Let's Help Prevent Suicide

Today is the World Suicide prevention Day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15,000 -16,000 people commit suicide in Nigeria every year. The global statistics is 720,000 people every year. 

Suicide is becoming common among young people, even among children. Before now, it used to be older people and adults from fifty years old and above. Now, it is becoming a classless thing whether rich or poor. Whenever we heard of suicide in those days, we attribute it to rich people who suddenly go bankrupt and cannot pay not up.

It appears that the society is turning a blind eye to suicide and it is becoming more and more alarming. 

The question is "What could be responsible for suicide or what is the cause of suicide."

Economic Hardship & Financial Stress

- Poverty & Unemployment: Lack of job or staying out of employment for a long time could drive someone into depression and eventually make such person to commit suicide.

- Economic Pressure: Many businesses have gone under of recent. Businesses that are still thriving are those that could be termed superhero. Eking a living these days especially in Nigeria is too pitiable. Hyper-inflation, galloping inflation and unforeseen expenses are driving many people crazy. The economy is at the lowest ebb and there seems to be no panacea. This has sent many people to their early graves especially small business owners and individuals from poor background. The government too is not helping matters with the harsh economic policies, corruption and unemployment.

Psychological & Mental Health Factors

- Depression & Anxiety: These days many people live on hope and expectations from their rich uncles, friends, families and some rich people whose bread have been buttered. When such hope is dashed, the resultant effect will be suicide.

- Academic & Career Frustration: As a result of the economic problem, many parents can't send their childfree to school. Those that found themselves in school are doing some dirty jobs to survive. Olosho is becoming a thing of pride among young girls. Even the gatekeeper like JAMB is not making entrant to the university easy. That is why open university like NOUN is a suitable option and some part-time programmes. This is frustrating many aspiring young people who want to go to school and get a degree with the intent of getting good jobs at the end of the day. But all the signals are showing, "Road Closed."

Social & Interpersonal Triggers

- Relationship Breakdowns: These days, breakdown in relationships and marriages have killed more than cancer. With the way and manners some marriages are breaking down these days, some bachelors and spinsters have decided not to marry. Have you also observed that there are many young and beautiful ladies who are now ready to settle with any man and become breadwinners? To those who have married and settled down many years ago, they could wish they hadn't so that they can choose among some bevy of ladies who are in town now. You wonder what is really happening. That is why dating Apps is becoming more popular, and some sharp guys are making money by matching those looking for partners.

- Social Isolation: What should we say about social isolation these days? If you are in some part of Europe, you will understand what I mean. Even in Nigeria here, the youths are becoming an endangered species. This is one major cause of depression and trigger for suicide.

Cultural & Religious Stigma

- Silence & Taboo: If you have been stigmatized before, you will understand what ending it all up means. There are many parts of this country that consider certain things as taboo. If you go ahead and do that thing, you will be hounded down and you lose your life. That is why many people are fleeing some communities because human lives is not seen as anything.

- Barriers to Help: I must confess that many young people in Nigeria are going through a whole lot. I mean those who are highly talented. As Muhammed Ali once said, "Ideas without wings is useless." Government says they do empowerment without giving any seed grant or loan and they expect those who have gone through this type of training to do well. That is why our international airports are flooded everyday as many young people want to japa. For them, since there is no hope here, let me seek beyond this shore.

Besides all these, we have failure from the government, religious leaders and parents. These are some of the things that could trigger suicide.

How to Prevent Suicide

1. See the Warning Signs: It is very easy to know if someone is going through depression if you are psychologist, a counsellor or clinical psychologist. It is usually written on their faces. For parents at home, if you notice OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) in your children or wards, it is a clear sign that such person is going through something, that is where counselling should be offered before it becomes something deadly. 

2. Give Care, Support and Counselling; After noticing some of these signs, offering counselling is the next thing. If you are not a good counsellor, you could refer the person to a counsellor instead of making situation worse. There are words to tunings you should say and there are things you shouldn't say to someone going through this type of situation. That is why an expert is needed to take care of this.

3. Offer Moral, Financial or Spiritual Support: The next thing to give is support for this person. It could be moral support. It could be some encouraging words like things will be better, you will pass over this stage, there is still hope and some other emotional words to encourage this person. At other time, what the person needs is money to eat, pay a bill, settle debt, go for treatment and so on. Offering a little help if you have at this time won't kill you and could go a long way to helping this person at this time of need. 

Preventing suicide should be everyone's duty. Let's be our brother keeper and prevent suicide in the world today by reducing the number of suicides in Nigeria in particular and the world in general. We all can do it and you can help save a precious life.