According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), every day about
3,000 persons around the world commit suicide.
This tragedy is no respecter of person, place, religion or skin color — anyone can be a victim of suicide.
In Nigeria, the suicide rate has been on the rise in recent years.
There are many complex and interrelated reasons that can contribute to the
feelings of hopelessness and emotional pain, which are the prime reasons for deaths by suicide. We do not have control over these factors, but we surely can be the bridge between someone and hope.
World Suicide Prevention Day
In other to provide worldwide commitment and action towards this cause, the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) has observed the World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), every year on
September 10, since 2003.
There are people around us who put up very convincing facades despite going through the worst times, and many more who suffer from
depression everyday are too ashamed to get help — scared of what the society may think of them.
Help
Social media counselor, She Write Woman, has launched Nigeria’s first toll-free suicide hotline. It is important that the topic of mental health be brought into mainstream companies, schools, and other institutions so that many who suffer in silence can find help. If you would like to find out more and support the work She Writes Woman does, click
here.
