Increased In Suicide Cases: A Call For Effective Counselling In Ghanaian Schools

It is heartbreaking as a nation and at 60 years at that to have recorded more than 5 suicide cases within a month. What is happening to Ghanaian youth? It is a well known concept that a country`s human resource is its youth, yet ours are busy thinking of ways to end their lives. Where are we heading towards as a country? Where have we gone wrong? For suicide cases were heard in the western world where people are very individualistic than communal. Africans and especially Ghanaians are communal, very concern about each others problems and are there for each other in terms of need.

However, it seems like the level of communism and the confidence we have in each other as a nation is deteriorating that the youth no more feel comfortable in discussing their problems with their parents, teachers, friends and religious leaders. They prefer to keep their problems to themselves to the point of contemplating suicide and actually committing it. Suicide as an act has a lot of effects but the major ones include lost of active citizens, sons and daughters, human resource and increase in crime. It is against the law to end your own life. Other than suicide being a big crime against the state on its own, I am afraid to say that murderers can also use suicide cases as an opportunity to kill people and frame it as suicide. This is not a small issue that we have to brush off as a country and everyone is responsible for solving the situation including the government, parents, schools, teachers, religious leaders, friends and suicide contemplates.

Government: the government of Ghana should take counselling seriously by ensuring that every school from the basic level to the tertiary has professional counsellors. If there are not enough professional counsellors in the country than it is now a necessity for the government to devote resources to train counsellors by sponsoring their education or subsidizing it for them to study in the country or abroad. Whatever the government decides, one thing for sure is that counselling is now a necessity and must be taken seriously like medicine/training of doctors for it is also to save lives.

Parents: As parents giving your kids all their financial needs is no more enough. They need emotional support, which means you have to spend more time with your children, build a trusting and open relationship with them so that they feel comfortable to discuss anything with you. Do not be an unapproachable parent. Try to build a home with your family and not a house. One thing that parents has to take into consideration is that not all your kids will be excellent, avoid comparing them, it makes them feel bad and respect and recognize each child`s talent. In terms of troubles, let`s find solutions as a family rather than apportioning blame, things happen to teach or warn us so dwell more in the present and take the lessons from the past to guide your future. Simply love them for who they are. I know it hurt a lot to have your child deviating from the norms but be patient, discipline and pray to God to change them positively.

Schools and teachers: Other than the basic schools which do not have counselling offices and counsellors, almost all the Senior High Schools (SHS) and tertiary institutions has counselling offices and counsellors. But as to whether they are professional counsellors or not are yet to be determine. Not anyone can be a counsellor, only people who are passionate in helping others and are trained as counsellors can do their work well. I also know others are very talented and can counsel well without being trained professionally but they are very few in the system. Most students complete school especially at the SHS level without knowing where the counselling office is or the teacher. Schools should have a time table for students counselling sessions and ensure every student feel comfortable to go to the counsellors (not less than two in a school) for counselling services. Counsellors should be ready and available for students at all times. Subject/course teachers should try to be understanding with students and recognize the fact that all students are not the same just like the fingers but they all have their purposes in life.

Religious leaders: being a religious leader means that you have a lot of responsibilities to shoulder. You have to serve as a parent, teacher, counsellor, friend, confidant and a leader too. People respect religious leaders and take them seriously. So you have to stop frightening your members by telling them things that are not true just to keep them with your faith, be trustworthy and honest and stop acting God. Do your part and let God be the judge. Your members look up to you so do not let them down, be there for them always and never take advantage of them. Act like the religious leader that you are supposed to be as written in the Quran, Bible and the traditional laws. Ghanaians depend on you to help the youth to be responsible citizens and not suicide contemplates. Let them know it is a crime against God to end your own life.

Friends: whether you are a normal friend or a boyfriend/girlfriend, always make sure you have a defined and clear relationship with people. Be honest as much as possible and do not give people false hope and expectations. When expectations are not met, there are disappointment and hurts. When people are hurting they become very impulsive and can contemplate committing suicide to end the disappointment and shame. Do not deceive others. In short, treat your friends as you wish them to treat you. Before you do anything, think for a moment how it will feel if you were the recipient. Advise your friends with good intentions and for their wellbeing and not to destroy them.

A friend is supposed to help and not to destroy. Stop being jealous and realize that everyone on earth was created for a purpose with defined fortunes and misfortunes, and whatever that belongs to you will never go to someone else. You may think your friend has everything but it depends on your definition of everything. Is it money, family, friends, good grades, beauty, peace of mind, happiness, faith, etc. Remember everyone has something no one else has but wish for. Appreciate who you are and what you have and concentrate more on your strength rather than your weakness. Be a friend in every sense of it or stay away completely.

Suicide contemplates: In truth, everyone on earth has problems. However, the only different among the problems are the magnitude and approach adopted by the individuals in solving them. My sister and brother the whole world problems are not on your shoulders only and no condition is permanent. Problems come and go. Ending your life is never a solution to any problem but rather a big problem created from a smaller one. Upon all the talk of heaven and hell and suicide as a crime how can you blindly take your own life.

Do you think ending your life is the end of it? No it is just the beginning of your other life where you will still encounter problems if you believe in life after death. So where lies the solution in dying? The realities of life is that people would always lie to you, hurt and disappoint you, reject and belittle you and make you feel like garbage. Also you may fail in exams or business or relationship or anything. These things are inevitable and are part of the term living your life to its fullest. At one point or another you may have to experience one or more of these things. When such times come remember they are just trying times and will go with time for no condition is permanent.

Talk to someone you can confide in whether a parent, teacher, religious leader or a friend about it and discuss the solution together. Never keep it to yourself for the voice in you is not right all the time, you need a second opinion. Be prepared for disappointments and heartbreaks for they are part of love and relationships, never say never. Remember that somethings happen in life to protect us and to open our doors for better opportunities.

God always wishes the best for us as His children and would remove people from your life if He thinks you deserve better. You are denied certain things not because you do not merit them but because you deserve better. You may fail your exams because in the walk of life the best opportunity for you may require that failure to pull you through. What I am trying to say is that every happening in our lives has a reason, we may not know this but it is true.

For there is always light at the end of every darkness, that is why we have day and night. When you have a problem, take it as the night, and hope for daybreak which always comes sooner then expected. SUICIDE IS NEVER A SOLUTION IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR SITUATION, SEEK FOR HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR OR A CONFIDANT FOR THERE IS A SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM ON EARTH.

Huzeima Mahamadu
[email protected]
+233-0240454942