SUICIDE PREVENTION
Suicide is the act of inflicting harm on oneself with the intention of death or killing oneself. Suicide is not a crime because one is already dead, but when caught in the act, it's a crime. Note that jailing one who is caught in the act hasn't solved the problem. We need to get to the root causes, push, and pull factors. Such a person needs rehabilitation or requires mental health intervention.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 720,000 suicides occur across the globe every year. This number is on the rise and for every completed suicide, there are at least 20 unsuccessful attempts.
Suicide is no respecter of age, gender, nationality, class and can occur at any time in one's life.
The key is on prevention
All hands should be on deck in curbing this menace by:
1. Investing in people's general well-being in every sector of life. Most times the only relationship Nigeria government have with people is tax upon tax and paying of one thing or the other. People's health, environment, workplaces are neglected. Should we talk about retirement, the elderly, the physically challenged, the correctional centred, the vulnerable.
It's time for the government and every boss, leaders, organisations to start caring for their workers or people's holistic wellbeing and not just the physical or mental wellbeing.
2. There should be more awareness and education on the signs, symptoms, and factors that lead to one becoming suicidal or committing suicide. Yes, we usually tell people to observe everyone around them, but when we don't have these information, how can we observe or know someone around us is exhibiting the signs.
The signs and symptoms of suicide can be physical or psychological which are: frequent mood swings, drug abuse, withdrawal or isolation from everyone around them, talking about it, unexplained harms or injury, frequent outburst of anger, panic attacks, always feeling hopeless, major or persistent depression, eating and sleeping disorders, hate words on oneself etc.
The factors usually stem from social, biological, environmental, financial, psychological, and health factors such as pressures, stress, trauma, grief and bereavement, loneliness, terminal illness, mental health disorders, dysfunctional family or relationships, abuse and harassment, bullying or labelling etc.
3. Everyone should sponsor and support NGO’s or organisations that are into mental health and suicide prevention in any way possible. Also, sponsor any community based programmes that take care of people's general well-being, resilience, and self development through education engagement and multi sports activities. This will also help to end the stigma attached to suicide
4. Every outlet, like media houses, churches, hospitals, organisations, should encourage people to speak up when they are going through tough times and seek help when necessary with professionals, Counsellors, therapist.
5. We need to start reconnecting people back to nature by saving our trees, plants, natural environments rather than turning many into buildings. Nature brings warmth, healing, joy, oxygen, creativity, helps with concentration, clarity, etc.
6. We should not ignore but rather respond and intervene in any suicidal post or talks made in social media or around us. There should also be more available help lines for such interventions.
7. There should be more awareness and education around stress and its impact on health and general well-being especially with the management or building resistant.
8. Everyone should be encouraged to promote self care and healthy living activities, posts, and articles on their different social platforms. We need them to trend more than other negative things that trend on social media.
9. There should be more engagement of parents, teachers, guardians, mentors, coaches, and relevant stakeholders on intentional and effective parenting and skills to improve family relationships as well as our children's wellbeing.
Let's not forget that children also have suicidal thoughts, suffer depression and other mental health disorders as well as commit suicide. We need to carry them along in every awareness and educative program on suicide prevention, and this call for more school engagement programmes.
Make it a collective effort as you join hands with Cope and live mental health Awareness foundation.
#treasureyourmentalhealth #problemsolving
Editorial Team