ITS NOT OVER

Hey you!

Thank God it's Friday🎉

Did anything interesting happen throughout your week?
About 2 incidents particularly stood out to me this week. I'll share the first one... feel free to share yours in the comment section.

On Wednesday, I saw a story online.
A lady was sharing the heart-rending experience of how her mother died by suicide. As I read, the story became relatable to me, it felt like I was relieving a familiar experience. Her story was all about creating sensitization about mental health but she focused on depression. In the story, she just lost her father and because of the closeness between her parents, his death delt her mom a fatal blow. She tried to be strong, holding her chin up and giving fake smiles. She also refused help and tried to rebound with work and extra curricular activities  but deep inside, she was not Ok.
After a few months, everyone seemed assured that she had recovered and they let her be. Unfortunately, when she eventually broke down, no one was around. The depression had eaten deep into her, she died by suicide.

 The only differences between my own experience and this story is that it happened to my friend. She lost her twin brother and it nearly shattered her heart. She also put up a strong front but she accepted help and overcame depression.

Looking at these two very similar stories, you would see the clear turning points.

In last week's blog post “ITS OK TO NOT BE OK" we addressed the issue of depression and other vital things. We learnt that the first step to leaving that dark cramped unhappy place is acknowledging the fact that you are not OK.

Here, you see the application of almost everything we discussed last week. If you haven't checked it out, hurry now and sneak a peek.

Today, I'll have you know that the events, incidents, feelings leading up to suicide are not far-fetched...

Suicide is the result of manageable mental health disorders that aren't treated. Mostly, it is sparked by intense feelings of anger, despair, hopelessness or panic.
Some individuals are at higher risks when they experience:

- A significant loss
- An episode of depression or anxiety
- A personal life crisis, especially one that leaves a sense of loneliness or loss of self-esteem such as a breakup or divorce.
- An illness or medication accompanied by mood swings.
- Exposure to suicidal acts of others.

I want you to note however that while suicide often sounds warning alarms, there have been cases of suicide without warning. Dr Michael Miller, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School said, “ many people who die by suicide do so without letting on they are thinking about or planning it."

If you have ever had experience with cases like this and you keep blaming yourself for not reading between the lines or asking questions like; “what did I miss?", “ how did I miss the signs?" The answer to your question may as well be nothing.
Don't beat yourself up, most people who are hell bent on suicide tend to keep their plans to themselves.

More so, it doesn't matter how emotionally strong you think you are, being open about how you really feel doesn't mean you are weak. It only proves your strength, shows that you can still summon your strength to overcome those feelings threatening to bring you under.

Meanwhile, this is what to watch out for if you feel someone is at risk of suicide:

When the person talks about:
- Killing themselves
- Having no reason to live
- Feeling trapped
- Being a burden to others
- experiencing unbearable pain
Behavioural signs include:
- Looking for a means to kill themselves
- withdrawing from activities
- Acting recklessly
- Isolating from family and friends
- Sleeping too much or too little
- giving away prized possessions.

Knowing these warning signs and making conscious efforts to look out for them makes you a hero.

Once the alarm goes off, here are 5 quick action steps you should take:
- Ask: It's not an easy question but ask, “are you thinking about killing yourself?"
- Keep them safe: Remove or disable any means they have of performing the lethal act.
- Listen: Be there for them by listening carefully and learning what the individual is thinking or feeling.
- Get Help: Call for medical help or a close family member, friend of the at-risk individual.
- Stay connected: Follow up with the at-risk person after they've been discharged.

It doesn't end here, you also have to spread the word, create sensitizatio and join the fight against suicide. You can start by sharing this blog post🤗

Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section, have a nice weekend!

Joy_Ande