It is no longer a taboo to talk about suicide in this day and age; Not necessarily because there are rising cases, but essentially because, prevention is better.
World Bank reported that in the first half of 2021, over 500 suicides mortalities had been reported in Kenya, with men being in the high risk category. It all starts with mental wellness.
For the mind to perceive situations as unbearable and alert an individual’s neurotransmitters to experience a break-down, there are environmental, physical and sometimes spiritual factors involved.
Each suicide case intimately affects at least six (6) people. The unfortunate thing is most suicide cases happen impulsively in moments of crises and the feeling or thought that it is impossible at that point in time to handle the situation and life itself.
PDO Kenya – a user-led community-based mental health Organization based in Nakuru City, has for years been in the front-line to attend to Psychiatric disabilities which consist of a wide range of behavioral and/or psychological problems characterized by anxiety, mood swings, depression, and/or a compromised assessment of reality.
Psychiatric Disability Organization of Kenya works with trained and experienced health practitioners to enable a more accommodating, while sensitizing various institutions to walk the recovery journey with affected parties and prevent rise in such cases.
The first step to take as a directly or indirectly affected party is to talk to someone. There is no problem that does not have a solution, nor a challenge too big to solve.
Most times, the same problem that takes the life of one, opens an opportunity for another. Choose life because we need to account for it someday. PDO Helpline is always open on 0774 354618, and you can email them on admin@pdokenya.org and get a safe haven to breathe!
Parting shot: What you know will prevent hurting you, hence the need for awareness and prevention. In September particularly, we are reminded of the dire need to keep the mental state of ourselves and those of our keens at the utmost tranquil.
