Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Comedian and inspirational speaker, Nigel Maritinyu popularly known as ThaSlick Pastor, has expressed worry over the spike in suicide cases in recent months.
Posting on his Facebook page, Nijo, as he is also known, said his biggest fear is that his generation may perceive suicide as something normal.
This comes after Ximex Mall dealer, Tafadzwa Murengwa (29), alias Boss Pangolin and Killer T’s Bouncer, Takudzwa Mutaguta (22), committed suicide a few days apart.
ThaSlick Pastor said people must show support to one another during dark times and walk them through the crises to help them overcome suicidal thoughts. He said:
My fear is that our generation will soon normalize suicide. That is my biggest concern.
You see, life can get hard, like really hard sometimes. And in those moments your brain will weigh the various options of response to the circumstances. These options are based on what you learnt, experienced and observed.
For instance, if you were raised by parents that everything is solved by praying and you saw them praying you are likely going to resort to prayer when trouble comes.
If they turned to alcohol you most probably will do the same. The options you think you have are based on what you have been taught and exposed to, directly or indirectly.
So there are a lot of young people now growing up and hearing stories of others taking their own lives.
While they may not consciously support the idea, the seed is being planted in their minds. It is an option being developed in their thought process.
So on that day of trouble, the brain will present ALL the available options and sadly one might resort to the most fatal one. This is a fight we need to take seriously at every level.
Spiritually, we must pray and speak the word of God over our lives and families to shield ourselves against evil.
Socially, we must create a culture of openness for both genders, all ages and kinds of people. We must make it okay to acknowledge pain, heartbreak, anxiety, depression etc.
We must show support to one another during dark times, and trust me we all go through them at one point or another.
For long, I have been saying I want to start this initiative of gathering and talking about a lot of issues affecting people today including mental health awareness and I’ve always been postponing and procrastinating but the saddening news with each passing day really gives me an urge to get this program going.
We all have a role to play.
For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe Follow Africa-Press
