Dear Editor,
The Caribbean Voice commends the media for publishing helpline contact info at the end of articles and programmes and urging anyone who is depressed or suicidal to seek help.
However, the fact is that more often than not, anyone who is suicidal or suffering from suicide ideation will never call or reach out for help. It is loved ones – friends and family – around who have to get them help. And you do not need their permission to do if you really care but you do need to become familiar with warning signs which can be found all over the Internet. In fact, almost invariably media reports on suicide victims contain quotes from loved ones that ‘everything seemed ok’ or ‘there was no reason for the victim to choose suicide’ or something similar.
So The Caribbean Voice urges media to emphasize the need to become familiar with warning signs and to urge loved ones of suicidal victims to seek urgent help once the warning signs are identified. It is better to err on the side of safety than to dismiss the signs, even if the person has always, for example, talked about wanting to kill him/herself. The fact is that there will always be that time when the person acts on the threats.
Yours faithfully,
Annan Boodram
The Caribbean Voice
