Suicide Prevention
The L.I.V.E. Philosophy on Suicide and Hope: A Lifeline for the Darkest Days
A Note of Urgent Care: This post discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or contemplating self-harm, please know that your life is precious and help is available right now. This is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of immense pain. Please reach out. In Nigeria, you can call:
Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI): 0809111MANI (08091116264)
The Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN): 09080217555, 09034400009, or 08111909909
Welcome, L.I.V.E. Pathfinders.
There is a darkness that can descend upon the human soul that feels total and absolute. It is the darkness of profound despair, a pain so overwhelming that it can eclipse every ray of light and make the thought of continuing to live feel impossible.
This is the pain that can lead someone to consider suicide. It is not a desire for death, but a desperate, agonizing need for the pain to end.
From the perspective of our philosophy, this despair is the ultimate manifestation of E.V.I.L., not as a moral failing, but as a catastrophic collapse of the forces that sustain a human life.
Loathing turns inward, becoming unbearable self-hatred.
Inhibition becomes total hopelessness, crushing the will to live.
Vilification becomes the voice of an inner critic that screams you are worthless and a burden.
Exploitation is the mind being hijacked by a pain so great that it sees only one escape.
The L.I.V.E. Philosophy, therefore, is not a simple cure. It is a lifeline. It is a framework for both the person in the darkness and the community that must hold the light for them. It is a blueprint for choosing to hold on, one moment at a time.
Pillar 1: LOVE (The Antidote to an Isolating Self-Loathing)
The Shadow of Despair: The mind in a suicidal state is often saturated with Loathing. It tells you that you are a burden, that you are unlovable, and that the world would be better off without you. This creates a profound and painful isolation.
The L.I.V.E. Blueprint for Holding On:
For the Person in the Darkness: Please, I ask you to try this one small, courageous act: Allow one person in. You do not need to explain everything. Just send a text. Make a call. Say, “I am not okay.” Let one person’s love breach the wall of your isolation. Your mind is lying to you when it says you are a burden. The truth is, your absence would leave a wound that can never be healed.
For the Community Holding the Light: Your role is to offer unconditional, non-judgmental LOVE. Do not try to “fix” them. Do not say “cheer up.” Sit with them. Listen to them. Say, “I am here with you,” “I love you,” and “Your life matters to me.” Your consistent, loving presence is a powerful counter-narrative to the lies of self-loathing.
Pillar 2: INSPIRE (The Antidote to Total Hopelessness)
The Shadow of Despair: Suicidal despair is the ultimate Inhibition. It is the absolute belief that things will never, ever get better. The future is not just dim; it feels completely non-existent.
The L.I.V.E. Blueprint for Holding On:
For the Person in the Darkness: Do not try to imagine a happy future. That is too much to ask right now. Just try to hold on for the next five minutes. Find one tiny spark of connection to the world. The feeling of a blanket. The sound of a bird outside. The taste of water. Your only job is to get through this single moment. Let the future take care of itself.
For the Community Holding the Light: Your task is to hold the hope for them. You must be the repository of their future until they can see it for themselves. Gently remind them of their strengths, of past times they overcame challenges. Talk about a small, gentle plan for tomorrow—not a grand future, just “tomorrow we can watch a movie.” You are the living proof that a future, however small, still exists.
Pillar 3: VALUE (The Antidote to a Crushing Sense of Worthlessness)
The Shadow of Despair: The inner critic in a state of despair is a relentless tyrant. It engages in profound Vilification, telling you that you are a failure, that you are broken, and that you have no worth.
The L.I.V.E. Blueprint for Holding On:
For the Person in the Darkness: Your mind is an unreliable narrator right now. It is sick with pain. Please try to borrow our belief in your value. We, the people who know you, who are part of your community, see your inherent, unchangeable worth. You do not have to feel it right now. Just let us hold that truth for you.
For the Community Holding the Light: Value their pain. Do not dismiss their feelings or tell them they are overreacting. Their pain is real. Say, “It sounds like you are in an unimaginable amount of pain. I am so sorry you are going through this.” By valuing their emotional reality, you affirm their worth as a human being.
Pillar 4: EDUCATE (The Antidote to the Ignorance that Fuels Despair)
The Shadow of Despair: Despair thrives in the darkness of ignorance. This includes our societal ignorance and stigma around mental health, which keeps people from seeking help, and the internal ignorance of not understanding that this painful state is a treatable condition, not a permanent reality.
The L.I.V.E. Blueprint for Holding On:
For the Person in the Darkness: Educate yourself with one truth: This feeling is not forever. Suicidal crises are almost always temporary, even when they feel eternal. They are a symptom of a condition, like a fever is a symptom of an illness. There is help, there is treatment, and there is a path through this.
For the Community Holding the Light: Educate yourself. Learn the warning signs of suicide. Learn to ask the direct question: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” It does not plant the idea; it opens a door for release. Learn about the resources available in your community so you can help connect your loved one with professional help.
A Collective Commitment to Life
To the person struggling: Your life has immeasurable value. Your pain is real, but it is not the final word. Please hold on. The world needs you, even if you can’t feel it right now.
To all of us: We are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers. It is our collective responsibility to build a world where the L.I.V.E. principles are so strong that they leave no room for the shadows of despair to fester in isolation.
Let us commit to this work together. Let us choose to L.I.V.E.
If you are struggling, please reach out. Help is a phone call away.
MANI: 08091116244
SURPIN: 09080217555, 09034400009, or 08111909909
#SuicidePrevention #MentalHealthAwareness #ItsOkayToNotBeOkay #YouAreNotAlone #LIVEPhilosophy #OlaAkinwe #LIVEPathfinders #MentalHealthMatters
