SUICIDE

The thing around your neck in most part of Nigeria, as a result of tradition and religion, suicide is regarded as an abomination and the person who commits such an act is considered adnormal.
 The increasing rate of suicide in Nigeria universities at recent times, is becoming a source of worry, not only to parents but to the university authorities. What makes one think about killing himself or hersef? Where there other attempts and was anything done to prevent it? Thes are questions that comes to one's mind.
 There was a 24 year old student in Ilorin, Kwara State, Bola Adeniran by name, a student of Kwara state college of education  who committed suicide in his apartment in Opo-Malu on May 2013. Muili was a 27 year old nigerian who graduated with a National Diploma in business administration from Osun state polythecnic. His dangling body was found on a tree at Ifon village, Osun state. Also in the same may 2013, students of the university of Nigeria, Nsukka woke up one morning to find out that one of their fellow students had committed suicide. He was onyebuchi okonko. His dangling body was hanging from a rope suspended from the ceiling fan of an uncompleted building beside the hockey field in the campus. He was a 300 physics and astronomy student. He had multiple scholarships from MTN, shell and his home community, Oraukwu in Idemili local government area of Anambra state. A suicide note found on hmi read: ''the controversy has ended.''
 These sad stories have been cited to help us understand or better stil go into the minds of those people and see why committing suicide is bets for them.
 The most common reason for suicide is depression. This can be linked with the belief that the only way to escape tha is death. As a student, there are so many things to worry about.for example, the thought that one would rather die than graduate with a third class, or commit suicide when one knows she is pregnant rather than facing embarrasment and shame from the parents.
 Another reason is because they are psychotic and self-destructive. These are the people who claim they have ''voices'' in their heads urging the to do so many things like cutting their wrists, hang themselves, jump off a roof and so on. These can be tested and treated.
 Impulsiveness is also a reason and this is related to drugs and alcohol. So people become pressed to impulsive attempt to end their lives. The urge usually ends when they are sober and they become ashamed. The remorse might be genuine, and whether or not  they decide to attempt suicide again is unpredictable. But because our hormones are raging at the moment, emotions are high and people begin to feel neglected, alone or in need of attention and the only way they can think of getting the attention is to commit suicide. Of course, they don't believe that they will die, but who knows?
 The epidermic that has raided Nigerian universities has to stop. This starts by recognising the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject.but talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feeling can save a life. Since there is no suicide hotline in Nigeria to call, the best thing is to do is to call your parents, close freinds or close lecturers. Remember that help is only a phone call away and remember that committing suicide is a sin and if you kill yourself to escape, tou are only jumping from frying pan to fire as you are bound to go to hell....so therefore be watchful!!!