Silent suicides: Young people suffering depression, mental illnesses silently

About one month ago, my friend committed suicide. It was a shock to his parents and to me. We, the boys in the hood, were taken by surprise for he did not show any distress in our interaction with him. A week before he did it, I met him in our local and we had a deep conversation about life and future prospects. We shared about the challenges facing us, young people trying to find our bearing.

My friend had big plans for the future, which he shared. We even shared how we can synergise and do something together. With all these fresh in my mind, I could not really understand why he suddenly committed suicide. My mind was thrown in a spin. I could not pick any hint in our conversation that he was planning something puerile, though like most of us, he wore a consistent pensive look.