Some of those who attended the 60th St Michael Mothers’ Union anniversary seminar
Mothers’ Union Anniversary
Suicide, being one of the world’s major public health issues, is one of the reasons it takes priority in the local healthcare system, Government Medical Officer Dr Stephen Cheesoon said.
Dr Cheesoon was at the time delivering the feature address at the St Michael Mothers’ Union 60th anniversary celebrations at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice).
He pointed out that there is no age to suicide but there are signs to look for in persons who have suicidal tendencies: “The main way we can prevent suicide is by recognising the warning signs. Some of these signs are when persons talk about suicide all the time; you may want to pull that person aside and ask them how they are feeling because that is one of the first warning signs of suicide.”
He pointed out too that persons who speak a lot about death and admire persons in their dead state could have suicidal tendencies: “Those persons you need to look at and talk to; they need to know that someone cares.”
Dr Cheesoon who is attached to the Fort Wellington Hospital, also spoke of those who have a low self-esteem, hate themselves and make utterances which suggest that they do not fit into society: “And you find a lot of self-hatred in those boys and girls who have been abused sexually. They have a lot of self-hatred for themselves because they think, ‘if my parents loved me then why would they do this to me?’ and when you speak to sexually abused persons you cannot be telling everybody about this because our society is not one that caters to accept this.”
Suicidal tendencies could also be found in persons who have reckless behaviour such as reckless driving, unprotected sex and show little value for life: “Also those who have a sudden sense of calm and happiness and these are the ones we want to look at because they are normally depressed and stressed out and then all of a sudden they are in this state of happiness. Those persons are the ones that actually kill themselves. Those are the persons who make peace with themselves and say this is the only way to get out.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Commander of B Division, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts noted that the figures as they relate to suicide in Berbice are alarming. In 2013 there were 39 cases of suicide.
“In 2016 so far we have recorded nine cases of suicide, six of which occurred trough hanging, two by poisoning and a case where a 71-year-old man shot himself with his licence firearm,” Watts related.
In observance of its 60th anniversary the St Michael Mothers’ Union which also has men in its membership, chose suicide as the platform to mark the occasion.
