Saturday 6 April 2019

Suicide Awareness and Mitigation


Courtesy: The Book of Man
Suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally and at the same time the second leading cause of death among the youth between the ages of 15-29 years.  According to WHO close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. 

In Kenya, about 4 people commit suicide daily. However, this is just an estimate and there is the worry that the number could be higher given that suicide is not always indicated as the cause of death.

What Causes or risk factors are associated with Suicide?
Mental illnesses such as depression, personality disorders, and drug and substance abuse are the predominant factors when it comes to suicide. Signs of mental illness are not easy to identify unlike physical illness especially depression the push to cause personal harm is often a cry for help. 

Depression is one of the main mental illnesses that’s affecting young people due to societal pressure and hard economic times. Globally there are more than 300 million people affected by depression.

People who have a poor relationship with their parents or have been exposed to traumatic events such as; sexual abuse, physical abuse, family violence, and loss, when young are likely to have suicidal ideations later in life. 

Other risk factors include chronic illness, loss related to death, relationship or income, being under extreme stress, Post-traumatic stress disorder, and genetic predisposition.  Suicide can be recurring in a family, not because of a curse but genetic relations.

In recent times, people are being influenced by social media to either attain a certain lifestyle while others are driven into depression or suicide as a result of cyberbullying. It is also important to note that, more men than women are likely to succumb to suicide. This is because men are often the breadwinners and are expected to be strong.

Tale tells signs of suicide
You may often hear people say that ‘he has been well and we don’t know how he got there.’ Truth be told before anyone succumbs to suicide there is often a cry for help or signs that you can pick up. They include and are not limited to; preoccupation with death, giving valuables away, saying goodbye, identifying a burial site, withdrawal or living in isolation, negative view of self, putting things in order, the aim of self-harm, abrupt mood change, increased intake in drugs or alcohol, feeling agitated or depressed and having a suicide plan.

How do you mitigate?
In case you are feeling suicidal there is a need to acknowledge you cannot solve it by yourself and hence need the help of others. Then avoid blaming yourself and believe that things can change for the better even if it doesn’t look like it. 

Finally, you need to reach out to a psychologist, counselor, or psychiatrist. There are organizations such as Befrienders Kenya that offer this service for free in the hour of need.  You also need to know your triggers and have a safety plan such as having no drugs in the house.

On the other hand, when someone reaches out to you it is important not to judge. Offer a listening year and be compassionate. Then you need to be very honest and also try to convince the person to talk to a professional in the area of mental health. At all costs avoid saying things like, ‘you would never do something crazy like that.’

Suicide can happen to anyone; nobody is immune so passing judgment and stigma only make the situation worse. Mental health professions by themselves cannot mitigate suicide. Let us all work together to prevent suicide.

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