Immediate Help Should Be….Immediate
By: Enjy Akram (Editor-in-Chief)
enjyakram77@aucegypt.edu
TW: Suicide and Self-harm.
I’m scared. I’ve been scared for a while now … months now. I’ve been scared ever since my colleagues attempted to harm themselves a semester ago. I felt helpless then. I wasn’t able to help and I fear now that I continue to fail to do so.
Since last semester, I’ve been feeling responsible … I should be doing something more for those around me. As Editor-in-Chief of The Caravan, I am responsible for a team but I also find that I question my every move. I always say that I’m tough, firm and can’t deal with slackers. I tend to try and push everyone to deliver. Yet, I find myself also scared to be too forceful, fearing that I could unintentionally push someone over the edge.
I found myself constantly asking everyone if they feel overwhelmed. I grew fearful that I would one day walk into The Caravan newsroom and discover that someone I work with had gotten so overwhelmed that they felt that the only resort was “out”. This semester, I decided to hire 20+ more people only to ensure that no single person is forced into a position of having to do multiple jobs. But I’m still scared. You’d think things would get better this semester with the changes implemented by both our team and the university’s mental health initiatives.
Walking around campus, I could already feel that everyone was stressed. I’m being told by my close circle that this semester is off to a rough start. Once again, a new semester unfolds to find nothing has changed; the students are emotionally exhausted. We’re barely one month into the semester, and we’re already drained, wiped out. I find myself wondering if someone will resort to harming themselves. God forbid and keep everyone safe. The statistics are scary, however. Suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death in the age group of 10-24-years old, according to the World Health Organisation.
The suicide rate for higher education students in 2020 in England and Wales was 64; meaning three deaths per 100,000 students in the United Kingdom according to the UK’s Office for Students. In the United States, the suicide rate among college and university students in 2015 was seven in 100,000 and was caused by an increase in overall student emotional distress according to the National Network of Depression Centers. So, yeah, I’m even more scared now. My fear reached an apex last week when a colleague needed immediate physical medical attention late in the day. When I phoned the clinic’s hotline I got forwarded. I couldn’t help but think, “What if someone gets thrown over the edge at this time of day? Would they not get medical attention fast enough?” How do we expect to tell someone they’re “not alone” when they don’t have access to round-the-clock mental and physical support? How do we go around screaming “get immediate help” when even that isn’t tangible?
Since launching in 2005, the US’ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) call volume has increased by approximately 14% annually. In 2005, the first year of the Lifeline, it catered to over 46,000 calls. In 2020, the life line received nearly 2.4 million calls. A Suicide Prevention hotline should be the next step for AUC. With President Dallal’s mental health task force in action, this is the most important step they should take. AUC needs a free, confidential hotline that provides round-the-clock support. Over 90% of people who attempt suicide go on to live out their lives according to (NSPL), and we are all responsible for the other 10%. I can’t live with that burden and no one should. Immediate help has to be immediate.
