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SUICIDE
Suicide is now not just a rural problem, even though the incidence of persons within the countryside taking their lives is still very much higher than in the urban centres.
Suicide is now a major national problem, as highlighted this week by the death of a security guard attached to the MMC firm and the suspected suicide of a young man from Charlestown, who was found hanging from a rope.
There have also been, in recent times, cases where persons wanted for domestic violence crimes and murders relating to these problems have opted, instead of surrendering to the law, to take their own lives.
We now have on our hands a serious crisis concerning not just violence against the person, but deliberate self-inflicted harm.
The Government, to its credit, had not so long ago recognized the seriousness of the problem and had appointed a national committee which was mandated to examine the problem.
It is now clear that this concern against suicide needs to be taken much more seriously, and this seriousness needs to be reflected in the formalisation and funding of a national commission against suicide.
We believe that international resources now need to be sourced to assist in the fight against this problem that is increasing in Guyana. The problem of suicide should not just be seen as a Government problem.
We believe that at the heart of a victim’s decision to take his own life is a deep feeling of hopelessness.
As a society, we need to question the failing family and social networks, which in the past militated against individuals feeling that all is lost.
In most of the cases that this newspaper has covered about suicide victims, the reaction by family, friends and community has been one of shock.
In many instances, there was knowledge that the victim might have been experiencing some sort of domestic problems, but very few of those interviewed ever expected that the victim would take his or her own life.
This observation in the reaction to suicides should guide our approach as citizens.
Very often, we know of individuals who have problems, but instead of trying to lend an ear or support, we, as is said in Guyana, “ mind our own business,” not recognising that, often, by not lending support to those with problems, we may be allowing that person’s sense of hopelessness to deepen to a point of no return.
There used to be time also in Guyana where we used to know our neighbours.
Today, there are persons living in communities who hardly know much about those that live nearby.
Thus they are unable to sense the red flags that often are a sign of troubled relations.
We believe that especially religious and social organizations need to do much more to deal with this question.
We certainly feel that if, for example, more counselling services were offered within communities by religious and social groups, those persons with problems will feel that they have a sympathetic ear to turn to, will feel that all is not lost, and therefore will be less inclined to take their own lives.
No person should feel that all hope is gone. No person should feel that there is no other option but to end his or her life.
With support from the wider community, we believe that more can and must be done to arrest this serious social problem in Guyana.
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