Judgment Free Online Platform Key to Helping Suicidal People, Says Survivor

A suicide survivor shares her story of how an online community helped her overcome anxiety and depression. Credit: Unsplash / Dan M By Fairuz AhmedNEW YORK, Sep 28 2020 (IPS) Romana Hoque had it all, a comfortable life, a happy family. Despite this, the 43-year-old second-generation immigrant from Indonesia living in the United States was depressed enough to contemplate suicide. Hoque, in an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service (IPS), said despite her comfortable life, not being able to conceive resulted in her feeling so depressed that she tried to take her own life. She shared her story during September – set aside as a month for creating awareness of suicide prevention. “For me, it was a blur. I studied at a top university in Singapore and had a beautiful life. But job stress and not being able to conceive a child used to burden me,” Hoque says. “One attempt after another, and the hormone therapy led me to try to end my life. The cycle was brutal and vicious.” She said she tried reaching out to family and friends, but many dismissed her concerns saying she would be alright. “I had to put up a face that everything is going alright and act accordingly. I had no way of expressing myself. One night the pain was unbearable, and I decided to give up.” Depression and mental health issues are linked to suicide. Globally, 79 percent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries; however, high-income countries have the highest rates of suicide. It prov...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Featured Gender Global Headlines Health TerraViva United Nations Fuzia 2020 Source Type: news