hmmm........

How to Help Someone Who Is Thinking
About Committing Suicide

http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Someone-Who-Is-Thinking-About-Committing-Suicide

Let me use the various factors that cause it in the Nigerian Context:

1) Nigerians can be a fanatical and fundamentalist bunch:
-This life, to survive it, you have to be a flexible thinker. You have to be adaptable to whatever situation or condition you find yourself. Nigerians are raised to follow a certain expectation. For instance, your parents expect you to come first in every class. Imagine when you come second, or you enter higher education and things take a turn to where you start failing. People have committed suicide for this.
- It is common to see parents insult their kids from a young age which they carry to adult hood and use those insults to define themselves. Only a few hustlers use the insults as motivation. You hear parents call their kids "fool", "dull", "good for nothing". Imagine remembering this when you are down? The process will be a lot faster.
- Religion, religion, religion. Some people are raised in fanatic and fundamentalist ways. Everything is a sin, there is no opportunity to just LIVE! Imagine thinking about all your sins and castigating yourself everyday that you are a bad person. Soon those thoughts will take root.

Too much pressure of all sorts. Financial, educational, religious...Failure does not seem to be an option and its not okay. The reality of life is we are all bound to fail at some point, so ability to handle failure is very important.

2) Economy is hard!: people are struggling and resources are getting smaller. You have to work 10times as hard to achieve what your parents did. Most dont have jobs for years after uni. It is hard to live that kind of life. And Nigerians are too timid to ask their government for better. In a country where basic needs are not available, death may be the next option. No human can live like an animal for long.

3) Mental illness (depression and other illnesses): This can be hereditary or triggered by stress. Some also have suicidal thoughts almost all their lives and need serious medication and adequate evaluation, That is missing in this country. And the cases of depression is increasing rapidly with the state of the economy, people are getting desperate. You see people doing wicked rituals and absolutely stupid devilish things that take them no where to survive.

4) Relationships: This is why it is very important for parents to be involved. Everyone first has this romanticised idea of relationship, until they experience their first significant heart break. Learn to walk away from a bad relationship, an abusive relationship or a breakup with your head up. Respecting the other person's reasons and respecting yourself enough to know you deserve better. And it is never the end of the world. Your destiny is not tied to anyone that left. A kid whose self esteem and worth has been well boosted from home will be less likely to commit suicide over a failed relationship or even tolerate an abusive one. Parents, always tell your daughters how beautiful and precious they are. Tell your sons you are proud of them and they a good sons. So that when one creature tries to tell them otherwise, they will remember they are loved and cherished at home.

A network of support is imperative. If you are not suicidal yourself, learn how to support those who are.

http://mhfa.org.uk/en/first-aid-strategies/

(for an acute crisis)

chaircover: ^^^^^^Thats a very good idea

i wonder if we have any mental health nurses, and psychiatrists on this board and if so if they are willing to donate some of their time voluntarily to help support people who are suicidal

I am sure that people can benefit from this

I also dont know if there are any existing support groups in Nigeria at present. If there are can people please name them here so that others in need can go to them.

It is well

I work for public health (in London). The idea of "Mental Health First Aid" was a new (hippy-esque) one until I actually did the training. Now, I have skills to identify and support mild to severe depression and mental health issues wherever I may be. Psychosis is a different story entirely, of which people are often confused. More awareness is never a bad thing. Happily, the stigma surrounding MH issues is easing off and people no longer picture Kirkbride Buildings as standard MH care facilities #phew

Depression is one of the causes of this suicidal idea. When one feels he or she is a failure in life especially getting to a certain age still confussed about what ur vision is in life. In this country where there are so many jobless graduates with several qualification yet no job.It makes people feel bad.

All d same there is no reason why anyone shld take his or her life. Always trust in God,go to a counselor, talk to a trusted friend.

Its simple (not really but practice makes perfect)

Count your blessings..name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.....


Remain grateful

Fake joy is better than genuine depression.

Be happy in this moment.

Great thread!

prayer is d key

Hello everyone..

This topic got me interested cos am frightened by the number of teens attempting and committing suicides.
Can't say about now but earlier this year, there were several stories of such on the front page, I always read them teary-eyed.
Lemme share this,

Presently, I have this teen (a girl of 20) who confided in me of her suicidal intentions, this was as a result of my closeness with her + I also observed that whenever she's with me, her mind travels - this got me even more interested and then, gradually and gently I probed and there! I got to know her mum was late, and her step mum (who is still yet to conceive) maltreats her and her brother every second she's home and their good-for-nothing-promiscuous pig of a dad? Dude does absolutely nothing to protect them, he'l rather whip them leaving both scarred.
Each time I see or remember those scars on her body, I cringed and cuss both parents to their deaths.

There is nothing she does that pleases both parents, they are always finding one fault or the other to get mad @ her and hit her, no praise whatsoever is given her even when she comes out top in her class, irony! I mean this girl is damn brilliant (God bless her soul).

To cut the story short, I find time to always go visit her whenever I have my free-time, take a walk with her so I can uplift her spirit and also be her confidant and friend, kinda hectic as both parents won't let her use a mobile device.

pointers I feel should help suicidal victims (esp teens)is our telling or lying to them we've had similar suicidal thoughts in the past, trust me, it does help - cos people feel comfortable and then open up knowing someone has gone through the same ordeal as they.

Secondly, one has to be very observant (with our teens) as we can quickly tell when something is wrong in/with them.

Cowgirl you are a good person ,God bless you!!

IvyBlue: Cowgirl you are a good person ,God bless you!!

Aww dear, am honoured - thank you and AMEN!