No to destructive behaviour
Thursday, May 3, 2007
LAST week The Brunei Times ran a piece of news carried by Kyodo news agency about how the government of Japan has approved a draft proposal for a policy outline aiming to cut suicide rate by 20 per cent in 10 years. If the government achieves the target, Japan's suicide rate will be reduced to 19.4 persons per 100,000 people in 2016 from 24.2 in 2005, which translates to about 5,000 lives saved.
In 2005, a total of 32,552 Japanese took their own lives exceeding the 30,000 mark for the eighth consecutive year. The draft proposal stresses the need to establish a support and counselling system for those burdened by multiple debts or those who have lost their jobs.
It also calls for detecting and treating people with clinical depression early. The draft also mentions the need to provide mental support for bereaved relatives as well as for those who have attempted suicides.
The sharpest increase in the number of suicides was among students, rising 9.8 per cent in 2005 to 861 people. Being caught up in the rat race of life — where work and study takes precedence over one's mental and spiritual well-being — with no promise of a long-lasting reward is usually blamed for the desire to self-destruct in many Japanese people.
In fact, there were reports that Japan even had Internet suicide clubs where thousands of (mainly young) people met and talked and planned their deaths. In 2004, at least 26 people died in this manner within two months.
According to one BBC report, the Internet message boards were littered with personal ads like: "I have pills and charcoal briquettes — I'm looking for someone to die with," and "I'm 23 and want to die. I can travel anywhere."
One young man said he joined a suicide group because he was depressed, "But to be honest, I think I've always been interested in killing myself. (Joining the suicide club) is like crossing the road when the traffic light is red ... it's not so scary when you're with others."
The news about Japan's effort to curb suicide rate created a flurry of discussions in the Internet, with most people expressing their sadness about the shocking fact and questioning, "Why the goal of 20 per cent? Isn't there any way that Japan can cut suicide rate even further?"
Some people are pointing out that counselling may help but it is not the end-all and be-all to the increasing suicide rate. Something bigger and deeper is needed — faith and a sense of purpose in life and the hereafter — which therapy cannot provide.
This is a serious matter and we share the concern of the government of Japan, while seeking to gain a lesson from the situation. Japan is known to be a high-pressure place to work and live, where competitiveness often induces feelings of powerlessness and depression which push some people into committing suicide. Bruneians, on the other hand, are known for our laid-back style of living because we, as a people, are being cared for by the government to the point of pampering.
Being an Islamic society, we have a clear stance on suicide because our faith considers it a great sin. Countless among us, however, are killing ourselves with various destructive behaviours. "Make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for God loveth those who do good," says Allah in Al Quran (Surah Al Baqarah: 195), but we let our hands do exactly that when we smoke or when we drive recklessly.
We are committing a slow and painful suicide.
In 2005, a total of 32,552 Japanese took their own lives exceeding the 30,000 mark for the eighth consecutive year. The draft proposal stresses the need to establish a support and counselling system for those burdened by multiple debts or those who have lost their jobs.
It also calls for detecting and treating people with clinical depression early. The draft also mentions the need to provide mental support for bereaved relatives as well as for those who have attempted suicides.
The sharpest increase in the number of suicides was among students, rising 9.8 per cent in 2005 to 861 people. Being caught up in the rat race of life — where work and study takes precedence over one's mental and spiritual well-being — with no promise of a long-lasting reward is usually blamed for the desire to self-destruct in many Japanese people.
In fact, there were reports that Japan even had Internet suicide clubs where thousands of (mainly young) people met and talked and planned their deaths. In 2004, at least 26 people died in this manner within two months.
According to one BBC report, the Internet message boards were littered with personal ads like: "I have pills and charcoal briquettes — I'm looking for someone to die with," and "I'm 23 and want to die. I can travel anywhere."
One young man said he joined a suicide group because he was depressed, "But to be honest, I think I've always been interested in killing myself. (Joining the suicide club) is like crossing the road when the traffic light is red ... it's not so scary when you're with others."
The news about Japan's effort to curb suicide rate created a flurry of discussions in the Internet, with most people expressing their sadness about the shocking fact and questioning, "Why the goal of 20 per cent? Isn't there any way that Japan can cut suicide rate even further?"
Some people are pointing out that counselling may help but it is not the end-all and be-all to the increasing suicide rate. Something bigger and deeper is needed — faith and a sense of purpose in life and the hereafter — which therapy cannot provide.
This is a serious matter and we share the concern of the government of Japan, while seeking to gain a lesson from the situation. Japan is known to be a high-pressure place to work and live, where competitiveness often induces feelings of powerlessness and depression which push some people into committing suicide. Bruneians, on the other hand, are known for our laid-back style of living because we, as a people, are being cared for by the government to the point of pampering.
Being an Islamic society, we have a clear stance on suicide because our faith considers it a great sin. Countless among us, however, are killing ourselves with various destructive behaviours. "Make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for God loveth those who do good," says Allah in Al Quran (Surah Al Baqarah: 195), but we let our hands do exactly that when we smoke or when we drive recklessly.
We are committing a slow and painful suicide.
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