Suicide Prevention Day

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. I’m sure it’s a hard day for many as it brings back painful memories of your loss. May the God of all comfort give you HIs peace that passes understanding as you trust in Him. Our next meeting for those bereaved of suicide is on October 4th at 8:30pm, please get in contact if you would like to join us.

The theme of the suicide prevention day this year is “creating hope through action”

Here are some ideas from the HSE as to what you can do to help or if you need help:

1. Reach in

Reach in to someone you know might be struggling or to someone who you know has struggled before. Find some space and time to sit and be present with them. Use some open questions and tell them you care. If they share things with you, listen – stay calm, patient and kind. You don’t need to have all the answers. It can be really valuable for a person just to know that they are heard, and they are not alone at a difficult time. It could be a phone call, a cup of tea, or even a text. If someone you know is feeling really low, the first thing to do is reach in to their world. When you take the time to do this you’re showing them that someone cares. Even if it doesn’t feel like much to you, it could mean a lot to them. We can all create hope through our actions. Patience and kindness at moments like this can make a huge difference to a person at a difficult time. It shows them that whatever they’re going through, they are not alone.

2. Reach out

If you are feeling particularly low or hopeless, always remember that sharing things with someone else will help. Reaching out to talk with someone – someone close or even a support organisation – might feel frightening. But you don’t need to know the right words. When you take that first step and start to share what’s going on for you, everything will become clearer and feel more hopeful.

3. Reconnect

Especially during the pandemic, people may have lost meaningful connections in their lives, for example, to groups, hobbies or activities that always had a positive effect on their mental wellbeing. You can help find new ways to re-establish meaningful connections for people, wherever they have been lost or damaged. A good sense of belonging is important for people’s mental health – it can help boost self esteem, and decrease loneliness and isolation. If a person is feeling very low or vulnerable, they might distant themselves from the world around them. They might lose their connection with the things in life that they usually find positive and meaningful. But a good sense of belonging is really important for protecting people’s mental health, so try to help the person find new ways to restore some meaningful connections. This will instil hope, even just a glimmer of hope.

4. Learn more

If someone tells you they have been thinking about suicide, stay calm and don’t be afraid. There are lots of helpful things you can do in situations like this and there are training programmes that can help prepare you for them. For example, if you complete suicide prevention training from the HSE, such as the 90 minute ‘LivingWorks Start’ online programme, you will learn to recognise and identify people who might be at risk of suicide, confidently ask them about suicide, and connect them with resources that can help.

5. Show your support

Connect with a support or community organisation – volunteer, help spread their messages, and become involved in activities that help promote positive mental health and wellbeing, or suicide prevention in your community. For example, an organisation that promotes the insights and stories of people with a lived experience of suicide, can help us develop a greater understanding of suicide. It can encourage people to reach in to support someone, and individuals to reach out for help themselves. And remember that people can and do get through times of crisis, and that a positive message of recovery, can be protective and hopeful for others in itself.

6. Know where to turn

Get to know what mental health services and supports are available, and tell more people about them. Many are open 24/7 and are accessible in lots of different ways, for example on the phone (Samaritans, freephone 116 123), by text message (Text50808, text HELLO to 50808), online (MyMind, visit http://www.mymind.org) or face-to-face (Pieta, visit http://www.pieta.ie). You can also call the HSE YourMentalHealth Information Line, anytime day or night, for information on what other services and supports are available near you – freephone 1800 111 888 or visit http://www.yourmentalhealth.ie.

#WSPD2021 #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #ConnectingForLife