You could manage what could lead to suicide

By Ritah Zawedde, :: 13-07-2011

Each of us is made in such a way that we treasure our lives. But when one begins to behave otherwise, showing they no longer care about life, you know that something is terribly wrong and in most cases  it is because their basic psychological needs are not being met.
And when these needs are not met, they leave a negative impact on an individual. Some turn to drugs, alcohol and sex to seek solace. And while to the common mind the reaction is utter foolishness, psychologists believe there is a reason behind it, which in most cases is emptiness as a result of emotional starvation.
The psychological needs are: Acceptance, attention, security, fun, safety, survival, touch, sexuality, unconditional love, opportunity to grieve, and celebration of accomplishment.
For example in some families, parents go out of their way to please other people non other than their immediate family members. You find a father buying a gift for the neighbour’s child yet when his own son has achieved something, he will not do the same. He might even look for something to criticize. Now this is an example of emotional starvation.
People who are suicidal usually complain of feeling worthless and unloved. Others just get depressed, which is usually a result of unvented anger kept inside for a long time. Then there are those who think if they are gone, they will hurt their loved ones left behind to punish them for not meeting their emotional needs.
The one sure approach to life is to realise that people are not perfect. They make mistakes and hurt one another like we all do. And sometimes they even do not know that they have hurt us in the process of their daily lives.
In this light, do not wait for the one who has hurt you to first repent or ask for forgiveness before you let go of the anger. You need to release them every time  for your own good. Forgiveness relieves the pain.
Deal with problems as they come. Seek counsel or somebody to talk to whenever there is something pressing you. Do not wait until the situation has gone out of hand as this is when a person may begin thinking of ending their life.
And allow yourself to cry over something that hurts. Some people think crying is a weakness but it is a way of releasing the poison inside. Crying is a way of letting out. If you feel embarrassed to cry in public, find a private place you can cry it all out, then wipe your tears and act as if you never cried at all.
It is also a good habit to practice self-awareness. Have a quiet time on a daily basis that you just ask yourself where you feel hurt.
And then ask why, and have a ready answer. By doing this, you acknowledge any feelings of pain, then move on to release it especially by sharing with somebody.
Remember one can have all kinds of worldly possessions but still suffer emotional starvation.
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