Glamour and Suicide. Why are actors vulnerable to suicide, and what can they do about it?

Shocked and broken, surprised and worried. Sushant has left us with many emotions and unanswered questions. He’s neither the first nor the last one to do this, unfortunately. Hope this write-up helps some people in some way.

Disclaimer: This article isn’t a quick read, nor it is supposed to be. Suicide and self-harm are complex, and there is no one single ‘cause’ to it. The article isn’t a substitute for consulting a trained mental health professional or literature. 

People who engage in Suicide and self-harm, more often than not, have one of the types of depression or other disorders, strong traits or skill deficits that increase the chances of breaking down under stressors or to complete the act.

What are the factors within the Television and Film industry that contribute to the stress? 

(These are general factors in the industry, and do not refer to Sushant in any way)

Uncertainty: Imagine any actor who, on his/her way to the studio gets a call from the production house that he/she has been replaced, and no longer needs to report. That too in the mid of his series/movie! Besides uncertainty like this, there isn't a sure-shot formula, fixed time/effort after which you see success. Success itself is poorly defined. Payments don’t come in time, and you can’t be sure when you will get another project.

How to deal with this- Accept uncertainty as a part of life, whether in the industry or not. Develop resilience against it, by building practical, social, financial and emotional buffers. Remember, not everyone gets shattered by uncertainty, however badly they detest it. 

Unpredictable and disorganised industry: The industry being not so organized, there is no standard way or qualification to climb the hierarchy, unlike some other sectors. This leaves the actors confused and exhausted as often no amount of effort gets them the results. Learned helplessness ensues.

How to deal with this:  We can't get a guarantee about many things, if not all. The best thing is to accept ambiguity, and change strategies if one doesn’t work. Just because you don’t know of a strategy, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Often times you will hit a dead end, and if you were on Google maps, what would it ask you to do? Speak to those who have seen more failures, also who have seen success in the industry. They have learnt ways to deal with setbacks.

Money: Money doesn’t come in regularly, usually, the contracts are for 90 days, and the payments come after that. Some production houses have a bad reputation for non-payments. Some actors believe they ‘must maintain a certain level of lifestyle, looks and clothes.’ Roller coaster earnings and steady expenditure can shake many off the track. 

How to deal with this: Don’t enter the acting field primarily to earn money. Just like you won’t expect nutrition from Pani Puri or Pizza, don’t expect steady and lots of money from the profession. Encash the fame you earned from acting to earn money elsewhere. Learn to deal with peer pressure. Remember no matter what you do, someone will still have a say on it. 

Internal conflicts: Many actors  (just like any other profession) have their goals clearly defined, and are ready to do whatever it takes. This can lead to situations where they are not valued for their art, but for their body. Eventually, they end up being unhappy trapped in moral and internal conflicts, as they berate themselves for compromising on their moral code, and their talent not being valued. Comparing self with others (almost always who seem to have more success) and self downing for that leads to feeling depressed.

How to deal with this: Remember while taking difficult choices, if you can’t sleep in peace with a choice you made, it may not be helpful in the long run. Take full responsibility for your choices and the prices you pay for them. Success is desirable, but it doesn't define your worth in any way. Nothing does. 

Humiliation: Budding actors, and co-artists, and practically everyone else is vulnerable to being humiliated in front of others by people in charge, as is true with every other profession. Though they have their own reasons contributing to it, including pressures, this doesn’t make it justified or fair. 

How to deal with this: If you stamped on a 2000 Rs. currency note, what would be the worth of it after such bad treatment? Same right? Humiliation has practical disadvantages, and sometimes-serious consequences, but doesn’t reduce your actual worth.

 “One must keep trying" trap: Many actors have fought with families, left homes, partners and chosen this profession, and they believe there is ‘no going back’. They have already invested a lot of time, effort and money into being where they are, and stopping at this point is considered ‘failure’. They might engage in this due to ‘Sunk cost fallacy’; continuing to invest in a costly affair, just because of previous investments, as they ‘go waste’ if they stopped investing further. We do this all the time, e.g. finish a costly meal just because we have paid for it, watch the full boring movie because we paid for it, continue to hold on to a toxic relationship because we invested a lot into it. 

How to deal with this: For making a rational decision, the only thing that needs to be focused on is the cost in future, consequences and utility of the current path. Taking a step back must not be considered as a failure, but a smart strategy to protect self from further damage. 

 Loneliness and unfairness: Lack of meaningful relationships, backstabbing, unfairness, exploitation, pretentiousness, and having to project an ‘I am perfect’ image, lack of genuineness, difficulty to trust others are a rule than rarity nowadays in many sectors.

How to deal with this: Learn from Cactus, it has adapted itself over millions of years, and hence thrives in minimum resources and harsh conditions. Doesn’t mean you have to be bitter to others with thorns, it means you learn to thrive in adversities.

Master skills like managing emotions, maintaining interpersonal relationships, networking, high frustration tolerance, assertiveness, crisis management, dealing with criticism and trolling, unfairness, problem-solving, and accepting yourself as Human. 

If you or anyone you know is going through tough times, has spoken of ending life, or has a passive wish to die, get them properly evaluated. The therapist and psychiatrist will help you develop a customized short term and a long term plan to deal with the adversities better. Professional help here is like having shock-ups on a bike, it doesn’t repair the road but can make the ride more comfortable. 

Dr Shishir Palsapure is a psychotherapist, has worked closely with many celebrities from various industries including the film and television. He is a trained CBT-REBT therapist, and a certified supervisor for psychologists, having trained thousands of them so far. He can be reached on shishir@coreforschools.com