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| Courtesy: The Book of Man |
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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