SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

AUTHOR: Veektor

"Lives too many to count have been lost to the great beyond", this was an extract to one of my favorite poems on suicide. According to WHO a staggering 793,000 suicide deaths have been recorded and it looks like it isn't slowing down. It scares me to think that we might be entering an age where suicide becomes acceptable and always optional at the slightest of difficulties. Don't get me wrong, I know we all have our own battles, but when did it become norm to always give up, throw in the towel then go ahead to drown ourselves in the nearest toxic bottle. What happened to the community mantra of helping out a neighbor in his lowest moments, oh! yes, we stopped talking about our troubles because we don't want to look weak or maybe we just stopped listening to our neighbors problems, maybe we replaced the community mantra with "Every Man for Himself". There could be a thousand and one reasons why suicide rates are on the rise but I'll like to look at the positive side today and talk about how to prevent it.

 If you ask me about signs of suicide, I'd leave you with one advise.

 Watch Out For Signs Of Burnout: Burnout is defined as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by excessive or prolonged stress. Majority of us(especially students and those working) most times  expend our energy chasing deadlines and unrealistically high goals. While burnout might not be an outright cause of suicide but Burnout left unaddressed could cause depression which in turn leads to suicide. In a bid to prevent suicide, we can keep an eye out for these signs in us, friends or colleagues; Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job and Reduced professional efficacy. If you find yourself in this position or in a position to help someone, it is advisable to pause, take a break, a drive, do something distracting and speak to someone who can help, preferably a counselor. 

  But knowing about these signs isn't enough, how do we help?

LISTEN: Active listening cannot be overemphasized, according to a recent study, suicidal victims often talk a lot about their deaths, they give hints about how and sometimes when they would eventualy put an end to their lives, it was also discovered that they do this because they want to actually be saved. What happens when a friend fails to understand these warning signs or is too busy narrating his own problems that he fails to notice a potential suicidal victim. Early this year, a student of University of Nigeria Nsukka took his own life after coming on Facebook to write his last words. When I read it, it was heart breaking because he could have been saved like others who use their social media accounts to ask for help with their last words.  I think we can start today by listening actively.

NB: The aim of this article is to enlighten people of the dangers and prevention of suicide and not a surefire treatment of this rising threat. You still need to seek or refer anyone in this position to a professional.