By Dr. Neals J. Chitan
Released in 1991 by my favorite pop singer, the hit song “Heal the world” brings a sober reminder of our personal responsibility to help heal the world and make it a better place for you and for me! However, there seems to be a diabolic virus invading the psyche of our Grenadian people and leaving us afraid, anxious, depressed, homicidal and suicidal.
Despite our patriotic pride of referring to our nation as one of the safest spots on the planet, we cannot bury our heads in the sand and ignore nor doubt the numbers. For the year to date, we have recorder almost twice the number of homicides for 2022 and based on statistics given by the Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in his recent press conference, we are already at six suicides. This situation is causing thick clouds of sadness, grief and frustration through the length and breath of Grenada with no sign of abating as we hear, see and intervene in more and more cases of suicidal ideation on a daily basis.
And so, as an International Social & Behavioral Interventionist, the question is posed to me from street corners to media interviews, as to why the sudden incline in suicides and suicide attempts. I listen as colleagues try to answer the concern and attempt to bring hope while settling the psychological unrest that plague our people. The “Copycat syndrome” explanation seems to be a plausible answer used to allay the fear and quiet the soul. However, I think we need to move beyond the copycat answer.
The term “Copycat” refers to a thoughtless impulsive following of an action by someone. Surely, I have heard myths like, “it happens in threes” which some folks use to quiet the fears and hopefully rest our minds that it will soon be over. But, where two incidences have occurred, who really wants to be the third one to complete the cycle so that our mind can rest, and get back our normalcy? Not me for sure, and I really hope it’s not you either!
Individuals who are contemplating suicide are not thoughtless at all!! They are people who minds are going day and night as a grinding wheel, searching for answers and coping strategies for the pain, trauma and hurt that they’ve been enduring for possibly a long time, if not a lifetime. They reach a point of such darkness and hopelessness that they welcome any form of relief, which sometimes come as a result of someone else’s so-called “bravery” to end their own misery. With the belief that no one cares and that the pain is too unbearable, the news of suicide to a fellow suffering soul suggests an option and gives the courage and strength to a sufferer to follow and easily end it all. However, in their quest to avoid the pain, hurt and trauma they feel, they themselves become the source of acute trauma and pain for surviving children, parents, relatives, friends and community, possibly causing others to continue the cycle.
To break the cycle, it would take friends, relatives and neighbors who care and love enough to recognize pain, behavior change, withdrawal and loneliness in people and lovingly engage them at a personal level, letting them know that they really care about them, while putting an arm of support around them and referring them to trained professionals who can help them process the pain.
I have therefore stepped out of my comfort and taken the bull by the horn and began organizing community psychoeducational sessions, to teach folks about the causes of trauma and emotional pain while also exposing the red flags of metal illness so that as friends, relatives, neighbors and community we can be more enlightened so that as Michael Jackson said “together we can heal the world and make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race” God bless our nation!!
About the author: Dr Neals Chitan is an International Social Skill Consultant and Crime Reduction Specialist who holds a PhD in Social and Behavioural Sciences and currently works in Grenada. He is the President/Founder of Motiv-8 For Change International a Toronto-based Social Skill Agency and can be reached from North America at 647-692-6330 and locally 473-416-8377 or at nealschitan@motiv-8.org
