This is a surprise to me.....
SINGAPORE : More Singaporeans die committing suicide than from traffic accidents.
This is according to statistics revealed at the 2nd Asia Pacific Suicide Prevention Conference which bring together experts from around the region.
An average of one Singaporean dies from committing suicide every day.
Even then, Singapore's suicide rates are one of the lowest in Asia.
But what is getting authorities worried is a rising trend of youths committing suicide.
Suicide rates among the elderly, on the other hand, have dropped significantly.
Dr Chia Boon Hock, Psychologist and Suicide Researcher, said: "The older people now are much better off. They have their HDB flats, CPF, they are married, not single, previously you had a old cohort where the elderly are single immigrants. For young suicide.. the level is steady, it is high."
Suicide is the second main cause of death among girls under 20 and the third among boys of that age.
Studies show that women are more likely to attempt suicide then men and in Singapore, most of the female teenagers who kill themselves do so because of relationship problems as well as study stress.
At the same time, psychologists also say that those who are single and unemployed are more likely to attempt suicide.
Between the year 2000 and 2004, the number of unemployed males killing themselves were 17 times higher than their employed counterparts.
The Health Ministry says what is important is that front-line staff like family doctors know how to identify signs that someone has suicidal tendencies.
Dr Alex Su, Head of Emergency Services at the Institute of Mental Health, said: "In Singapore, more than 50 percent of the people, if they were to end their lives, they would have left some form of message before that but unfortunately these messages were being ignored or not taken seriously.
"They may have made some arrangements to give away things that they had, or made some arrangements, as in after their death who will get what things, sometimes they may even release their pets.
"More importantly, they will leave some kind of suicide notes and these are very important things to note and should be taken seriously."
The Institute of Mental Health is currently running courses for family doctors to help them manage mental and suicidal conditions.
But psychologists say what is needed is a national suicide prevention strategy.
Dr Su said: "Depression is very treatable, you do not have to wait until depression evolves into a severe state, and all things around you have fallen apart, leading up to suicide.
Singapore has also launched a new website offering information and support from qualified professions for people who are depressed.
DepNet is a way for people to discreetly seek help and advice for their problems. - CNA/de
Wow! More young people dying because they commit suicide than accidents? That's quite sad don't you think?
posted by Dr Oz bloke @ 3:03 AM
19 Comments:
Oz, I can sense your sadness as you typed this entry.Of course it's sad lah.Taking one's own live where got happy one?? It's TGIF! Hope you have a fabulous weekend with wifey and kids. While I'll be 'making love' to the manikin for my CPR course tomorrow.
I'm beginning to form my hypothesis that "GPs in their 30s are prone to periodic mood swings"
A movie to watch
"suicide club".
web link: snowblood forum
It's about japanese school children committing suicide
Japan a country where there is no tomorrow because of asset inflation in the 80 and 90s and deflation in 2000
People with suicidal tendencies are neurotic and maladjusted individuals.
To them, the easy way out for failure is oblivion. It is also the cowardly way.
Usually, their upbringing plays a part.
Those easily depressed are unlikely to be excel in whatever they do. Instead, for them, the norm is mediocrity at best.
Also, they are a dangerous role model for their children because the latter would think that it is "normal" to have depressive syndromes.
You're all correct.
Studies have shown that if there was a family member who had committed suicide, the risk of suicide in the patient is much higher.
I find it is important to identify these people and help them early.
Just because their parents were bad models does not mean that they are doomed. Yes they may not cope perfectly with life and have mood swings but I wouldn't give up on them.
The key for me is whether the patient is still trying and how often the mood swings occur.
The worst are previous depression patients (and I have seen them before) who became upset again, but don't vent their feelings, come into my room, thank me nicely and politely for the past treatment and even give me a plaque of thanks, and then the next day jump off the 15th Floor.
I think we are stressing our youngsters too much.
We should teach our youngsters the importance of money and not to get into debts at a young age.
There are enough problems in this world, let us not add money problem to it by spending less than u earn and using it to buy something that goes up in value.
Fred Young
"I think we are stressing our youngsters too much.
We should teach our youngsters the importance of money and not to get into debts at a young age. "
And again it's all about money to Gary.
Mind you, HDB flats are incredibly small. I have 2 children. We live in a HDB 5 room flat. What do you propose my children do when they get married in future? Continue living with me bearing in mind the cost of buying a HDB flat (which is already allegedly heavily subsidized) or even renting a flat.
Singapore has a problem at the momeny as far as living costs are concerned. The price of land is too high. And we know that should it fall, there will be massive negative equities around. And it would cause a lot of problems. Personally I think the solution long term is to swallow bitter medicine as your party always likes to say Gary.
The thing is, who made the problem? The very same people who refuse to swallow the bitter medicine.
There isn't much choice for the majority of Singaporeans in Singapore. You get married you want to start a family, you'll find that the costs are are way too high. Most end up in debt already from day one. If not they choose not to set up a family at all. And we all know that path is not good for Singapore either.
The bottomline is that we can try. We do our best to teach to guide the younger ones. But the realities of life are harsh. So the least we could do is NOT JUDGE them.
Every country on earth has its problems. To generate wealth, this country has to do what it needs to do because basically, there are no natural resources whatsoever to sell to others. It's all economic manipulation and wizardry and of course somewhere along the line, some are going to be hit hard and suffer.
Yes, houses and cars are expensive. But you have a choice. You can just choose to rent or buy a small HDB flat instead of going for the more spacious ones. Everyone wants to stay at an exclusive address but can everyone afford it? You can also choose not to drive a car but it seems that even messenger boys are driving these days! Plonk down 500 bucks and you can drive the brand new proton out of the showroom even!
The trouble with this place is the ego thing. Also, singaporeans being who they are do not want to lose out on a good thing, although they are well aware of the delayed economic effect of their stupidity.
Like I said before, maladjusted and neurotic people have suicidal tendencies and also the home environment plays a part. Parents play a part too. If you come from a supportive and understanding family, you can excel and therefore there is no stress from academic performance. If you understand that destiny is fated, there should be no GF/BF problems because at the end of the day, if you are not meant to be together, it'll just not happen.
I doubt man and woman is rational enough to control their emotions when it comes to love.
Just modifiablr risk factors in IHD, hyt, DM, high lipids etc, by reducing yr expectation u can actually stay out of debt (at least huge debt) and not have money problem.
Someone once said money does not solve all problems, just the money problems. I can assure u that itself is worth avoiding.
Frankly Money is like oxygen.
Get starved of it, you die. Too much can also cause free radical damage that you have to be careful of.
Anyway be happy lah. Do what you want to. Want to die, it's your choice anyway.
Want to live it's your choice.
I'm tired liao.
Just live and let live.
Cheers to all!
Peace be with you all!
Good for you that you've at last understood "contentment"
Be like me lah. Contented and happy.
Do what I like, go where I like, say what I like. In short, only I like, I do.
Hee Hee.
Well being contented too early in life or too easily also means a unambitious person.
I guess it's all a state of mind. I understand what you mean. But I'm sure you were not always like that. Otherwise what's the impetus for a totally contented person to strive and work for something better right?
NOt to say that's wrong but I hope you get my point.
So now I've explored my possibilities and kind of given up, I can finally work on being contented with the things I have which aren't too bad actually and I'm satisfied with what I have achieved.
Agreed.
There is a time for everything.
But bear in mind that "moderation" is the key.
During my younger days, I worked hard but moderated myself because I didn't relish the prospect of burning out. What's the point of being too ambitious and you aren't able to enjoy the fruit of your labour if you destroy yourself physiologically and psychologically.
Now, my peers cannot hold a candle to me in terms of appearance and the ability to do a lot of things that a younger man is able to do.
Remember too that everyone that walks the street is someone who is intelligent, hardworking and ambitious. The only difference is, he doesn't have the luck.
I don't ever think too much money is a problem as u can always give it away and come back to the problem of too little money.
"I don't ever think too much money is a problem as u can always give it away and come back to the problem of too little money."
I hope you are open enough to accept my opinions. I am not trying to lecture you or anything as happy MO has implied.
Just sharing with you my observations since I do see a lot of filthy rich patients and poor patients and have myself pondered on the steps to wealth.
Well it depends how the rich person views money, and how he got his money.
For example, if you CRAVED money. Sweat blood for it. When you get the money, you're certainly very unlikely to give it away. Also what is the target amount you have set before you would consider "too much" and give it away? $1 Million? $5 million? $1 Billion? Some may never even get there. But along the way to getting that money, there will be many problems I am sure.
Now if the person inherited the money, or won the money in TOTO for instance, and he gave it away....well does he possess the ability to get the money back? I think it's going to be very difficult. We hear many stories of people winning the lottery which saved them from bankruptcy and then going bankrupt again and then winning the lottery a 2nd time to get out of it. We have seen great dynasties crubmle due to the incompetence of the benefactors of the inheritance.
I think life is a problem in itself. And with everything there will be problems.
I suppose another way of looking at money is that it merely changes your life.
Depending on the amount of money you have, you live differently, do different things and think differently.
Can a low income earner be happy? Yes.
Happiness comes from within.
My point in posting this is to say that money is important and does help in many things but it is really not everything and neither does it guarantee freedom from troubles, problems and does not determine if you are happy.
Just to share with you something by John Gray :
Desire or wanting more is the nature of the soul, mind, heart and senses. The soul is always willing to be more; the ming is always seeking to do more and know more; the heart is always longing to love more and have more; and the senses are always wanting to enjoy more. If we are true to ourselves, we will always want more.
It is natural to want more love in our relationships. It is good to want more success in our work. It is normal to enjoy the pleasures of the senses and to want more. Wanting more is our natural state. There is nothing wrong with desire. Abundance, growth, love, pleasure, and the movement toward more are the nature of life.
Wanting more and having less is not the cause of our unhappiness. Unhappiness is simply the LACK OF INNER JOY and has nothing to do with our external condition. The real cause of unhappiness is the ABSCENCE OF JOY. Unhappiness is similar to darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. The way to remove darkness is simply to turn on the lights. Likewise, our unhappiness lessens as we learn to turn on the light within ourselves.
When we are connected to or are in touch with our true nature, we are automatically happy. Why? Because who we are is already happy. Our true nature is already loving, joyful, confident, and peaceful. To find happiness, we must begin an inner journey to recover and remember WHO WE REALLY ARE. By looking inside ourselves, we will discover that the joy, love, power and peace we are looking for are already there. Those qualities are who we already are.
Dear Grace,
I agree with you.
As a teenager I had regular bouts of depression. I would wander the streets and walk.....all the while thinking and thinking and thinking....
I once walked from Marina Square all the way to Sembawang. Took 6 hours. But it was a nice walk.
When you walk along Orchard Road alone and observe the people. Sometimes you might see people who look totally down. Sad. Would you go up and ask "Hi you look sad. Am I right? Need a listening ear?"
Well I think that's rare in Singapore. But yes, there are people out there perhaps "screaming silently" for someone to listen to them.
With a crude understanding of the philosophy of inner joy and happiness, why are you grovelling in your misery of missing the boat to the clappy country?
Contentment, happiness and joy is right here at your front steps. The only difference is, you lost sight of the wood for the trees.
Nevertheless, I like your little treatise on finding happiness within yourself.
But let me assure you that money changes many things. That's provided you know how to use it wisely and for the benefit of yourself, your family, your neighbours, your country in that order.
"As a teenager I had regular bouts of depression."
I'm no student of Freud but see, my theory is correct.
I was never depressive before, now or ever. I look at every adversity as just a challenge to greater things. I believe in destiny. If you are destined to go to wherever you want to go, things will smoothen out for you. If you are destined to be poor in this life, even if you struck the $10 million toto price, you would eventually squander it on gambling, wine, women and song.
Correcto mundo!
I guess sitting in this clinic consultation room for 12 hour stretches with no windows except the ones on my computer doesn't exactly brighten things for me.
It's a constant battle. But I'm up to it.
Frankly I hide my emotions well non verbally. So if you saw me you would think I was the happiest person around :)
A balance lah. Release into blogsphere and have peace in the real world.
That's my adaptive mechanism when I'm stuck in the room. :)
I'm slightly claustrophobic I guess.
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