3 Attempted Suicides; Risk Factors Compromising Mental Health

We strive so hard as a people to achieve our "dreams" and goals that we set for ourselves at to excel at home front/workplace/relationships so that we and our spouse,children,friends or extended family can get the best out of life.Nevertheless, the search for closure in this regard has proved illusive for many.That is why you see so many of us putting up a front ,acting like "everything is fine" when in actual fact "everything" is out of control" if not totally lost.

Everyone go through some form of stress or destabilizing of the status quo in one's "normal" daily routine at the home front,work place, schools, communities or personal/individual relationships. But when you are overwhelmed to the extent that you cannot cope with your "normal" routine, to the extent that it interfairs negatively with your daily routine then something is not right.

This has resulted to mental health problems which is undiagnosed or untreated in most cases.Can one really qualify such "destabilizing" as mental illness?What are the warning signs that you need get professional help from a mental health practitioner?

In fact, majority of people from different continents and cultures view the concept of mental illness as "alien" to their values/believes or family tree. Hence discussing about mental illness is a taboo not just in Africa but also in Asia,Europe,Middle East,e.t.c.

Since mental illness is not recognized in the instances above, this has resulted in stigma and Non/under funding/neglect of the mentally ill and mental health facilities or outright dismissal of mental illness as a sickness as the case may be.

Read Also: How Can You Understand and Manage Your Health Better

Nigerians are yet to get over the shocking news of the 35-year-old medical doctor who jumped into the Lagos lagoon in broad day light at the busy 3rd mainland bridge. Reports say he was being driven by his driver to attend a meeting with Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) before he sudden. He told his driver to park his Nissan Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) on the excuse that he wanted to pee. He climbed the bridge’s rail guide and jumped into the ocean.

Also Read; Adrian Robinson Former NFL Player Hangs Himself

Barely a week after two women have been rescued along the same axis. One of the suspects, a 71-year-old food vendor, Abigal Ogunyinka, claimed that she collected a sum of money from a micro finance bank and had failed on the weekly refund for two weeks.

The second suspect, said to be a textile dealer in Lagos Island, who alleged that she is indebted her foreign partners had also made an attempt to jump into the lagoon before she was rescued. The Friday incidents make the second and third cases of suicide attempts foiled in Lagos State in less than a week.

The first was the case of a middle-aged woman who was rescued by some local fishermen and divers, after jumping into the lagoon in the Maza-Maza area of the state.

In his reaction, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, said the State Command will not close our eyes to ensuring that the law takes its course in some of these cases, we will take them through therapy.“I have asked the Police Clinic to get psychologists that would take them through depression to purge out whatever is on their minds,” he said.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for sustainable campaign to create awareness about the so called forbidden topic in some circles.

Risk Factors Contributing to Mental Health Problems

Positive mental health is important for all individuals at every stage of life. It is important to know the determinants of mental health if we want to thrive physically and emotionally.

According to reports, over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Many factors contribute to mental health problems include:

Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
Family history of mental health problems

Your mental and emotional health has been and will continue to be shaped by your experiences. Early childhood experiences are especially significant. Genetic and biological factors can also play a role, but these too can be changed by experience.

• Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling lonely, isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
• Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as war or hospitalization.
• Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief that you’re helpless and that you have little control over the situations in your life.
• Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates you from others.
• Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may be taking a variety of medications
• Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental health problems and make preexisting mental or emotional problems worse-(http://www.bridgingthegap.scot.nhs.uk/
• The good news is that whatever internal or external factors have shaped your mental and emotional health, it is never too late to make changes that will improve your psychological well-being.
• The above risk factors can be counteracted with protective factors, like strong relationships click here, a healthy lifestyle click here, and coping strategies for managing stress and negative emotions which will be discussed in later articles.What constitutes mental illness? Find out next.

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ACTION EXERCISE

-Take a critical examination of inner&outer self
-Is Demands of Your Family,Work, School,Relationships, or environment CRUSHING YOU EMOTIONAL?
-Will you accept PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT to Reach Your Full Potential?

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