{"id":5469,"date":"2017-10-24T16:41:41","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T16:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=5469"},"modified":"2017-10-24T16:41:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-24T16:41:41","slug":"increasing-suicides-in-nigeria-the-christian-and-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=5469","title":{"rendered":"Increasing suicides in Nigeria, the Christian, and Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Prof. Charles Adeyinka Adisa<\/strong> MD.
\nTHE growing incidence of suicide among Nigerians has become worrisome to the extent that psychiatrists and other physicians have called for high index of suspicion for signs and symptoms of depression among their patients.
\nAccording to the World Health Organisation, WHO, there are 322 million people living with depression in the world. In the WHO suicide ranking, Nigeria, with 15.1 suicides per 100,000 population per year, is ranked the 30th most suicide-prone out of 183 nations in the world.
\nBecause Christians are usually more open about their plights, I will concern myself in this essay with the involvement of Christians in the saga, and wrap up with what the doctors say.
\nA young medical doctor took his life early this year. He happened to be a committed Christian with his entire family.
\nLast week, a Director in Kogi state Civil service who was being owed several months salaries allegedly hung himself \u00a0on \u00a0account of this, and left a suicide note for his hapless wife who had just delivered a set of triplets after 17 years of barrenness.
\nWhat was supposed to be a joyful occasion turned out to be a disaster. He also was said to be a Christian and in fact left a suicide note laced with Bible verses from the book of Psalms.
\nThe economic hardships, killing and murder of Christians and others by insurgents under the pretext of religion, and the \u00a0apparent government lack of will and effective strategies to address these issues, are, most probably, contributing to this situation.
\nChristianity with the admonitions and stories of those who had overcome through faith should have prepared us for such hardships and disappointments.
\nIs it possible that the messages we hear these days from our pulpits ill-prepare our members for these challenging times? Is the mistaken notion that prosperity, earthly wealth and blessings are signs of God’s approval while the opposite is translated as not having enough faith or living the good life of Christianity a causative factor?
\nIs it also possible that we fail to detect early warning signs of depression in our members and families?
\nAs people of God, we need to prayerfully and deliberately seek out the depressed, confused and those among us who are vulnerable and need help. When we find them, we need to counsel them along the lines of the full gospel as opposed to the bread and butter and other false teachings pervading the air from the spirit of lawlessness. Where necessary, they need to be brought back to true faith through repentance
\nNext we should introduce these ones to the appropriate medical personnel to guide them to good health. Where we can, as a Church, we should consider putting them back on their feet by finding avenues or jobs for them to ventilate their profession or vocation.
\nMay the good Lord make us our brothers keepers, Amen.
\nBelow is what the WebMD (www.webmd.com) has to say on suicide:
\nRecognizing Suicidal Behavior<\/strong>
\nSuicide is not a mental illness in itself, but a serious potential consequence of treatable mental disorders that include\u00a0major depression,\u00a0bipolar disorder,\u00a0post-traumatic stress disorder,\u00a0borderline personality disorder,\u00a0schizophrenia,\u00a0substance use disorders, and anxiety disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa.
\nSuicide Warning Signs<\/strong>
\nAny of the following could be potential warning signs for suicide:
\nExcessive sadness or moodiness: Long-lasting sadness, mood swings, and unexpected rage.
\nHopelessness: Feeling a deep sense of hopelessness about the future, with little expectation that circumstances can improve.
\nSleep problems.
\nSudden calmness: Suddenly becoming calm after a period of depression or moodiness can be a sign that the person has made a decision to end his or her life.
\nWithdrawal: Choosing to be alone and avoiding friends or social activities also are possible symptoms of depression, a leading cause of suicide. This includes the loss of interest or pleasure in activities the person previously enjoyed.
\nChanges in personality and\/or appearance: A person who is considering suicide might exhibit a change in attitude or behavior, such as speaking or moving with unusual speed or slowness. In addition, the person might suddenly become less concerned about his or her personal appearance.
\nDangerous or self-harmful behavior:\u00a0Potentially dangerous behavior, such as reckless driving, engaging in unsafe sex, and increased use of drugs and\/or alcohol might indicate that the person no longer values his or her life.
\nRecent trauma or life crisis: A major life crises might trigger a suicide attempt. Crises include the death of a loved one or pet, divorce or break-up of a relationship, diagnosis of a major illness, loss of a job, or serious financial problems.
\nMaking preparations: Often, a person considering suicide will begin to put his or her personal business in order. This might include visiting friends and family members, giving away personal possessions, making a will, and cleaning up his or her room or home. Some people will write a note before committing suicide. Some will buy a firearm or other means like poison.
\nThreatening suicide: From 50% to 75% of those considering suicide will give someone — a friend or relative — a warning sign. However, not everyone who is considering suicide will say so, and not everyone who threatens suicide will follow through with it. Every threat of suicide should be taken seriously.
\nWho Is Most Likely to Commit<\/strong> Suicide?<\/strong>
\nSuicide rates are highest in teens,\u00a0young adults,\u00a0and the elderly.
\nWhite men over the age of 65 have the highest rate of suicide.
\nSuicide risk also is higher in the following groups:
\nOlder people who have lost a spouse through death or divorce
\nPeople who have attempted suicide in the past
\nPeople with a family history of suicide
\nPeople with a friend or co-worker who committed suicide
\nPeople with a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
\nPeople who are unmarried, unskilled, or unemployed
\nPeople with long-term pain or a disabling or terminal illness
\nPeople who are prone to violent or impulsive behavior
\nPeople who have recently been released from a psychiatric hospitalization (This often is a very frightening period of transition.)
\nPeople in certain professions, such as police officers and health care providers who work with terminally ill patients
\nPeople with substance abuse problems
\nAlthough women are three times as likely to attempt suicide, men are far more likely to complete the act.
\nCan Suicide Be Prevented?<\/strong>
\nSuicide can’t be prevented with certainty, but risks can often be reduced with timely intervention. Research suggests that the best way to prevent suicide is to know the risk factors, be alert to the signs of depression and other mental disorders, recognize the warning signs for suicide, and intervene before the person can complete the process of self-destruction.
\nWhat Should I Do if I Think Someone is Suicidal?<\/strong>
\nPeople who receive support from caring friends and family and who have access to mental health services are less likely to act on their suicidal impulses than are those who are socially isolated.
\nIf someone you know is exhibiting warning signs for suicide:
\nDon’t be afraid to ask if he or she is depressed or thinking about suicide.
\nAsk if he or she is seeing a therapist or taking medication.
\nRather than trying to talk the person out of suicide, let him or her know that depression is temporary and treatable.
\nIn some cases, the person just needs to know that someone cares and is looking for the chance to talk about his or her feelings.
\nYou can then encourage the person to seek professional help.
\nWhat Should I Do if I See the Warning Signs of Suicide?<\/strong>
\nIf you believe someone you know is in immediate danger of killing himself or herself:
\nDo not leave the person alone.
\nIf possible, ask for help from friends or other family members.
\nAsk the person to give you any weapons he or she might have.
\nTake away or remove sharp objects or anything else that the person could use to hurt himself or herself.
\nIf the person is already in psychiatric treatment, help him or her to contact the doctor or therapist for guidance and help.
\nTry to keep the person as calm as possible.
\nCall for help or take the person to an emergency room.
\n\u25cfAdisa is the President of the Nigerian Christian Graduate Fellowship.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Prof. Charles Adeyinka Adisa MD. THE growing incidence of suicide among Nigerians has become worrisome to the extent that psychiatrists and other physicians have called for high index of suspicion for signs and symptoms of depression among their patients. According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, there are 322 million people living with depression […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5777],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5469\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}