With four suicides occurring over the weekend, chairman of Lifeline Lucy Gabriel has appealed to families to be on the constant lookout for suicide signs and to reach out for help.
Her comments came following the deaths of Steve Jugmohan, 40 and his common-law wife Sharlene Ramkissoon, 38, who made a suicide pact before they hanged themselves at their Princes Town home over the weekend. Before ending their lives, the couple made a video in front of their eight-year-old daughter, asking the grandparents to care for her and her five-year-old brother, who was born with a hole in his heart.
In an exclusive interview with Guardian Media, Gabriel said Lifeline was willing to help the children and other relatives of suicide victims. Gabriel urged these families to refrain from blaming and casting judgment.
“They are all in pain and the first thing will be to fight as they are in pain and they will lash out. They may not be good counsellors for each other. They must individually reach out to people they feel they can trust and sit down and talk,” Gabriel said.
She noted that depression and anxiety have increased during the pandemic, adding people should stay in closer touch with their loved ones and look for tell-tale signs of suicide.
“Family should not ignore signs, if the person doesn’t go for help, you can go for help on their behalf. Don’t turn away if you notice someone in deep depression. You may hear them saying nobody cares about them, they don’t want to be here anymore, they cannot deal with the stress. These are early signs,” she said.
However, it’s only when a depressed family member stops talking and start selling out or giving away their possessions, making provisions for others to care for their children or becoming isolated that suicide becomes a reality.
Gabriel noted that psychological help is available throughout the country for people experiencing suicidal tendencies.
“If you need 24 hours support call us. When it comes to counselling, you should get help and this will bring the family together,” she said. –Radhica De Silva
Call Lifeline
To reach Lifeline call 800 5588 (bmobile), 866 5433 (Digicel) and 220 3636 (Flow to Flow) is free. Lifeline’s virtual PBX is 220 3636.
To make donations please visit https://www.lifelinett.com/donate.
