Almost everyday we get to hear news about young people committing suicide. I'm really bothered why this has suddenly become a trend for many people. What's happening to families, the church, friends, schools? What are we all doing to curb this? You can help someone just always put yourself in a position to listen you don't know what giving that person attention at that particular time will do. Be a change agent.

How can we stop this trend? Ideas are welcome

Na suicide has always been happening, before SM, families used to cover it up. A cousin committed suicide in the 90s, he drank otapiapia. It was covered up, I am sure if family members had Instagram then they probably would have made a post about it.

I don’t know what can be done, sometimes family members don’t notice because suicide victims are very good at masking their pain from people close to them. I guess more suicide hotlines, schools should have counselors for students, mental health should be taken more seriously and Nigerians should be more sensitive.

deborahbuchi:
Almost everyday we get to hear news about young people committing suicide. I'm really bothered why this has suddenly become a trend for many people. What's happening to families, the church, friends, schools? What are we all doing to curb this? You can help someone just always put yourself in a position to listen you don't know what giving that person attention at that particular time will do. Be a change agent.

How can we stop this trend? Ideas are welcome

Poverty, high unemployment rate, poor tackling of mental health, a government that doesn’t care and just generally living in a hopeless system overall

Dunno if it’s always been there or it’s just being reported nowadays

Tramadol!!!!

I think so far there are two identifiable causes, i.e Economic down turn and Failed relationships. These factors in themselves should not have led to upsurge in suicide cases as they are not new. In my own opinion, the church is to blame. When our sermons are watered down and weak, ppl develop new ruinous belief systems that can result in things like suicide. One of the reasons why suicides have not been common before now is the fact that it is a cultural taboo, and churches preach on hell and warn ppl to avoid it. Their preaching also give hope to ppl that tomorrow will be better than today. Countries like india where Hinduism is popular ppl commit suicide over very flimsy things like exam failure and crop failure. That is understandable because they believe in reincarnation. As a Christian if ever I went through any difficulty and I am depressed, if the spirit of suicide came calling, I will first remember that I ve a God I can take all my troubles to in prayer, and that troubles of life are like seasons which come and go according to Ecclesiastes 3:1( There is a time for every thing), I also remind myself that failure is not final, at least as seen in the experiences of others who still rose from the ashes, eg Abraham Lincoln. If that fails to deter me, I remember my wife and Children, parents and loved once. Could I be that selfish? I cant afford to leave them helpless and miserable( I will be a monster to do that), if that however fails, I will remember hell. Suicide is short cut to hell. Now! my common sense tells me "whatever the level of suffering, or pain I am going through will be incomparable to what awaits me in hell", why then should I jump from the frying pan to the fire? As for failed relationships, I have a strong conviction that no boy, girl, woman or man is worth killing myself for. Love is a grossly over rated word. My own love is not blind, I look before I leap. Come to think of it, if you kill yourself because of a jilting partner, What will that achieve? Will the partner feel sorry and return back to your dead body, or will he or she follow you to hell and make amends? I think this is the highest form of imbecility and folly. At most they feel sorry for a few weeks and then move on while you everlastingly roast in hell. To sum it up, I strongly believe the following root causes of suicide have to be addressed.
1. Economic Hopelessness- Government, Churches and family relations can help with this.
2. Relationship Failure- I think folks should be warned on the reality of hell fire. If the govt did that at the height of campaign against insurgency and suicide bombing during gej, they can still do it now. They should also open a relationship counseling NGO that will help those suffering the effect of a failed relationship as they do to HIV carriers. Pastors should sensitize their members that suicide leads to hell. All hope is not lost, if a partner walks out on you, it may be God sent him or her away to bring someone better. Also I strongly believe this is another consequence of premarital sex. Partners in relationships should keep sex out until marriage, if not the emotional attached that sex brings makes breakup more devastating to the offended party. Usually in most relationships either or both parties are not sincere. If both parties are insincere, breakup comes so quickly. If one party is insincere and the other party is smart, it will soon be discovered and there will be a break up. If however a party is insincere and the other party is naïve not to detect it, and much is expended in terms of money, sex and time by the naïve party, a breakup because very painful and devastating. It is like your best friend stabbing you at the back, you feel betrayed, hence suicide thoughts.

Suicide has been happening, the word "suicide bomber" isn't new here, especially in the North, bloggers are only cashing in.

1. The deteriorating state of the national economy has sustained for decades.

Thus..

2. The economic inequality gap continues to expand i.e. the rich getting richer but the poor getting poorer.

And..

3. There is an astronomical increase in the general level of frustration and depression in the society.

Finally..

4. As there seems no hope in sight, suicide is gradually becoming an option for some.

Sad, really.

Solution: Just fix the economy!

ibkayee:
Poverty, high unemployment rate, poor tackling of mental health, a government that doesn’t care and just generally living in a hopeless system overall

Dunno if it’s always been there or it’s just being reported nowadays

Really?

Please Google suicide rates around the world and tell us where it's more prevalent, developed or developing countries.

crackhaus:

Really?

Please Google suicide rates around the world and tell us where it's more prevalent, developed or developing countries.

I think you’ve quoted the wrong person because I was answering the OP’s question about reasons for high suicide rates relative to Nigeria and not whatever you’re on about and going by everyone else’s response, seems you’re the only one who got the wrong memo

ibkayee:

I think you’ve quoted the wrong person because I was answering the OP’s question about reasons for high suicide rates relative to Nigeria and not whatever you’re on about and going by everyone else’s response, seems you’re the only one who got the wrong memo

Always so defensive, calm your tittíes woman.

I quoted you because those things you listed are not the reasons for higher rates of suicide anywhere in the world. If they were, developed countries without the social endemics you listed would fare better.
There's no relativity when it comes to why people take their own lives.

Why are you like this?

crackhaus:

Always so defensive, calm your tittíes woman.

I quoted you because those things you listed are not the reasons for higher rates of suicide anywhere in the world. If they were, developed countries without the social endemics you listed would fare better.
There's no relativity when it comes to why people take their own lives.

Why are you like this?

Just reciprocating energy, I’m calm sis

Lol I was talking about Nigeria alone, everyone else also took her question to be about Nigeria this guy

Common reasons for suicide may vary across countries for example so as for as OP’s question, there can be relativity

Mass mind.

It's being glamorized. So people now think it's a way out.
They don't weigh otherwise option.

It wasn't this high when the corpses of people who took their lives were thrown into a forest and their families ostracized or made to carry out sacrifices to appease the gods of the land their dead relative had defiled.

It's a theory though.

ibkayee:

Just reciprocating energy, I’m calm sis

Lol I was talking about Nigeria alone, everyone else also took her question to be about Nigeria this guy

Common reasons for suicide may vary across countries for example so as for as OP’s question, there can be relativity

You are right-for some people, long term poverty and lack of job leading to hopelessness. Financial stress!
Nigerians should start from somewhere-i mean have the number of children you can afford to care for. Having a child or two/three should be enough. Stop polygamy! One man with two wives and many children, kai!
Use BC to prevent pregnancy! Not every laying should result in pregnancy!
Maybe then there will be enough resources.

ibkayee:
Poverty, high unemployment rate, poor tackling of mental health, a government that doesn’t care and just generally living in a hopeless system overall

Dunno if it’s always been there or it’s just being reported nowadays

armyofone:
You are right-for some people, long term poverty and lack of job leading to hopelessness. Financial stress!
Nigerians should start from somewhere-i mean have the number of children you can afford to care for. Having a child or two/three should be enough. Stop polygamy! One man with two wives and many children, kai!
Use BC to prevent pregnancy! Not every laying should result in pregnancy!
Maybe then there will be enough resources.

Yeah exactly. Those are just some of the ones I could think of, there may well be more

The suicide trend among the Youth is really disturbing.. I don't even know whom to blame or where to point fingers @.. Is it technology that is eating more of family time.. If you get to a restaurant, u might not be surprised anymore seeing a family of 5 in a table.. they hardly speak to each other because the father was on social media, wife was also checking.. the 3 kids were chatting away with their phones with their fingers typing speedily .. the only time they get to say anything was when the waiter ask what they wants to order ..immediately they said it, every one goes back to the phone..

No more family time to chat and know what is happening with the kids even when social media bullying has skyrocketed..

What about the teachers.. They made failure in school look more like a taboo.. neither do they explain nowadays to the kids that it is ok to make mistakes and also learn from it... nor do they explain that failure sometimes in school is not a death sentence but the abilities to get up is the real deal...

I don't even wanna talk about the spiritual leaders.. Everyone only talks more of prosperity.. No one talk about Hell fire.. even if it might be false or true, at least those days in my sundayschool as a little boy.. the story of hell fire puts a lot of us in check.. it was like a chill pill..
We were told then that suicide attempt is hellfire automatic.. so no one wants to even think about it... Maybe this Morden day religion is not doing enough.. except prophesying for riches to those that cares..

armyofone:
You are right-for some people, long term poverty and lack of job leading to hopelessness. Financial stress!
Nigerians should start from somewhere-i mean have the number of children you can afford to care for. Having a child or two/three should be enough. Stop polygamy! One man with two wives and many children, kai!
Use BC to prevent pregnancy! Not every laying should result in pregnancy!
Maybe then there will be enough resources.

You're just propagating falsehood by agreeing with her.

Before you can even determine the major causes of suicide, you first have to determine what age groups have recorded the most deaths by suicide.
WHO lists it at 15-29years.

Now tell me, how can any of those things she listed which you're echoing, be the reasons for high suicide rates among 15-29year old people, when people in this age group in Nigeria are largely still students/dependants living off their parents, guardians, or family?

I can't even type too much on this. Just please use Google, you too ibkayee, the statistics are there. Learn something new.
Low-income countries have the lowest suicide rates in the world.

Mental health problems which is the ONLY precursor to suicides/attempted suicides, have no link with poverty or economic standing.
Syria, Afghanistan, are war-torn countries left devastated and crippled economically..not to mention that these countries are full of people who believe there is honor in strapping bombs on themselves to commit suicide, yet they came out among the lowest in prevalence of suicide.

You gotta look beyond the surface.

liberalchick:
Na suicide has always been happening, before SM, families used to cover it up. A cousin committed suicide in the 90s, he drank otapiapia. It was covered up, I am sure if family members had Instagram then they probably would have made a post about it.

I don’t know what can be done, sometimes family members don’t notice because suicide victims are very good at masking their pain from people close to them. I guess more suicide hotlines, schools should have counselors for students, mental health should be taken more seriously and Nigerians should be more sensitive.

100% families used to cover it up in the past. To me anyone that wants out should be allowed to go. Even in developed world with free benefits and all. Many still commit suicide

I agree! After all they didn’t even ask to be brought into this world.

ednut1:
100% families used to cover it up in the past. To me anyone that wants out should be allowed to go. Even in developed world with free benefits and all. Many still commit suicide