then get help! Look for a friend, a relative, a religious, a therapist, a health professional. Do not keep in you! Talk about what bothers you and humbly ask for help. And help will come! It will come! And everything will be back in peace!

God, our good Father, loves all of us! And He would not put a heavy burden on frail shoulders... Fight for your life! 

 

References:

¹ VOMERO, Maria Fernanda. Why does a person kill himself? Available in Super Interesting Magazine: here is the link - Accessed on 06/08/2017.

² Available at http://conceito.de/suicidio - Accessed on 06/08/2017.

³ KARDEC, Allan. The Gospel according to Spiritism. Brasilia: FEB, 2013.

⁴ PEREIRA. Yvonne / Camilo. A. Memoirs of a Suicide. 11th ed. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Spiritist Federation, 1955.

⁵ Available at Letter of Ottawa - Access on 06/08/2017.

⁶  Available at mental health - Access on 06/08/2017.

⁷ Available at survivors’ protection (“posvenção”) - Accessed on 08/08/2017.