Let’s seek help to overcome suicidal tendencies - Psychologist

Reverend Albright Asiwome Banibensu, a licensed Psychologist, has urged citizens to seek help when they are mentally stressed up in order to overcome suicidal tendencies.

He said the citizenry should not take their mental health lightly and one’s feelings of being overwhelmed with day to day living should be discussed with trusted friends.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency on Thursday, Rev Banibensu, who is the National Vice President, Ghana Psychological Association (GPA), said above all, it was important for one to often spoke with a Professional and did a routine check with a Psychologist once every six months.

“We might be at the tipping point without knowing. Also, anytime one feels that one cannot take it any longer, one needs to know that suicide is not the answer.”

“Challenges are transient, we can always overcome if we seek help. Our outlook on life should be that, life is beautiful, no matter what we go through,” he said.

Rev Banibensu said a key factor that caused people to commit suicide was the sense of hopelessness.

He said suicidal people never wished to take their own lives, however, they “can't seem to find an immediate alternative to end whatever severe challenges they were facing in life.”

He said they found themselves in “a state of deep pain, not physically always, but psychological and emotional pain and it becomes so unbearable that they feel the only way to curtail the pain was to end their own lives.”

The Psychologist said about one out of two suicidal people had a mental health problem, mostly depressive disorders.