adminA SPIKE in suicides involving men is perhaps proof how dire mental health issues are and action is urgently needed to address it.
This worrying trend could be a clear indication that a lot of people are crying out for help, but no one seems to hear their cries.
The major challenge we have is that most people don’t share their problems, making the situation even more complex.
A lot of people are dying inside, but pretend that all is well, and it takes a chat with them to realise that there is something wrong.
Others resort to drug and substance abuse as painkillers, and later commit suicide, as addiction then piles more problems.
We can’t afford to continue losing lives in this manner, and something needs to be done.
Although women also commit suicide, reports show that more men now take their own lives due to failure to cope with stresses and pressures of life.
Last month, a 63-year-old man jumped to his death from the eighth floor of a local hotel.
The man was believed to have been holed up in a hotel room before deciding he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to jump to his death.
Prior to that incident, a well-known Harare bouncer also committed suicide at a local hotel under unclear circumstances.
Reports said he ended his life by downing cyanide.
On Tuesday morning, a Hatcliffe man brought business to a standstill in the Central Business District when he attempted to take his life by jumping off the top of Tanganyika Building.
The man stripped to his underwear and told those persuading him to reconsider his decision that there were people out to kill him.
The mid-morning drama ended when he jumped from the top and landed on an old garage roof.
He fractured his left hand, broke a jaw and sustained some bruises, and was rushed to hospital.
Witnesses said the man appeared to be high on something or intoxicated. Some suspected he had taken drugs.
It’s really sad when people resort to suicide as a solution to their problems.
Suicide creates more problems to the deceased’s family and dependants.
People should always think of their families before considering suicide.
We need to do more as a country to establish institutions that offer professional help to mentally troubled people in our midst.
We must also address the issue of stigma associated with people suffering from mental problems.
That forces them to bottle their problems until they take their lives, as they feel lonely and forsaken.
Online Reporter