Opinion 5: Suicide; the way out.
Human beings are wired to have a desperate need for peace of mind (apart from those people who believe that “peace was never an option”). We all wish for that good life- sipping coconut juice in the Bahamas, with the world in your pocket and a perfect babe by your side. We all want to live life without worries or having to experience challenges but life isn’t just that way.
Life is full of ups and downs for everybody including little children. A child can have a bad day when is going through the “teething” process or if he injures himself while playing. Mr ToughTimes is no respecter of any man.
Coming down to university life (or tertiary education in general), which is one of the highlights of an individual’s life, it is not entirely a bed of roses. Truly, as students, it is the time where most people choose their lifelong friends and some, life-long partners. It is also a time of phenomenal and life-changing events.
There are a lot of good times as well as bad times. Students undergo a lot of stress in the academic environment and even from home. Some students have financial issues too.
Then, the load becomes very heavy, sometime around the middle of the semester and everyone feels like returning the academic burden back to its owner i.e the tertiary institution. Like the Yorubas would say: kí ẹlẹ́rù gb’ẹ́rù rẹ̀. It is this time you’ll post on your WhatsApp status one meme-worthy picture with the caption: “E be like say I go leave this book thing for una”. You know you’re stressed beyond words but what is the way out of this educational dilemma?
Some of us are strong-willed while some of us are not so tough. Even the toughest of us may not be tough at all because there’s surely a soft side in each and every one of us. So, amidst this stress, some people see a way out. These people have most likely been pushed to the edge. There’s a lot of pressure on them and they feel the only way out of the chaos is suicide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 800, 000 persons approximately die from suicide globally each year (one death every forty seconds).
Unfortunately, suicide is not the way out. In each human being lies great power and potential to change the world and blow the minds of people away with breathtaking innovations. So, cutting your life short is really not the best thing you can do for yourself and those around you.
Remember, a baby teething will definitely come out of it with fine, white, sparkling teeth. Although, he’s not going through this pain alone. He has his mother to guide and nurture him. So, when it seems like you are about to go crazy, talk to someone. You’ve got to let it out. It’s ok to cry and be honest about your feelings. Seek help if you are feeling overwhelmed.
I can assure you that pain is temporary. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Focus on that light and don’t let the pain make you drown. We need you. You are important. You could be the next Steve Jobs or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. You could be the next Simone Biles or Apostle Joshua Selman.
To all folks out there thinking that there’s no better option than suicide, there certainly is. It is to keep on pushing and pressing on, speaking out and believing that you are loved.
ADEDEJI EBUNOREOFE
