The old man hangs himself after calling for his granddaughter under the watchful eye of the elderly: the tragedy behind loneliness
In the deep mist of the mountains, an 88-year-old man, whom we will call Lao Zhao for the time being, chose a path of no turning back on April 16 and ended his life by hanging himself. His death was deeply deplorable to his family and village officials, who generally believed that it was a deep sense of loneliness that drove the old man to make this decision.
A surveillance video recorded Lao Zhao's last moments before his death. In the video, he calls to his granddaughter Kobayashi to the camera, hoping to see her again before he leaves. This video not only touched the heartstrings of countless people, but also revealed the painful reality of the old man's previous multiple suicide attempts, including drinking pesticides and finding ropes.
Lao Zhao's loneliness mainly stems from the death of his wife. This "loss event" caused him an insurmountable emotional barrier. Liu Yanwu, a professor at Wuhan University's School of Sociology, also pointed out that for the elderly in rural areas, facing a series of losses, such as spouse, health, social circle, etc., may become the trigger for suicidal behavior, which hides deep psychological or spiritual distress.
Although the family gave Lao Zhao meticulous care, the second son's family lived next to him and was responsible for daily life, and his granddaughter Xiaolin even intimately installed a monitor to keep an eye on his grandfather's condition, but these still seem to be unable to completely fill the vacancy in his heart. Especially when night falls, the loneliness is even more devastating. Lao Zhao often mentioned "I am not good alone" before his death, and this short sentence reveals his deep struggle with loneliness.
The death of Lao Zhao has forced us to reflect on how to better understand and alleviate the psychological plight of the elderly in rural areas in modern society. Building a closer community support system, so that every elderly person can feel warmth and companionship in their old age, has become an urgent problem to be solved. At the same time, it is particularly important to strengthen the construction of mental health intervention and support systems.
In this sad story, the heartwarming video footage of Kobayashi getting along with his grandfather becomes a bright spot, which reminds us to cherish every moment with our elders. The death of the elderly is a warning to us, so that we can pay more attention to the mental health of the elderly, and create a warmer, more caring and companion life for them in their later years.
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