Earlier today, I saw a video on Facebook of an elderly man who jumped into the wild ocean to end his life due to depression. Before he took the plug People who saw him tried to beg him not to do it, but the man didn't listen to anyone, and instead, he jumped into the wild ocean and died.
Another person, a lady this time took the same route by jumping into the lagoon from the bridge in Ikoyi, Lagos. The marine rescue team was alerted to the incident and the lady was rescued before she could drown. The reason they said drove her to take that suicidal step was that she had an argument with her fiance who probably going back on the promise to marry her as planned.
But what bothered me the most about these incidents is why would people think that suicide is the solution to depression. This question bothered me all through today after seeing the video of the lady's incident.
We all know that depression is real, and many people have fallen victim to it. One of the obvious symptoms of depression is the feeling of rejection and detachment from other people. Many people believe that the best way to deal with the situation is via a suicide rope or take their lives in whatever way quickest for them.
Depression as a health condition shouldn't be treated with drastic measures, because the depressed person has already lost their minds of sound reasoning. The best way to handle depression is to speak out and let people know about how you are feeling. The suffering is not for the person to carry alone and the solution to the problem lies in speaking out about your feelings.
It's always better to say something about how you are feeling than to die silently. It's about the human touch, connection, and love. Talking about depression help you know how others feel and the things you both have in common. It will help you to know that you are not alone in the fight, this will make the situation lighter for you to handle.
You do not need to see a therapist before you can talk about your condition. Talking about depression helps to break the silence on depression and also decreases the stigma attached to depression and mental illness.
Depression is a disease, and has its symptoms and causes like every other human disease. It is impossible for a person to be in depression and not be aware of it. Still, a great number of individuals that suffer from depression do not recognize it. The situation of depression can be aggravated by different things. For this reason, you are supposed to pay attention to the signals your body and mind are sending. When you know what your body and mind is saying, be open to seek help. Ask and accept help when it is offered to you.
According to research, there are so many ways to handle or treat depression. Some of them include- psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acute Outpatient Management (AOM), Awareness-raising, Social and Occupational Therapy (SOAT), Religion/Spiritual, Education, and Non-medication. The list is endless. These treatments can be found quite easily within your local area and are also cheap.
Depression can be overcome if we all unite, understand it, spread the word about it, show our support to the silent sufferers, be brave enough to let others know how we feel. Solution is available for you if you talk through your problems and reach out for help.
On a lighter note, the message I am trying to pass through this post is that, suicide is not the solution to depression, it is only an option for people who don't know how to live with their problems. Don't imitate the actions of the people who chooses the suicide route.
Even if there is one or two people who are suffering from depression, the power of support from friends, family, community, and the media will definitely make a difference in those lives. Depression is not contagious. Please speak out and seek help, then find the reason for your depression and work hard to get out of it.
The image used was created and redesign on Canva.
Posted Using INLEO