When Suicide is an Option: Seun's Story.

Truth Serum

In recent years we have had an increase in depression and suicide in Nigeria. The World Health Organisation (WHO) tells us that depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression. With COVID 19, that figure is likely to increase.

According to the WHO, depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease..

Depression can lead to suicide. And we know of families in Nigeria who have lost children to depression and suicide. This will continue to happen if as a nation, we do not make a conscious effort to stem the ugly tide.

Yet, there are effective psychological and pharmacological treatments for moderate and severe depression; in other words it can be cured or managed so that people can go on to live a full life and be productive. When does it become okay to take one's life? How do people get to the point where they can take the decision to kill themselves.? In this episode, we listen to Seun’s inspiring story.

Oluwaseun Akisanmi is in his forties and now runs the ELO Photos Studios (www.elophotos.com) which he founded. He is a photography facilitator in the Daystar Skill Acquisition Project {Dsap}, Seun has a Bsc in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois, U.S.A.

Seun’s book: How Not to Leave is a journey into the world of a young man who battled with depression and suicidal thoughts for years. Seun Akisanmi documents vividly how he was on the brink of suicide in 3 different seasons in his life. The climax of the journey isn't just about his experience in the valley, but also about the steps he took to ensure that the second chance he got at life would be maximized to the fullest. In his book He outlines 5 of the different healing steps he took that got him onto the pathway of recovery. Seun says he believes that implementing one or more of the steps will result in a turnaround in a person’s life that will enable them see the beauty in second chances. It's been 19 years since his last attempt at suicide and he says he has been living life to the fullest even amidst the many trials that still come his ways. How Not to Leave is a recommended recipe of inspiration and encouragement to anyone who is down, depressed and suicidal. In the next episode we will conclude this topic by taking a deeper look at some of the points and issues raised by Suen. This is a timely discussion because the season is likely to overwhelm people's ability to cope and suicide and depression may become an epidemic. Our thinking errors can make us more prone to depression. In addition, these thinking errors can make it very difficult to get out of depression and more willing to consider suicide. Everybody is encouraged to choose to become more aware of errors in thinking so that they can change their perspectives and be in a better position to avoid or recover from depression.