Social stigma should be seared in the flames

Marching towards a sun-lit path of happiness :

by Ranga Chandrarathne

It is a haunting melancholy to hear that suicide has become a social peril in Sri Lanka with 6000-8000 persons committing suicide annually, the highest suicidal rate in the world.

According to statistics, there was a slight decline in the suicide rate in the years 2001 and 2002, though the real figure has not been adequately reported.

Predominant characteristics of a person susceptible to suicide are that he/she has been completely disillusioned with life and tries to shorten the lifespan or end it and engages in an act which he /she knows causes death. It is extremely difficult for a person to commit suicide without his /her knowledge.

Personality factors and suicidal behaviour

There are many definitions for personality. However, personality is interpreted as an organized pattern of behaviour which is unique to a person. The personality with a tendency to commit suicide is defined as Self - Defeating Personalities with Masochistic Traits. The persons with such personality create negative concepts and interpret changes in life in a negative light.

A miserable childhood, unconscious conflicts, cultural factors and socio-economic factors, more or less contribute to the formation of self-defeating personality. There is an apparent connection between personality defects and suicidal behaviour. Accordingly, persons with personality defects such as paranoid, anti-social and personality dependent on others, are susceptible to suicidal behaviours.

Jayantha Gunasekara's case is an eye-opener which specifies the lack of knowledge of psychiatric disorders among the villagers. Jayantha Gunasekara is a 26 year old youth who failed the Ordinarily Level examination due to the breakdown of a love affair. He discovered that his girl friend was also engaged with another boy.

"At first, I bitterly lamented over the affair. Then I became very angry. Different thoughts gushed and I began to jump up and stretch hands and legs to get rid of them. Some people started to hurl stones at me and called me 'mad man'.

I hid in the rock-cave near the nuga tree. It became a favourite pass time. My family members understood this as a bad omen and consulted my horoscope and conducted prayers at the Bo tree. One of my aunts directed me to a psychiatry clinic at Katuwana hospital" said Jayantha.

Jayantha was suffering from Schizophrenia, a condition which obliterates the sense of mind and began to drift between reality and illusion. Most of the patients at psychiatric hospitals are suffering from Schizophrenia.

This may be caused on different grounds; breakdown of relations, oppressive environment at home or at place of work and chemical changes caused by drugs or alcohol. The patients suffering from this condition should take a regime of drugs, at least for two years, depending on the condition and if they refused to take drugs, drugs are injected or given electric therapy.

Social stigma

Born out of ignorance and malice, these patients are isolated, separated and referred to as 'mad men'. However, good patient management and care can guarantee them with a normal life. The healthy life that Jayantha leads is an example for good patient care and medication.

"Now, I do not have any problems. I work at the chena and also hold various positions at community organisations. I engage in arts; poems and songs. People should not hide because of these kinds of diseases and should receive continuous treatments.

This happened to me when I refused to take medicine, my condition became worse. Therefore, one should take medicine continuously" emphasized Jayantha.

Some of the patients who have recovered have formed a society, "Nidahas Chintana Sansadaya". The society works towards the wellbeing of the psychiatric patients and help integrate them into the mainstream society. The society also raises public awareness on psychiatric diseases and such patients should be treated rather than kept away from the lime-light.

According to Lakshi Rajika who is a 19 year old, a resident of Embilipitiya, she became a schizophrenia patient following an incident at school.

"A student had dumped a lunch-sheet into a garbage bin. The teacher thought that I did it. I was beaten up till blood oozed from the legs. This followed a series of incidents. Classmates cornered me. I was angry and did not speak with family members.

I began to quarrel with my brother and sister. They called me 'mad'. When we were quarrelling, father came to beat me. Then I locked myself in the room and crept under the bed. Mother directed me to a doctor who referred me to a psychiatrist.

The students came to know of this, and started to call me, a retarded child. Then, the teacher asked me to sit down, I soaked the desk with tears. Everything became normal after receiving treatment.

Now I even address meetings. "said Lakshi Rajika who leads a perfect life after the treatments. Rajika's case shows the deep -rooted ideas in society with regard to the psychiatric disorders and attitudes that hamper the effective treatment of psychiatric disorders.

The patients are thankful to the 'Basic Needs' and Psychiatrist Dr. Neil Fernando who conducted regular workshops in suicide prone areas in order to educate the public and encourage the persons suffering from psychiatric disorders to seek medication.

It is high time for Sri Lankans to get rid of ill-conceived notions on psychiatric disorders and consider them as any other ailments that can be cured. It is also the responsibility of the society at large that persons suffering from psychiatric disorders should be encouraged to take medicine and integrate them into the social life.

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