Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 2023

Do take care whilst reading this blog and if for any reason you feel like you need immediate support, please call the Samaritans on 116 123

The September days are here. When the day grows short and the evening tall, we feel a whisper of the autumnal fall. Winter might be around the corner but fear not, this chapter is full of pleasantly warm days and crisp air, sunshine, and cosy nights. There is something I find so comforting about autumn, with a new season brings new potentials and fresh starts.

For some this change in season may ignite excitement and for others it seeds deep reflection. A time where nature begins to slow down and we celebrate the harvest of life, reflecting on what we have personally harvested this year. According to Chinese medicine, our health thrives when we mimic the energy of the season. Allow our bodies the rest, spend time with our nearest and dearest, and embrace those blustery days. Change can be so beautiful, full of hope and the magic of a new beginning.

The 10^th of September is the beginning of Suicide Prevention Awareness Week which will run until the 16^th of September 2023. The theme this year is ‘Creating Hope through Action’, and it serves as a powerful message to all. Our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling. Together we can signal to people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that there is an alternative to suicide.

We can all say not today together.

Feeling alone is often felt. Feeling helpless is not forever. Feeling suicidal is and will always remain preventable.

Suicide doesn’t stand alone, it’s the result of something going on and together we can learn the warning signs that someone might be feeling suicidal.

Warning signs:

Withdrawal from others: withdrawing from friends and family. Increasing social isolation. Desire to be left alone
Talking about suicide: any talk about suicide, dying or self-harm, such as ‘I’d be better off dead’
Increased alcohol or drug use: consuming alcohol more often as a coping mechanism or consuming drugs
Changes in appearance or sleep: less care in appearance such as looking untidy, unhealthy and drained. Sleeping throughout the day awake at night
Self-destructive behaviour: increased alcohol or drug use, reckless driving, unsafe sex. Taking unnecessary risks.
No hope for the future: feelings of helplessness and being trapped. Belief that things will never get better or change

You might not always be able to spot these signs, and these emotions show up differently in everyone. Someone who is having a hard time may not ask for help, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want help or support. By taking the time to ask someone if they are okay we too are creating an opportunity to ask ourselves if we are okay. Taking the first step can be a chance to open the door to human connection. Use autumn as inspiration to re-connect with someone or try something you might never have considered doing. We all change colours and lose our leaves…but then we bloom again.

We can all play a role in supporting those experiencing a suicidal crisis or those bereaved by suicide whether as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a person with lived experience.

It is normal to feel anger with the person for leaving you or for not accepting help with their mental health. You might also feel angry with yourself or with others for not doing more to help them. It’s important to know that what you are feeling is a normal reaction and you are heard. You might feel guilt for things you did or did not do but it’s important to know this was not your fault. You might have a number of unanswered questions about the path they chose. These conversations can play over and over in your head and can be very frustrating. The stigma that is placed on suicide can put you in an extremely difficult position with others and their judgement but please remember that your feelings are valid.