I am a doctor in neuroscience; I know about suicides

Sep 28, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
My recent letters on suicide generated two responses entitled: “The suicide rate reduction is real,” and “It is the walk; not the talk that makes the critical difference”, from Mr Annand Boodram, the executive director of The Caribbean Voice (TCV). His letters aim to suppress my insights and to inflate his contributions on the suicide crisis. And he achieves his goals by dangerously fabricating stories which need to be debunked if a genuine decline in the suicide rate is to be realised. Moreover, Mr Boodram’s behaviour exemplifies a wider problem which generates unbearable stress in boosting the suicide rate. A clear case of how this man is out to suppress my voice rests on the fact that he made false accusations that my original letter contains inaccuracies and oversights which were corrected by TCV. First of all, my original letter contained zero inaccuracies and second of all, how can TCV correct inaccuracies when there was none? I am sorry to say that his claims are obviously fiction. Due to such disrespect, I do not see how I can accept this man’s invitation to be a part of TCV.
Unlike Mr Boodram and most of the TCV members, I hold several advanced degrees in psychology and the neuroscience-related field at the doctorate level; in addition to years of research experience. Such training has enabled me to map the players within the suicide dynamics. I am confident that my insights conveyed in my original letter are accurate and pivotal to the understanding of suicide in Guyana. This gentleman should refrain from stifling my voice and give me a fair chance. To this end, I challenge him to provide specific examples of the inaccuracies and oversights he talks about. I guarantee he can’t come up with any because they never existed.
He needs to know that I am trained to convey, complex ideas as concisely as possible and I am proud of how elegantly I have done this in my original letter. This is what scientists do. My unfortunate experience with him is reminiscent of a wider problem where nonprofessionals take control and destroy this country. He casts himself as a destructive person who has the gall to stifle my voice even though I have the required academic foundation to make pivotal contributions. He needs to know that important solutions come through fundamental ideas like mine and a useful walk depends on such ideas. Definitely, he needs to refocus his talk and walk by giving stress center-stage attention. Mr Boodram needs to know that copycatting is only a minuscule piece of the suicide dynamic when considering how stress rewires the brain in multiple ways in eliciting suicidal behaviours.
The catastrophic social, economic and political dynamic is the generator of abnormal quantities of stress which largely pushes Guyana’s suicide rate over the global average. Editor, stress has the amazing ability to induce and or exacerbate mental illness, alcoholism, copycatting, relapse, impulsivity and an assortment of personality disorders, etc. Moreover, stress alters the hardwiring in multiple neuronal circuits in augmenting suicidal responses by unleashing depression, hopelessness, and anxiety, etc. Stress even diminishes the ability to cope, etc. My view remains pivotal to effectively tackle the suicide problem from multiple angles, plus added benefits on domestic violence; mental illness and alcoholism, etc. can be derived when stress is given center-stage attention.
I must thank TCV for its contributions to the Guyanese people. However, I must point out that Mr Boodram’s uneven behaviours force me to question whether his talk can really translate into a meaningful walk. Here are my reasons why: I do not see how he can enlighten, advocate and educate when he lacks critical knowledge and professional skills. I do not see how he can counsel when he fabricates stories. I do not see how he can debunk misinformation when he generates them. I do not see how he can lift self-esteem when he unleashes fiction. I do not see how he can suppress the suicide scourge when he triggers stress and psychological pain. And I do not see how he or the Ministry of Social Protection can take credit for a reduction in the suicide rate which remains skeptical. In fact, the suicide rate has trended upwards within the last 15 years. The Ministry of Social Protection is horrendous. This agency hurts Guyanese due to its lack of skills, lack of ethnic diversity and corruption among other serious problems. My sentiments are echoed by the majority of Guyanese.
In closing, I would like to remind Mr Boodram that his actions influence the nature of this rebuttal. And it would be wise for him to embrace my proposal which embodies that stress robustly drives the bulk of suicide in multiple ways by disrupting homeostatic brain functions. I am confident that such knowledge will guide our efforts in developing novel approaches to combating this human tragedy from multiple angles. With this, I urge him to refocus his attention on stress as the key propeller to the suicide scourge, not copycatting.
Dr Annie Baliram

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