Hi everybody.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Please try and understand how greatly this affects everyone. This is a difficult topic, but I think it really needs to be discussed. Please know that this could be a trigger for you if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide. I have put some resources before the “read more” tag in case you find yourself in this situation. There are even more resources at the bottom of this post. ❤
International Association for Suicide Prevention World Crisis Centres List
Canadian Suicide Prevention Resources List
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (USA) 1-800-273-8255
Suicide happens way more than you may think.
In 2009, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Canadian youth aged 15-24. In that same year, we lost 3,890 mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers to it. (Source: Stats Can) If you’re trying to imagine how many people that is, it’s about half of Banff’s population.
Worldwide, we are losing a million people to suicide every year. This means 1 person every 40 seconds dies of suicide. That is an absolutely heart breaking number of people who felt dying was their only reasonable option. Suicide rates have climbed over the last several decades at a rate of 60% in 45 years. (Source: Befrienders)
Suicide can happen for many reasons. Work, family, money, war, physical health, mental health, relationships, trauma, generational trauma, school, personal identity, persecution, lack of resources, and personal loss are just some that come to mind.
There are places in the world where suicide is still considered a criminal act. This is the origin of the phrase “committing suicide,” as it was describing a crime. Not a tragedy, a crime. I have made a conscious decision to stop using the label “committed”. I feel as though that language can perpetuate the idea that suicide is a choice, and for many people it’s really not. When somebody dies by suicide, it is tragic. Suicide victims don’t deserve to be vilified.
I used to think that suicide just passed a person’s pain on to someone else. I used to think of the pain as transferred instead of ended. I have a different perspective now because of my health. Suicide happens. It happens to smart, successful, seemingly happy people. It happens to people who have been beat down by their own physical and/or mental health… I wrote more about my personal thoughts on this topic in my blog post In Response to Losing Anthony Bourdain if you want to read more about my perspective.
Imagine if we could get that massive million-a-year number down. Every person counts. Reach out to your friends even if you are scared of their reaction. Reach out to people for help. Reach out to people to help. Remind yourself you are human and know that you are not alone. If you can’t reach out right now, please hang on for a little longer. Every person has value, even if you don’t feel that way now.
I am so sorry if suicide has affected you, or continues to affect you. I sincerely hope you make progress towards healing.
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Additional Resources
International Association for Suicide Prevention World Crisis Centres List
+Canada
Kids Help Line (supporting youth Canada-wide, 24 hours) 1-800-668-6868
Distress Centre Calgary (Calgary and surrounding areas, 24 hours) 403-266-4357
Canadian Mental Health Association (Edmonton region, 24 hours) 780-482-4357 or 1-800-232-7288
Crisis Centre BC (BC-wide, 24 hours) 1-800-784-2433
Klinic Community Health (Manitoba, 24 hours) 1-877-435-7170
Trans Lifeline (supporting trans communities, 7am- 1am PST) Canada 1-877-330-6366
+USA
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ+ Youth 1-866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline (supporting trans communities, 7am- 1am PST) USA 1-877-565-8860
+UK
Samaritans (24 hours, they have lots of different types of support) 116 123
Breathing Space (Scotland, 6pm-2am Monday to Thursday, 6pm-6am Friday to Sunday) 0800 83 85 87
+Australia
Lifeline Australia (Australia-wide, 24 hours) 13 11 14
The Samaritans (Australia-wide, 24 hours) 135 247
International Association for Suicide Prevention (resources, information for the public as well as information for health professionals)
Post image from Betty Lee (USA) via Ars Electronica
It Is What It Is 
[…] *disclaimer: Chronic illness is very up and down. I am not great right now, but I’m not the worst. This blog is a way for me to get my thoughts out and perhaps someone with a similar experience will feel relief that they aren’t the only one feeling a certain way. I am not suicidal, and this post is not about suicide. But if you are feeling that way, I’m sorry and please take a moment to consider there is support out there and you are worthy of it. You can find some resources here. […]
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