Crisis in the state, crisis in the life of every resident of Abkhazia. The collapse of all hopes and an emptiness in the soul. This, in brief, is how one can describe what is happening in a republic that, not so long ago, was making plans for a bright future, for a good and flourishing life.

A terrible epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 100 people; the number of crimes against the rights and freedoms of citizens is growing; unemployment, the absence of wages and pensions, rising prices. And to all these troubles, yet another grave threat has been added — one that, alongside all the other issues, is becoming a problem of global dimensions for the Abkhazian state.

In the past week alone, five young people barely reaching the age of 26 took their own lives in Abkhazia. Reports of the untimely deaths of young people are gathering thousands of comments on social media — yet the main question about the causes of these suicides remains unanswered.

Law enforcement agencies are certainly keeping statistics on such incidents — but they are nowhere to be found in the public domain. Without them, one can only assume that the number of people who have taken their own lives has been rising in recent years — and among them, an increasing number of young people whose lives have been cut short in the most tragic manner.

"Terrible things are happening in our country. Young people are dying from drugs, in road accidents, or by their own hand. All of these facts are recorded — yet no one wants to dig into the true causes of what is happening. And that is very worrying. The troubles in people's souls will drive our society to self-destruction," says our interlocutor Maria. According to her, in such crisis conditions — when even young people have been pushed to the absolute limit — the provision of crisis psychological support must be strengthened. "But Abkhazia has a shortage of professional psychologists. And those who do exist cannot cope with the workload. People's problems are growing exponentially, and two or three psychologists can do very little. This must be a state program — a wide variety of projects that are obligated to help our young people survive this difficult time," Maria believes.

Not everyone is so weak and prone to being overcome by problems, some argue. But specialists are convinced that "almost every teenager and young person under 30 has difficulties." The trouble is that they are not only unable to share them — they don't want to either. "Our society is such that it is shameful to seek help if you have a family member with a drug dependency or psychological problems. Everyone tries to solve the problem by themselves, concealing from society the very existence of such difficulties," says psychologist Alexandra. According to her, everything happening in the country leaves its mark on young people — and instead of wanting to fight their problems under the careful guidance of a specialist, they close in on themselves out of hopelessness. The result — suicide.

"In our country, it is shameful to say your child has problems. Here it is tantamount to public humiliation. That is why, I think, relatives conceal what is happening in the family. There is nowhere to turn. If a doctor can tell anyone and everyone about a patient's diagnosis, what guarantee is there that a psychologist will stay silent? And so young people and adults alike stew in the cauldron of their own problems," says our interlocutor Givi.

The subject of human rights violations and violence — including domestic violence — is not new to Abkhazia. Time and again, Abkhazian media shout to the world about the lawlessness taking place in the republic's small territory. But each time, instead of responding to the situation, the authorities nervously smoke in the corner, preferring to be mute, deaf, and blind to everything. And the problem not only remains but snowballs. What does the state do? Nothing. It continues to conceal the truth from a society that is constantly crying out for help.

"We have been left to the mercy of fate. Our miserable life has turned into a reality show where surviving — even with losses — is the greatest stroke of luck. No electricity, no water, no wages, no work — and now this terrible disease on top of it all. Our country has only problems and debts, but no solutions, ideas, or proposals for a way out of the situation. It feels as though someone is trying to exterminate us all — and they began with the younger generation. And this is not only the future of each individual family, but of the Abkhazian state as a whole," says our interlocutor Zaur.

Every forty seconds, a suicide occurs somewhere in the world. According to the World Health Organization, this amounts to more than 800,000 people globally each year. More than 3,000 adolescents die every day worldwide — or 1.2 million adolescents per year — from causes that are largely preventable. The highest suicide rates, according to WHO data, are recorded in high-income countries, where suicide ranks second among the leading causes of death among young people. Despite Abkhazia being far from a high-income country, suicide here is a frequent occurrence. And for a small people living on the margins of civilization, this is not merely a frightening statistic — it is extinction.

What does the state offer a person consumed by intrusive thoughts of suicide, who realizes they cannot cope with their condition alone? Briefly — nothing. Yet global practice shows that suicide prevention is, in general, entirely achievable. Apparently so — but that is somewhere out there, in the wider world, not in Abkhazia, which has still not learned to prioritize the most urgent and genuinely vital issues. And so society is left to mourn yet another loss in silence, crying out for help that will not come. Such is Abkhazian reality. And I fear it will not get better. As they say, rock bottom has been reached. But whether this is the end — unfortunately, no one knows.

Kristina Avidzba

The text contains place names and terminology used in the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia. Opinions expressed in the publication reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the editorial board.