Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
September is Suicide Awareness Month, and it is a topic few people are comfortable talking about. Not talking about it, however, keeps the door closed on conversations that may ultimately save a life. “Approximately 10 people each day die by suicide in Canada. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 700,000 deaths occur by suicide globally each year. Suicide is a national, and global issue with deep and lasting impacts on individuals and communities.” (https://www.cipsrt-icrtsp.ca/en/september-suicide-awareness-2024)
Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and was the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2021. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) and a previous suicide attempt is well established in high-income countries. However, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship disputes, or chronic pain and illness. Suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and others such as education, labour, agriculture, business, justice, law, defence, politics, and the media.
While there may be growing public awareness around mental health challenges, stigmas persist. WHO’s call to ‘change the narrative on suicide’ is to work toward ending mental health stigmas and the call to action is clear – simply start the conversation. Because ‘every conversation, no matter how small, contributes to a supportive and understanding society.’ (WHO)
Stigma, particularly surrounding mental disorders and suicide, means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking, and therefore not getting the help they need. WHO challenges that the prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies against openly discussing it.
The first WHO world suicide report, “Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative,” published in 2014, aimed to increase the awareness of the public health significance of suicide and suicide attempts and to make suicide prevention a high priority in global public health. It also aimed to encourage and support countries to develop or strengthen comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies through a multisectoral public health approach.
In 2021, WHO launched “LIVE LIFE: An implementation guide for suicide prevention in countries.” Accompanying resources, to support the implementation of the four key LIVE LIFE interventions, have also been published including the 2024 brochure on “Preventing Suicide by phasing out highly hazardous pesticides” to support limiting access to means, “Preventing Suicide: a resource for media professionals, update 2023” to encourage responsible reporting of suicide, and the “Helping Adolescents Thrive toolkit” to foster socio-emotional life-skills among young people. Complete with strategies to promote and protect adolescent mental health and reduce self-harm and other risk behaviours, the toolkit is available to download from the WHO website.
People who think about and attempt suicide want a way out of their psychological pain or their deep sense of feeling like a burden. There is so much that society and individuals can do to end the suicide crisis.
The introduction of the 988 central crisis line was a crucial step in providing access, but people also need to receive care in their communities after they make the call. The kind of care they need includes mobile crisis response teams that include mental health personnel rather than law enforcement, crisis stabilization beds, suicide respite, peer support, referrals to housing, food and income supports, and counselling among other community-based programs and services.
Surviving a suicide attempt is an experience that can be traumatic, leading to emotional, physical, and psychological consequences. Survivors may face a complex mixture of feelings such as shame, guilt, relief, and confusion, and they often require support to heal and cope. Many survivors feel stigmatized and isolated due to societal attitudes toward suicide. Guilt, hopelessness, and confusion are common residual emotions, and many struggle with underlying mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. Sam Finch, an American journalist and media strategist, who currently works for Healthline, wrote, “When we talk about suicide, we tend to focus on prevention or mourning those that we have lost to suicide. And while these are worthy and important causes, they sometimes make invisible a very real and important group of people. We forget, too often, that some of us are on the other side,… that not everyone who attempts suicide will die.”
It can be hard to have conversations about suicide. However, when suicide is treated like a “hush-hush” topic, not only are people who may be suicidal and need help being hurt but people who have been through an attempt and need a safe space to talk about it are also being hurt. When there are no healthy and compassionate conversations about suicide and survival, ultimately survivors are discouraged from seeking out support. Finch said, that if it hadn’t been so taboo, he might have talked about his suicidal thoughts before he acted, and his attempt might have never happened.
Society needs to stop treating suicide and suicidal thoughts as taboo, Finch asserts. Society needs to foster conversations that can help survivors feel safe enough to disclose their experiences, seek help when it is needed, and join in the conversation about prevention.
If you think a family member or friend is considering suicide:
Talk to them about how they are feeling. It may help them feel less isolated and scared. It may also allow you to see how you can help.
Let the person know you are there to listen and encourage them to speak to their health care team if they have one.
Encourage and help them to stay away from alcohol and other drugs.
Create a support network of family and friends who can accompany them to health care appointments or other places they find stressful.
Keep a copy of your family member’s safety plan (if there is one, and they are willing to share it).
Keep crisis line numbers handy.
Warning signs include:
Making a suicide attempt
Preparing for a suicide attempt (researching methods or trying to purchase or collect items to use in suicide)
Saying things like, “I’m going to kill myself ” or “People will be better off without me”
Writing suicide notes, saying goodbye, giving away belongings or getting their affairs in order
Showing big changes in their personality, routines, or energy level—for example, not sleeping, pacing excessively, hearing voices or experiencing paranoia
Taking part in risky, violent or self-destructive behaviour
If someone demonstrates these warning signs:
Keep yourself safe. If your family member is agitated, threatening or aggressive, call 911 while making sure you and others are safe.
If someone is attempting or about to attempt suicide and you are not at risk, do not leave them alone—call 911.
Do not challenge or argue with the person—try to stay supportive and calm.
Suicide is a complex event at the intersection of many factors.
If you are concerned about someone: Never agree to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. It is better to have someone alive and mad than dead by suicide. Treat this subject and the people involved with respect, dignity and compassion and do not keep it to yourself. Know who to connect with as this work cannot be done alone, and the helper may experience uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Know that it is OKAY to reach out.
Talking about suicide can provide tremendous relief and being a listener is the best intervention anyone can give. Talking about suicide will not cause someone to attempt suicide. When experiencing intense emotions, the person will not be able to problem-solve, and it is not a listener’s job to fix their problems. Listen, care, validate and be non-judgmental.
Some questions to consider asking someone when concerned include: Are you thinking of suicide? Have you been feeling left out or alone? Have you been feeling like a burden? Do you feel isolated and/or disconnected? Are you experiencing the feeling of being trapped? How have you been sleeping? Are you feeling more anxious than usual? Who can we contact that you feel safe and/or comfortable with?
The last thing that most people expect is that they will run out of reasons to live. If you are experiencing suicide-related thoughts and behaviours, you need to know that you are not alone. More resources are available at: suicideprevention.ca, suicideinfo.ca, saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/accessing-health-care-services/mental-health-and-addictions-support services/rapid-access-crisis-and-emergency-resources/, www.counsellingconnectsask.ca/suicide-postvention, www.domore.ag/agtalk
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Line, call or text 24/7
