In the wake of the country’s most recent alleged suicide Wednesday night, health professionals are admonishing persons experiencing difficult times to seek professional help.
The island of New Providence was gripped by the news of a shocking apparent suicide at the Venetian West gated community, which police said, occurred around 11:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Police said they were called to Venetian after receiving reports of a woman who was found unresponsive in her home.
The victim has been identified as Kimberly Ann Wallace, 51.
“We need persons to understand that there are various avenues to seek help before deciding to commit suicide,” said Dr. Tracey King, Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) Clinical Psychologist.
“Suicide is a complex decision and there is a list of things that can lead a person to consider suicide. But, we must stress that there are many avenues to seek help before getting to this point. Talk to a friend, a family member or seek professional help.”
According to Dr. King, many persons suffer from stressors, which subsequently leave them with their backs against the wall.
“While the first response for some persons may be to talk about it, there are many others who prefer to keep their issues private. This is where family and friends are needed to help out,” she suggested.
“There are usually warning signs which suggests when something is wrong … such as a change in attitude or eating habits. But, its usually because we are not paying attention that we do not notice the signs. Sometimes we see persons acting differently and we do not connect it to a psychological issue or imbalance.”
According to Dr. King, depression is a leading global issue where, “many times you’ll find that persons suffering from depression see suicide as a way out.
“People get depressed over a number of things. Stress linked to a loss of a family member or a job, or other persons may have a feeling of hopelessness and usually they feel trapped and unable to get away from the state that they are in.”
Dr. King said the SRC’s Community Counselling Assessment Center (CACC) is one avenue of help where persons can seek assistance if suffering from stress, depression or suicidal thoughts.
While authorities have preliminarily classified the death as a suicide, police said they have not ruled out foul play.
“We are being guarded with our investigations, but we have not ruled anything out,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said.
