Main image via New Straits Times
No one’s a stranger to loneliness. We’ve all felt it at least once in our lives, but the pandemic has made many out there a constant friend of loneliness.
According to sources, the number of suicide cases went up during the pandemic and we’ve been seeing many mental health portals and officials offering advice on how to cope with the seemingly overwhelming challenges in life.
As a measure to prevent more similar cases, Japan has acknowledged pandemic suicide as a serious problem and has launched a cabinet post to handle the damage caused by social isolation.
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Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga appointed minister Tetsushi Sakamoto to head a government programme, which is aimed at helping people who are dealing with severe episodes of depression and loneliness.
Pandemic-linked isolation has caused the first rise of Japanese suicides in 11 years. The country noted 2,153 deaths from suicide in October 2020. Yoshihide said that women are more vulnerable to this situation.
The cabinet is currently working out a strategy to help people feel less lonely. Tetsushi is likely to coordinate with the health ministry on suicide prevention as well as the agricultural ministry on food banks.
To look on the bright side, the pandemic has taught us to appreciate the value of moments along with a lot more things.
But no matter how much we try to stay positive and look forward to brighter days, we cannot escape from one of those… bad days and that’s okay. We are human.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. Here's a list of helplines you can contact.
By: Piravina Ragunathan
Info via Mashable
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