Pierrette Mulumba
WARNING: The Following Article Contains Sensitive Material In Relation To Suicide and May Be Triggering and Harmful
In the early 2000s, a new era of music was born. Britney Spears and pop groups such as *NSYNC were dominating the charts. Their bubblegum pop perfection persona appealed to millions of people across the world. And then came Linkin Park. The world was now introduced to the voice of Chester Bennington. A voice that flowed effortlessly amongst guitar riffs. A voice that spoke of pain and sadness. A voice that cried out in anger. A voice for millions of people that couldn’t find solace in the pop genre that was taking over the airwaves. A voice for the voiceless.
Depression doesn’t discriminate.
Robin Williams hanged himself in 2014. Kurt Cobain shot himself in 1994. Alexander McQueen swallowed a cocktail of drugs and hanged himself in 2010. Although Amy Winehouse didn’t commit suicide, her songs were morbid and she led a destructive life. Through their talents, along with Chester Bennington, these celebrities helped a large number of people battle their demons and yet, they were unable to defeat their own. Although the saying money doesn’t buy happiness rings true, money also doesn’t cure your depression or curb your anxiety.
South Africa has one of the highest suicide rates in the world with more than 20 people attempting suicide a day.
Talks of suicide in African societies are often brushed away. People who attempt suicide and succeed are condemned to hell. Those who speak on it are mocked for being weak and viewed as selfish for even thinking about it. Asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness thus there is already the pressure of portraying yourself as someone who has it together. However, nobody wakes up one day and decides to take their own life. It all starts somewhere. Whether it’s a result of depression or other forms of mental illness, suicide is often than not a last resort. To view it as selfish seems incredulous as individuals genuinely believe that other people’s lives will be much better if they were gone. Furthermore calling them weak makes no sense as you cannot measure somebody’s pain. Living with mental illness is difficult.
Communication is key. There needs to be a light shined on mental illness as so many African societies refuse to talk on things until it’s too late. Sadly it takes celebrities committing suicide for people to take notice but it’s always briefly. As was the case with the #MenAreTrash trend which was a campaign aimed at highlighting gender violence. Eventually the interest fades away and yet there are millions of people out there who continue to drown in their own heads.
There is an intrinsic strength in admitting you need help.
If you, or anyone you know, is suffering from mental illness please don’t hesitate to contact SADAG on the emergency number at 0800 567 567 or the 24-hour contact number at 0800 12 13 14
