MARKING THE UNITED NATION’S WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY 2024

“Changing the Narrative on Suicide” by Ronald O. King.

The United Nations have over the years championed the ‘Right to Life’ for all citizens irrespective of gender, race, political affiliation or creed and has in effect maintained a continuous public advocacy and discussion on this topic. We in the Association of Christian Counsellors of Nigeria totally agree and partner with the UN in this regard. To us in the association, life is sacred and no effort is spared to save a soul from dying.

The 2024 Theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”. There has been a lot of what we call in our association the ‘Hush Hush syndrome’ a situation of don’t talk about it or do as if it never occurred. But, is it true, it never occurred? Why are the survivors not allowed to grieve their loss and why is their grief not recognized or supported for what it is? The term DISSENFRANCHISED GRIEF has been used in counselling practice to capture the situation of unrecognized grief and we say NO to it. The bereaved should grieve their loss without hindrance whether cultural or societal. Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and related ill-health conditions result shortly or later in life when grief is numbed. Our investigation shows that societal stigma is at the root of the inability to properly grieve a suicide loss which leaves the survivors worse off Physically, Spiritually, Psychologically, financially and health-wise etcetera. Ladies from some homes where suicide occurred sometimes find it difficult to get married as potential suitors sometimes walk away on realizing that suicide had once occurred in the family, further compounding their cases.

We must join hands with well-meaning organizations and the UN to change this Narrative on Suicide. Let’s create HOPE through action to help the suicidal individual. This could be a Radio jingle, a Bill-board or Television message, a Pop-up message on a social media handle, an organized community outreach or creation of wealth etc. You can also compile and publish contacts of suicide intervention agencies, organizations or professional individuals and help call in the professionals to intervene in a suicide-related case. A completed suicide is a loss to humanity not just to the family or the community. There is nothing mysterious about suicide and if there is any, lets demystify it by FREELY TALKING ABOUT IT. Let’s remove the ‘Hush Hush’ lid.

It will be necessary at this point to note some facts about a completed suicide;

• SUICIDE IS NOT AN ANSWER TO ANY PROBLEM
• SUICIDE PROVIDES NO SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM
• SUICIDE IS TERMINAL
• SUICIDE PUTS THE SUVIVORS IN SERIOUS DISADVANTAGES AND SOCIETAL STIGMA
• SUICIDE IS CONTAGIOUS. THE TRAUMA IN THE AFTERMATH COULD ENCOURAGE TO MORE SUICIDES
• LET’S CHANGE THE NARRATIVE: SUICIDE CAN BE PREVENTED.

The Association of Christian Counsellors of Nigeria Joins other organizations around the world to; Say No To Suicide.

Marking The United Nations World Suicide Prevention Day 2024

View our Suicide Prevention rally at the Jabi Lake All Purpose Park in Abuja, Nigeria (27/09/2024) in pictures below: