The suicide of these young men is not the first of its kind. They were preceded, due to the poor living situation, by George Zreik, who set himself on fire in 2019 in the Koura region, because he was unable to pay his daughter’s school fees.
Ali Al-Haq, who wrote “I am not an infidel.. but hunger is an infidel” before shooting himself in 2020.
And Samer Habli, who was found hanged with a piece of cloth in his home in Wadi Al-Zeina in 2020, due to living pressures.
And many of the stories that remained hidden within the walls of homes and the burning of hearts, about people whose burden of life became heavy on them.
According to Information International, suicides in 2022 amounted to 139 cases, while 172 cases were recorded in 2019. According to the “Empress” mental health organization, the number of suicides among men is 3 times higher than the number of women.
There are many reasons that lead a person to commit suicide. A society that is good at “grinding” its women and men and profiling their image constitutes a great weight that contributes to increasing psychological pressure, in addition to disorders that can accompany a person at different stages of his life, and are not addressed for reasons that vary between knowledge, self-perception and a deep understanding of the importance of mental health.
The man does not cry!
In our Arab societies, men grow up with stereotypical phrases that force them not to express themselves, such as “a man does not cry,” “a man is always strong,” “a man is not afraid,” “a man does not ask for help.” Not to mention the pressures and material responsibilities that force him to bear a lot of burdens because of the ideas implanted from ancient times about the role of men in the patriarchal system.
Societal pressures on men in general make them feel anxious and depressed, and negatively affect their mental health. For example, men who face financial difficulties may feel helpless and weak because society imposes certain standards on them in order to be worthy of the title of “man”.
Your mental health is the foundation
All people are exposed to psychological disorders that are exacerbated by some crises, such as material difficulties, failure in an emotional relationship, a difficult childhood, not finding a job, family problems… So how about adding to all of them the Lebanese reality that seems without a horizon? These disorders can be treated, before they lead to disaster if they are noticed, and the person concerned is encouraged to turn to the various psychological therapies available.
Psychiatrist Warda Bou Daher says, “Breaking down misconceptions and existing images of psychological treatments and psychiatry is essential. Stigma and intimidation must be removed from medication and treatment, or crying and expressions of feelings and sadness portrayed as weakness, so that a person can go to treatment and receive help.”
According to Bou Daher, “the patriarchal society puts a lot of pressure on the man, through the image it imposes on him, and its continuous attempts to suppress the freedom to express his concerns. The man reaches a stage where he does not know how to deal with his feelings. He cannot ask for help, and he does not know what he feels, so he does not come back.” If he is able to bear it, he either finds a small outlet to save himself, or he has more psychological problems and disorders that could lead to suicidal thoughts.”
Bou Daher confirms that “there are signs that people around a stressed person can notice to discover their suffering, such as loss of passion in life, excessive thinking, rapid anger, violence, mood swings, lack of sleep and eating, and resorting to drugs. “It is possible to prevent the loss of a person as a result of stress. Psychological, when we notice these signs and we do not have the ability to intervene, we must resort to a specialist to know how to act in this situation.
Embrace Move in support of the man
The “Empress” association, which deals with mental health, has launched an awareness campaign highlighting the importance of mental health care for men, who make up 38% of the beneficiaries of its services.
The campaign uses all means available to reach people, men in particular. In an interview with the association’s president, Mia Atwi, she told Al-Modon that “men in Lebanon have experienced major traumas in the past years, such as the loss of their money, the escalating crises, and the search for professional and financial stability at home and abroad. Studies indicate that these traumas affect men’s mental health more than men. Women, and it puts a lot of pressure on them, and men used to not express what bothers them, but rather evaded and resorted to unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol and drugs.”
She adds, “All these indicators motivated us to pay attention to the man’s mental health, and encourage him to seek psychological help and support, not only professionally, from specialists and from the people around him as well.”
Atwi explains, “We cooperated with the Lebanese basketball team in our campaign to reach the widest segment of the Lebanese, as athletes are role models for many, especially young people. Our studies indicate that those who attend our clinic in the main center, or call the hotline dedicated to psychological support and suicide prevention, Their ages range between 18 and 35. The figures indicate that the largest segment of those currently living in Lebanon is experiencing psychological suffering, and a small percentage of them seek treatment. Therefore, we tried to urge them in our campaign to seek help, and not to be ashamed of any problem or psychological disorder.” .
Atwi concluded by stressing the importance of people talking about mental health with their close family members. Family ties are important, and she should encourage and help her children to seek specialized help whenever they need it.”
