HELP, I’M DROWNING!
EVERY year, on the 10th September, the world comes together to create awareness about suicide and how it can be prevented through community integration. As BOSANET, we do our part in preventing suicide and helping end the stigma attached to suicide.
Many of us grew up where substances were consumed or knowing someone who takes a substance. For legal substances like alcohol, we tend to get accustomed to them as harmless social substances that are taken during celebrations or special occasions, while we view hard substances such as crack or heroin as those that destroy and devastate families. However, any substance, legal or illegal, affects a person’s mental health one way or the other. The definition of a substance is something that you put into your body that has a physiological effect and can affect your mood and/or behaviour. This shows us that the intoxicated feeling induced by a substance alters or compromises our mental health.
Substances such as alcohol are classified as depressants, meaning they suppress or depress the central nervous system which includes our brain. This not only suppresses our motor function or behaviour but affects the hormones in the brain that stabilise our emotions. Continuous use of a depressant has a high chance of causing depression which is one of the leading risk factors for suicide. Substances such as crack and cat which are considered stimulants, increase the activity of the brain resulting in abnormal levels of hormones such as dopamine. Persistent use will most likely cause mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and bipolar mood disorder which are strongly linked to suicidal ideation and attempt. When an individual has substance induced depression, it can be difficult to make the link between their substance use and depression which would result in them using more of the substance in an attempt to suppress the depression. Prolonged substance use can lead to lowered pain threshold, inhibitions and/or judgement which can result in a more lethal suicide attempt.
Substances can also induce psychosis, which is when a person loses touch with reality. Any substance, regardless of the amount of use or overall time using it, can induce psychosis which is characterised by having hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. For some people, auditory hallucinations can be voices saying “kill yourself”, “you are worthless”, “no one loves you...do IT”! These voices, for many, are very real, overpowering and can linger for a certain period of time which then bring in the suicidal ideation which leads to an attempt or life lost by suicide.
At times, an individual might not have the mood disorders mentioned above but might have lost their relationships, be in financial ruin, having lost their dignity or have guilt of hitting rock bottom due to substance use.
The vast majority of people with suicidal thoughts keep their battles to themselves because they are ashamed and feel no one will help or understand. This place is often isolating, and brings feelings of helplessness and hopelessness which can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts.
However, a small caring action by one individual has the potential to save a life if not lives of those in their darkest moments. Some of these acts may include:
• Listening to someone’s troubles • Checking in with people and keeping
in touch,
• Giving someone a shoulder to cry on
and
• Offering support to those taking action to get professional help.
This can be a way of doing your part as a loved one of those struggling with suicidal thoughts. One thing we can do as a community is to reduce stigma on mental health and the issues surrounding it. Together we can make the world friendlier and take action to help every individual having any form of mental illness.
BOSASNET offers counselling services to people experiencing problems with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, anger management and adjustment issues. If you think that you might have a problem mentioned above, or if you have a friend or family member who does, we encourage you to seek help. For some, it can mean the difference between life and death. You can find BOSASNet on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok or call us on 3959119 or 72659891 for more information.