Nature can conquer suicide

May was the World Mental Health Awareness Month.

Recent statistics show that 200 suicide cases occurred in Malawi from January to April 2023 and 97 percent involved men.

Let me declare my vested interest in mental health issues. My wife Della and I founded Nditha Rehabilitation and Assessment Therapy Centre in Blantyre, which deals with mental health, early childhood development, substance abuse and general well-being issues.

Generally, men grow up believing they are dominant beings and that sharing personal hardships is a weakness.

Instead, they want to show that they are strong and indestructible by emotional situations.

The majority of men humbly accepted this expected role that, however, comes with consequences.

This partly pushes men in Malawi to take suicidal decisions.

As humans, our general livelihood hinges on nature around us, including land, trees, mountains, water sources and other living things around us.

As human beings, we are the general custodians of the natural resources as we are rational and supposedly superior to other species.

But what are we doing with our rationality?

We are a suicidal lot sleepwalking into a worse disaster as we recklessly destroy natural resources.

We are busy defecating where we are supposed to draw water or lay our heads in comfort.

The very natural resources we need to thrive on our increasingly warmer and more populated planet are being wantonly ransacked.

Stop this suicide.

As we lay the cleanest linen on our beds, we must cover our habitat with the finest vegetation, ground cover and waterways.

The suicide figures, mostly among men, keep rising at an alarming rate.

The well-known main reasons for the surging mental health burden resulting in suicide are mostly economic, relationship breakdowns, alcohol and substance abuse as well as emotional issues.

Whatever the setup, urban or rural, male or female, the snapping connection with nature always puts the mind somehow at ease.

But environmental degradation is to blame.

We need to conserve nature and keep our environment healthy to create safe spaces for personal meditation and escapes from daily burdens.

This is the story of the sensual aroma of natural flowers sipping into a traveller’s noses, sights of unperturbed flow of hissing water from a creek or river relentlessly cascading over smooth rocks, the rustling of leaves and intricate branches under a hiker’s feet, the roots deeply imbibing unsoiled water from the ground.

While we trip on the roots above ground while hiking tricky mountains, penetrating the secret interiors of undefiled natural places gives us peace of mind.

The everyday worries wane as birds sing in unison. The excitement could only be likened to that of a child hunting grasshoppers under the watchful eyes of an eagle gliding majestically in the air.

At times, all we need is a break from the monotony of daily routines and heartbreaks.

Taking a time out helps us reconfigure our thoughts as we take stock of our lives to rediscover the balance.

This is the beauty of natural resources.

But they are like us: they need free time to recover from persistent stress.

 Day-long destruction will take years to mend. A bad decision made in a day will wreck one’s mental health for a long time, sometimes leading to a tragic end. 

Everyone needs support systems.

The support systems, not necessarily have to be relatives or family member.

Sometimes, it takes a total stranger to offer you mental health first aid or a lifesaver. 

It may as well be a friend or an acquaintance who lends you a listening ear in your time of need.

Do not imprison yourself in your thoughts alone, talk to someone, anyone.

Also dare to take a walk into the natural settings for a breakaway.

Together, we can conserve the healing environment.