*T/W: This article discusses suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
Suicide has been an alarming issue in Malaysia, especially with the pandemic and the Movement Control Order being set. According to the New Straits Times, The Ministry of Health record 465 attempted suicide cases between January and June last year. More recently, the news of a man, who was seen jumping off the fourth floor of a popular shopping centre in KL, went viral on social media. This brought up conversations around mental health, as netizens empathized with the person and his family.
Twitter user @nurrseraaa expressed her concern in a tweet that had many netizens retweeting in agreement.
“When someone dies from suicide, everyone feels bad, wishes they saw the signs & wishes they hadn’t done it. But when someone is suffering with their mental health, no one listens, no one believes them, & they get accused of attention seeking.” – yea
— sera (@nurrseraaa) April 21, 2021
Her main point was that people are only seen caring about others and their mental health problems too little too late, usually when they are no longer with us. People who are going through bouts of anxiety, depression and are often expressing severe remorse and self-criticism, are often ignored. This is the kind of mentality that stunts our fight against the stigma surrounding mental health.
This user confessed her hospital experience: “I cannot forget the day when I got a panic attack, the nurse at the hospital said I did it for the attention”
I cannot forget the day when i got a panic attack nurse kat hospital kata aku saja nak perhatian
— Snhlz (@SitiMohdHarris) April 22, 2021
This user brought to light another harsh truth, one that often stops people from talking about their problems and seeking help.
When they start hearing, then they’ll start judging.
— Cactus (@bibiwadaaa_) April 21, 2021
If you or someone you know are struggling – talk to someone you trust. If that person is dismissive, don’t take it personally and speak to someone else who does care – trust that there are people who care for and, about you. The BeFrienders, a not-for-profit organisation, provides support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact them at +603-76272929 if you are lonely, in distress, in despair, and having suicidal thoughts. There is no charge and whatever you share will be strictly confidential. All our volunteers are trained and 0nce your call is answered, a caring and trained person will listen to you, ask questions to generally understand how you feel, give you the time to share your dilemma and support you if you feel lost about how to cope. There may be people who do not understand, but that doesn’t mean that what or how you feel is invalid in any way. You matter and nothing anyone says will change that fact.
*Cover image credit: Photo by Omar Elsharawy on Unsplash Photo by Dustin Belt on Unsplash
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