Could we have stopped Freddy E from committing suicide?

I am shocked.

A few days ago 22year old Youtube comedien and rapper known as Freddy E committed suicide. What made this suicide so bizarre, is that he posted his last thoughts on Twitter moments before he pulled the trigger. Freddy E. was best known for his Internet program Jerk TV, which usually featured humorous yet profane segments. On the flip side, they often came with a moral or some type of cautionary message.

Chilling posts from rapper Freddy E moments before he took his life

Social media has been a means to build brands, to educate, to market products, to entertain, to network..the list is endless. It is also used as a medium in which people may cry out for help. How many times have you read Facebook posts of friends talking about their despair or heartbreak. This is often criticized as over-personalizing social media but isn't it natural to use the means by which we communicate every day to express one's emotion?

As a medical professional, I urge you all to look out for suicidal tendencies in your friends online and act immediately if you suspect something off. Do not just tweet back or put a question mark on the post. Pick up a telephone and try and talk to the person. Let them know they are loved. Call for help. Find out the suicide hotline for your country. It could save a life.

Depression and suicide are topics I have blogged about. Looking out for the signs of a suicidal person and averting depression. Click here and here to revisit those posts.

Comments

Saving Mandy

When you have influence, it is your duty to stand up for others and help others up too We had so much in common. We were both born and grew up in the same sleepy hometown of Bulawayo, almost same neighborhood. We attended the same high school, some years apart, but both proud and loud Convent girls. At some point, we must have taken the same Parklands surburb bus from City Hall to home. Our siblings almost same age-groups; our families and friends intertwined all the way back to roots in Dombodema rural home. We both went on to study medicine, she did dentistry, I did MBChB. But eventually we both did a masters in Public Health in the same programme at the University of Zimbabwe. We both got married and set up home in Harare. Bulawayo girls stick together when they arrive in the big bad city. When I had Anashe, she had Siyabonga. We were both pregnant in 2018. Being senior medical professionals we both had access to the “best” medical care. We both had Cesarian Sections...

Do Long Distance Relationships Work?

Health is defined as a state of physical, mental and social well-being (WHO 1946). Did you notice the SOCIAL part? Many doctors overlook this integral part of their patients needs. I have decided to tackle this issue of long-distance relationships because countless friends and family in couples are separated due to job obligations, school or other circumstances. So the question is: do long distance relationships actually work? Who are you dating? Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine believes that long distance relationships require very strong trust, commitment, guidelines and communication. " Studies show that a majority of people involved in long distance relationships eventually break up. That's why you see so many "experts" proclaiming that long distance relationships are a bad idea and don't work. Yet if you learn to master communication and set the parameters of your relationship, it can work. It's an uphill battle, but it is possible ...

First 136 Hours of Love - My Week One of Motherhood

Firstly for those guys who don't have kids and are thinking 'oh no, not another baby post'...I used to be you. And yes I still think most newborn babies look exactly the same - like prunes; I don't get why we need moment by moment feeds of a baby's every move when they all generally do the same thing right, and generally bored by the milestone photo's (how are we celebrating someone using a toilet alone? they better be!) Okay I am not that disinterested. Some babies are cute like the ones on beautifulblackbabies.com. But that's another post. The thing is now that I am on the other side of things, I sorta get it. No, no I am not selling out, let me try and explain in 10 simple points stuff I have learnt about being a mum in the last 135 hours since my world was turned up-side down. 1. My baby is the best. No, seriously. This is what every parent thinks. They have the best facial expressions, the best fingers, even the best poo! And the reason parents post a...

It's SteeTime!

Search This Blog