Richmond Baffour, a senior community mental health officer, has highlighted some of the signs that suicidal people can exhibit and how to identify them.
He stated that there is a direct situation in which an individual declares that he or she is tired and cannot bear the challenges that face them, thus the need to commit suicide.
”Usually, when we hear these comments, we dismiss them as jokes, but those who make them later commit suicide. We later come out and tell others that they threatened to kill themselves.”
According to the mental health nurse, the indirect signs include a suicidal person sharing personal items and telling people they are travelling.
”They can even throw lavish parties for no reason. ”You will discover through his or her speech that the person keeps saying we should say goodbye to each other because this is the last time we are meeting,” he said on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM’s Frontline.
”When a person withdraws all savings and shares them when a person shares all landed property and other valuable items or property, it should indicate that the person is suicidal. Another sign is that the person will ask for the location to buy items that could be used to commit suicide, such as poison. These are all indicators that the person is thinking about suicide.”
In dealing with the issue, he advised Ghanaians to stop discriminating against people suffering from mental illnesses, deadly diseases, and other problems.
”Rather than discriminating against such people, we should offer them support, care, and love. We should also stop gambling and other risky activities in which we invest all of our savings because such activities can lead to suicide,” he told host Kwabena Agyapong.
He advised young people to avoid using illegal drugs because they can lead to suicide.
Nurse Akua Owusua, for her part, urged the public to stop mocking people who have endured pain, including broken hearts.
She stated that the recent trend of people laughing at friends after they have suggested broken hearts and videoing their pain is terrible and should be stopped.
In dealing with suicide, she advised against making promises that the person who promises to intervene cannot keep.
”With people who are suicidal, we should set realistic goals. You should also refrain from passing judgment on those who have attempted suicide. Do not tell them that if they commit suicide, they will go to hell. ”Avoid arguing with people who are suicidal.”
Do not set ‘too big expectations’ for your children
Another mental health nurse, Irene Larbi, believes that parents should not have unrealistic expectations for their children because this can lead to suicidal thoughts.
She claims that when such expectations are not met, children see themselves as failures and see surveillance as their only option.
She urged parents to stop forcing their children to participate in activities in which they have no interest.
The nurse asked parents to let their children pursue their dreams or activities that they enjoy.
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana