World Suicide Prevention Day is coming up on September 10 so I’ve decided to briefly pay tribute to it today. I’ve spoken about suicide a few times before but this article has been long overdue as the topic has taken a backseat in the past few years. In 2016/17, Guyana had the highest suicide rate in the world. When it was reported that had decreased, so did the discussion. I saw that so many people started to get involved and were spreading awareness but over time, like with many other things, people have started to lose interest. I’m hoping to permanently change that.

World Suicide Prevention day was created in 2003 by the initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) The efforts were made shortly after the discovery that over 800,000 people commit suicide around the world every year.
It is so unfortunate that Guyana has the highest rate in the world. I don’t think many of us have actually stopped to think about what that means for us as a nation.

The world average is 11 people per 100,000 while Guyana had 44. This means that if you take 100,000 people from any other country and put them in one room, 11 (on average) will commit suicide. In Guyana, 44 will. That is a massive lead.
I feel like everyone already knows this. We know it’s a problem but do we know why? Do we know the individuals who are more likely to attempt, do we know all the causal factors, the warning signs? More importantly, do we know the solutions?
Here are some facts about Guyana.

– Younger people between the ages of 12- 18 are more likely to attempt suicide
– People in the age range of 19-40 have more successful attempts
– Females are more likely to attempt suicide than males
– Males are more successful in their attempt
– Suicide is more common among Indo- Guyanese
– The most commonly used means is pesticides
– Suicides are most common in Regions 2, 5 and 6

What are some causal factors of suicide?
People who experience mental illness such as depression and substance abuse are much more likely to attempt suicide. Depression is a prolonged period of sadness which results isolation, loss of interest in activities etc. Substance abuse has very similar symptoms but also think about what an abuser would go through than the (lucky) average individual wouldn’t such as loss of job, family, friends, prostitution, legal issues and so on.
Health issues are another reason why people might want to take their own lives. I once did an outreach in Berbice where a man had a piece of glass stuck in his eye for a week as there were no doctors to take it out. He also did not have the money to come into Georgetown making poverty another risk factor.
Any kind of abuse – sexual, physical, emotional and financial- are common risk factors for suicide. Low education is another one that can be tied with that. Abuse also applies to children. Many young people in Guyana commit suicide. I believe this abuse has a lot to do with it. For example, I did an outreach in Berbice with 30-40 adolescents. I asked them if they felt they could go to their parents if they were in trouble. Every one of them said no. I asked if they felt comfortable going to their teachers and ¾ said no. Now, imagine a scenario where a 14 year old is pregnant and terrified of her parents because of their usual abuse, what options are there for her?

Now, what are some warning signs? How can we tell if someone might be considering suicide? I’m not going to lie- sometimes you can’t tell or the signs slide right past you. However, there are some universal signs that if both partners are lucky will be caught in time.
First of all, the best predictor of a suicide attempt is a previous one. If someone has attempted before, they are likely to attempt again.
Otherwise, individuals with suicidal thoughts are usually withdrawn and preferably isolated, sad or depressed and have lost interest in activities they once loved.

They tend to be very negative, have low self-esteem and have a hopeless outlook on life. This typically results in physical changes such as neglect of appearance, weight loss or gain, substance abuse, visual tiredness, insomnia etc.
If the individual is older, they might show signs by rushing to get all their affairs in order, saying elaborate goodbyes, giving away prised possessions, stockpiling medications etc.

Now, we all know the problem – what’s the solution?
It’s important to know what help is available. No matter where you are, go to your nearest health centre if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. There will always be someone there to help or at least refer you to somewhere else.
Since lack of motivation is also a serious symptom of suicidal thoughts/ tendencies, you do not even have to leave your home. Call the Guyana Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers.

The centre is open 24 hours so you can call at any time. It’s free to call and you can remain as anonymous as you like which means you do not have to give any personal information about yourself. The numbers are:
223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896

Please do not be afraid to seek help!
The helpline is not only there so one can speak about their problems. We do everything we can to actually come up with a solution to it.
I also urge newspapers to start posting these numbers on their front page instead of details of the last person who committed suicide.
Thank you for reading and please send in any topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com
Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!