ABUBAKAR HALIMAT SADIYA.
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Suicide, Depression, Cutting Disorders…
We struggle with them all “I am not worth the trouble” “I feel tense all the time” “Everybody hates me” “Life is not worth living” “I am not good enough” Suicide NOUN The act of killing yourself According to WHO “close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and it is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year old globally” The question is why? In recent times, we have read reports of rich and famous people who commit suicide. People who you know have everything going on for them. People who have achieved a whole lot suddenly feel they cannot go on anymore. People don’t wake up one morning and suddenly have the thought to kill themselves. It is hard when you are African. It is harder when You are black. More Africans are committing suicide every day by day. Gone are the days when suicide was committed only by soldiers who would rather die on the battle field than go home after losing a war or people who would take their lives than become slaves (e.g Okonkwo ‘Things Fall Apartʼ). It is a thing we should be worry about and not turn a blind eye to. People around us are suffering from depression, panic attacks, attempting suicide. It is no longer a ‘Western thing anymore, it is a general illness. Most people just keep it to themselves, not telling anybody. The mistake we make is not to take the mental state of ourselves or people around us seriously and also forgetting that God is in control and nothing lasts forever.
“Oh that’s how they are” “It is what they see on TV” “I cannot be depressed. From where” “I am just a little sad. I will be fine in a couple of days” Forgetting anything can happen within these days, some start living this moment of sadness and unhappiness and find life tiring, regretful and useless. An idle man is a devil workshop and so people start finding happiness in unnecessary things like drinking, smoking, taking drugs and sex. As time goes, the idea of committing suicide comes to the mind and so friends, families are advised to talk to their loved ones and ask what is going on and relatives should find a way to create relationships with their loved ones. A few people might reach out to people close to them about their failing mental health only to not get the kind of help they need. Some get a pep talk on “you should not feel like that, you should feel like this”. A book on: ‘discovering who you are’. After a few days all is forgotten and the individual is supposed to get over the depression they have been suffering from for months or years. Is it till the person is found dead with wrists slit? Or until pills are swimming inside his or her system? It has happened and it is still happening. Most teens who attempt to commit suicide are those who it is not expected of and far more young people contemplate suicide that we might suspect. Family problems Relationship problems Depression Peer Pressure contributes to suicidal thoughts. Usually there are signs of someone considering suicide, such as: Loss of energy Withdrawal from friends and family activities Substance Alcohol abuse Extreme anxiety Feeling such as hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, loneliness, emptiness Loss of interest in hobbies, Pleasurable activities According to the book ‘It is Only a Tattoo and Other Myths Teens Believe by Ron Luce, “seventy-five percent of suicide victims communicate their intention to someone beforehand.” Anxiety is generalized a feeling of fear and apprehension that may be related to a particular situation, object, person and it most times accompanied by physiological arousal such as: Sweaty palms, increase in heart rate etc. This disorder can come in three forms:
Generalized anxiety disorder Phobic disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder Cutting is a coping mechanism some people use in order to survive the emotional pain that they cannot cope with. According to Ron Luce, teens do not practice cutting with the intent to commit suicide or bring about sexual pleasure but for tension emotional relief, if you think anyone might be going through these problems, sit and ask them questions, Listen to them, With this you would have clues about the problems you need to work on. Help of a psychologist or professional counsellor may be required. Not everybody can afford professional help; it does not mean that without professional help the person won’t eventually get better. With support of loved ones and encouragement with time they would feel better.
Sometimes it would do you a lot of good to sit down once in a while, have your quiet time and pray. Think about things, has your focus changed? Do you still believe in the same things? If not one day you would have too much on your plate and it would be so overwhelming and you might just break down. And God does not burden a soul more than it could bear. We should try as much as possible to pay attention over something’s from happening before it becomes too late.
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