For some, discussing suicide is taboo; others consider it something stupid, yes, that cruel and unscrupulous. In my opinion, those who speak about it without the slightest respect are showing a lack of tact.

This topic of conversation didn't exist during my adolescence; it was something almost mythical. That changed when I started university and spent a couple of years studying the human psyche. I encountered many stories, and that is when you realize that we don't all live in the same reality.

The only certainty is that there is still a great deal of information to be deciphered regarding depression and suicide. No, the person was not a coward. No, those individuals do not lack courage.

This is a topic that should be discussed without judgment, as we are not in those individuals' shoes. The truth is that there is no single cause for such an outcome; it could stem from an undiagnosed and untreated mental health condition, a traumatic event, or other factors. Sometimes people show signs, while other times they do not. It is important to offer help if you know someone exhibiting such distress or, above all, if they admit to having such thoughts.

I had a classmate who openly acknowledges having a condition that drives this urge and causes her great distress; she is undergoing psychological and psychiatric treatment. Describing her this way might make you think she isn't a functional person, but the truth is that she was one of the top students, an excellent teacher who was deeply loved by her pupils, and is one of the best psychologists in the city. She provided emergency psychological support to people who lived through the traumatic earthquake last June and even founded a specialized suicide-prevention clinic where she has helped hundreds of people.

On another note, I woke up today to the sad news that a former college classmate took his own life two days ago. His story is particularly tragic; he was a young man who didn't have the best relationship with his parents, used and mixed all kinds of psychotropic substances, and emigrated. He was alone, I assume his lifestyle remained the same, though I can't say for sure but the only difference is that he never received any kind of help.

It’s quite a coincidence that a similar story was recently published here. #1565832

The following chart shows data on suicide prevalence in countries around the world. Out of every 100,000 men in the United States, an average of 24 died from suicide in 2021, while for women the average was close to seven per 100,000. In several countries these figures were even higher, such as in South Korea, Lithuania and Hungary.

While there are significant differences between countries, one pattern is clear to see: the rates of men taking their own lives are generally higher than those of women. Lithuania and South Korea had the highest rates of suicide among men in 2021 (out of the countries reporting data), at 50 and 37 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. For women, South Korea, India and Japan had the highest rates of the selected countries, with 14.6, 10.9 and 10.1 cases per 100,000.

According to the World Health Organization, the African Region has the highest suicide rate in the world, estimated at 11.2 people per 100,000 population in 2019, compared to the global average of 9.0 per 100,000 population that year. Lesotho had particularly high rates at 87.5 per 100,000 population that year, followed by Eswatini at 40.5 per 100,000 population. The WHO underscores how 77 percent of suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2019, where a majority of the world's population lives, adding that a lack of data on suicide has led to continued underreporting.

Source: https://www.statista.com/chart/15390/global-suicide-rates/

https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/suicide-rates-are-higher-in-men-than-women

The gender paradox in suicide:

Emotional repression: From childhood, many men are taught that they must be strong, providers, and self-reliant, based on destructive premises such as "men don't cry." This leads them to suppress sadness, fear, or frustration, resulting in accumulated, silent suffering.

Barriers to seeking help: Men often perceive seeking professional help or admitting they "can't go on" as a sign of vulnerability or weakness. In fact, psychology and psychiatry clinics report a predominantly female clientele.

Social isolation: Women tend to build and maintain much stronger social and emotional support networks. They speak more openly about their problems with friends or family members. Men, on the other hand, tend to socialize around activities or work-related topics, sharing far less about their personal crises.

Substance use and impulsivity: Men show higher rates of alcohol and substance abuse as a form of "self-medication" for depression. Alcohol lowers the brain's inhibitory controls, significantly increasing impulsivity during a severe emotional crisis.