by Dr Neals J Chitan
From early Biblical times, within sacred writ, the acts of taking one’s life were recorded 7 times.
As one examines these cases, they will find that these 6 Old Testament and one New Testament instances of suicide were triggered by moments of intense desperation, overwhelming guilt or to avoid capture in battle.
As we reminisce on our more modern pre-21st Century era, we realise that this ancient self-inflicting act has traversed with us through the centuries with basically the same triggers. Those of us who have lived through the 4 generations of the 1940s to the turn of the century have also experienced suicides which were mainly triggered by one of the extreme following situations:
- Debilitating diagnoses that rob human dignity
- Avoidance of criminal consequences
- Extreme psychosis that robs rational thinking
Despite these extremely difficult triggers that may have then robbed their victims of hope and pushed them to commit the inevitable, the economic, relationship and educational challenges of pre-21st Century living engendered in us the resilience and toughness to adapt and survive. We lived with hope that despite the daily difficulties we faced, if we worked harder, stayed focused and accepted our seasons with contentment, we would one day rise above our challenges and be successful.
However, the turn of the century seems to have brought with it a new era and a new mindset devoid of human resilience and mental toughness! The instant-gratification trait has damaged our mental processing so much that its lack of patience, adaptation, resilience and hope drives our 21st-century generations to self-extinction as an easy way out.
Folks want their problems solved instantly, and with no process or plan in place to deal with them, more and more are choosing what seems to be the easy way out, which, unfortunately, is the current trending “copycat syndrome” option of suicide.
As a Behaviour Interventionist attached to the Ministry of Mental Health and Wellness here in Grenada, I run to the rescue of individuals experiencing suicide ideation, attempts, and to give support to the grieving families of victims. However, I am amazed at the perceived simple triggers that sometimes drive these individuals to think, attempt or complete the act of suicide.
Growing up within the Baby Boom generation, I too had heartbreaks and loss in relationships, but a friend will frequently say, “Come on, man, snap out of it, there are more fish in the sea,” in an attempt to redirect your sadness into hope. Folk experiencing extreme poverty did not break and lose hope under the challenge but would create a way to feed their children and use it as a teaching tool to inspire them to go to school, though sometimes hungry, to get a good education, to break the cycle.
However, what we see today is a generation of individuals who lack the resilience, courage and inner strength of their foreparents and inflicted with the “Easy Give-Up Syndrome,” break easily under pressure. Since when did having no grocery or losing your water and lights become insurmountable challenges in Grenada that will leave you so distressed that you will see no way out but to take your life? Although I understand the pain from a disloyalty and separation, when did a girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse (especially when you had prior indication) breaking up with you, so damage your self-worth, self-respect and hope of future success, that you will see no life beyond them?
Where has our human resilience gone? What “Strange Normalcy” are we creating? Does it have to be easy always? Do we stop and think about the further financial challenges, emotional pain and grief our perceived pain driving us to suicide can permanently create in those we leave behind when we are gone?
There is no doubt that suicide is trending and the more individuals who choose that option, the more others experiencing challenges are tempted to take that option. “I always thought about it” they say, but now with the frequent incidences of suicide, it seems so much as an easier way to end my misery.
I therefore want you to know that the human being was designed with the inner strength, brain power and resilience to face the challenges of life. We are blessed with an inner survival instinct that when deployed, will help you adapt and take on challenges to save our precious lives. However, this inner strength and overcomer’s mindset must be nurtured and groomed by parents and guardians to bring out that human resilience that will bring hope when hopelessness invades our hearts.
I therefore applaud the Ministry of Mental Health and Wellness for their upcoming 15 July launch of a 988 Suicide Helpline and encourage anyone experiencing hopelessness and suicide ideation to call! Let’s come together and fight this scourge while creating a “New Normalcy of Hope and Resilience.”
Dr Neals Chitan is an International Social Skill Consultant and Crime Reduction Specialist who holds a PhD in Social and Behavioural Sciences and currently works in Grenada. He is the President/Founder of Motiv-8 For Change International, a Toronto-based Social Skill Agency, and can be reached from North America at 647-692-6330 and locally 473-416-8377 or at [email protected]
