Suicide: Measuring our wellbeing with pseudo scales

An attempt to kill one’s self in response to a tragic or stressful situation is termed attempted suicide while a success in such an attempt is referred to as suicide. This has a profound effect on families especially when such an attempt is successful, and when one survives, he or she battles other mental disorders.

For suicide not to be seen only as a storm in teacup, the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2003, slated September 10 to annually commemorate what it termed ‘World Suicide Day’, where issues surrending suicide is discussed with the hope of ending the horrendous act.

This year’s event got me reminiscing on an incident that took place in my neighbourhood three years ago where a young girl of nine years in Primary 4 sent herself to the grave by hanging. What would have prompted her? This question continues to resonate in the minds of those unfortunate to see her hanging lifeless.

According to the WHO, 700,000 people commit suicide yearly with 70% occurring in low and middle-income countries. WHO’s country representative to Nigeria, Walter Mulombo said: “For every suicide, twenty (20) other people are making attempt and many more have the thought to commit the same”.

Ingestion of pesticides, hanging and firearms are said to be the most common methods of committing suicide globally. In high-income countries, suicide has been associated with mental disorders like depression and alcohol use disorder while in low-income countries, life problems like financial crises, relationship break-ups, chronic pain and illness take the credit — these are mostly associated with adults.

Children, on the other hand, may become suicidal due to poor performance in school coupled with pressure at home to do better, bullying, loss of friends and so forth.

Thanks to civilisation and technological advancement, people have become more and more isolated while others try to emulate the pseudo-lives of those on television sets or social media. Mr A wants his child to be as smart as the child of Mr B, Mrs X wants her husband to provide the sort of luxury Mr Y is providing for his family, Mr M wants his wife to be as dazzling as the wife Mr N, the list goes on while still battling financial crisis and others.

While the authority is setting up mental healthcare centres, and organisations are trying to do the same at workplaces, families need to start being the safe haven they ought to be for their members. Parents should understand that failure for children is just okay when they have given their best while helping them to be the best version of themselves in the process.

Generally speaking, marriages, relationships, education, intelligence, social status and all that encompasses life should not be measured using the yardstick we see on the media for as the saying goes, not all that glitters is gold.

Nigeria is a place where religion is held in high esteem therefore, religious leaders could take it upon themselves during sermons to discourage suicide, the haves should remain humble and thankful for their possessions while the have-nots should not despair for whatever position they find themselves, there are others aspiring to get there.

Dale Carnegie, an American writer stated in one of his publications, “It is not what you have, who you are, where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it”. Understanding this will go a long way in curtailing suicide.

When all hands come on deck, then we would actually be creating hope through action.

Mamman, a corp member, writes from Abuja and can be reached via [email protected]