Gum on My Shoe

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidal thinking.

TW: Mention of suicide

Suicidal ideation has less power when it is verbalised. — Fran Houston Established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed each year on September 10. The theme for WSPD 2021–2023 is Creating Hope Through Action . According to the World Health Organisation, this “serves as a powerful call to action and reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and that through our actions we can encourage hope and strengthen prevention. By creating hope through action, we can signal to people experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them. It also suggests that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling.” That sounds great, but what can we possibly do as individuals to help someone thinking about ending their life? What difference can we make? In this post I’m going to ...

Suicidal ideation has less power when it is verbalised. — Fran Houston I’ve written a few “things I’ve learned about” articles, including Three Things I Wish People Knew about Loving Someone with Mental Illness , Three Things I’ve Learned About Mental Health Medication , and Four Things It’s Hard for a Mental Health Ally to Hear . This time, I want to talk about two of the most challenging topics of all, suicidality and self-harm. In doing so I’ll draw on my experience with Fran and other friends over the past dozen years or so, as well as training I’ve undertaken including Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), ASIST, and a range of other suicide prevention and awareness courses. I’ll close with a selection of relevant articles we’ve shared previously, and links to crisis lines and other support resources. 1. You know someone who lives with thoughts of suicide or self-harm According to suicide prevention charity Grassroots , one person in four in the UK experiences me...

It may not be easy but you can help someone make a life worth living. Maybe even save a life. (Fran Houston) World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organisation. This year’s theme is Creating Hope Through Action : Creating Hope Through Action is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in all of us; that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling. Preventing suicide is often possible and you are a key player in its prevention. Through action, you can make a difference to someone in their darkest moments — as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a neighbour. We can all play a role in supporting those experiencing a suicidal crisis or those bereaved by suicide. This is a topic very close to our hearts and never far from our th...

For #WorldSuicidePreventionDay we’ve compiled a selection of relevant articles we’ve shared over the past few years. Thanks to our friend and fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson of I’m NOT Disordered for the inspiration for this post, and much more. How to Take Care of Yourself When Your Friend is Suicidal Being in a relationship with someone who talks about wanting to die can be stressful and draining, so remember to pay as close attention to your well-being as to your friend’s. [ Read more ] 17 Online Suicide Awareness Courses and Podcasts This article presents a selection of online suicide awareness courses and podcasts for anyone who wants to learn about this challenging subject that is a lived reality for many. No course or podcast can make you an expert overnight. You will, however, be better equipped to help someone who may be considering suicide and be in need of support. Many of these resources also address wider issues including stigma and the importance of o...

This article is excerpted and updated from chapter 7, “The ‘S’ Word: Being There When Your Friend Is Suicidal,” of our book High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend’s Guide to Bipolar Disorder . Photo by Alex Blăjan on Unsplash. Taking Care of Myself Being in a relationship with someone who talks about wanting to die can be stressful and draining, so remember to pay as close attention to your well-being as to your friend’s. My self-care needs are threefold. First, I need to believe I can handle myself and Fran safely. The more I learn about her illnesses and situation, the more confident I am in my ability to support her and help keep her safe. Second, I need to know what to look out for, and who to contact should I ever find myself out of my depth. I keep a copy of her wellness plan, which includes contact details for friends and key medical professionals, with me at all times. Third, I need my own support team. It is vital to have someone — a friend, colleague, family member, or...

A recent BBC news article reported that since the coronavirus lockdown began in the UK more than half a million people have accessed the twenty-minute suicide awareness course run by the Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA). Joe Rafferty from ZSA said the true impact of Covid-19 on mental health will not become clear until the pandemic is over, but that “the stress and worry of the coronavirus is bound to have impacted people’s mental health.” He added that “Suicide is a serious public health issue and every single death by suicide devastates families, friends and communities”. According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 6,500 suicides were registered in the UK in 2018, with three-quarters of them among men. The suicide prevention charity Grassroots offers the following statistics: In the UK, 1 in 5 think about suicide in their lifetime, which means there are 4 people who can help. 1 in 4 experience mental ill-health in their lifetime, which means there is nothing unusual...

Organised by the World Foundation for Mental Health and observed each year on October 10, World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. This year’s theme is suicide prevention. According to WHO [World Health Organisation], more than 800,000 people die by suicide each year, making it the principal cause of death among people fifteen to twenty-nine years old. It is often believed that it is only adults who exhibit suicidal behaviors, but it should be made known that many children and young people engage in this kind of behavior as a result of violence, sexual abuse, bullying and cyberbullying. — WFMH President Dr Alberto Trimboli The WHO brings these statistics home with their campaign 40 seconds of action which reminds us that “Every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide.” Read that again. What can we do to help? To begin with we can follow the official WMHD account on Fa...

Photo: Vikki Beat In the latest of our Bloggers’ Days Out, fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson and I attended Stranger on the Bridge and Other Stories of Friendship and Support at George Street Social in Newcastle. George Street Social is an alcohol-free bar and café run by the Road to Recovery Trust which offers hope and support to people in recovery from addiction problems. We were among the first to arrive and were greeted warmly by Lucy Nichol who I first met last year at the launch of her book A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes . Lucy is a trustee and marketing and communications lead for the Road to Recovery Trust, and chaired the event. Photo: Martin Baker The first to speak was Paula Cowie who is also a Road to Recovery trustee. Paula shared her lived experience and how important the Trust and George Street Social are to the local community. Matthew Smith from the If U Care Share Foundation went next. He spoke with great honesty and openness about his old...

By Tracy Leppla Suicide is a very touchy subject with me. Why? Because I have attempted suicide four times in the past. Obviously I didn’t succeed or I wouldn’t be here today sharing my story. I remember what it was like back then. How I felt. The darkness completely took over. I felt completely lost. Everything seemed like it was caving in and there was no way out. I had no desire to live anymore. I just wanted the pain to stop and I thought that was the only solution. At the time of my suicide attempts I did not understand my PTSD, my anxiety or my panic attacks. I was angry about everything. I hated everything and everyone. I was tired of being bullied at school. After being beat up for the fourth time at school I decided I wasn’t going to take it anymore. I started fighting back. My fighting turned from survival mode to wanting to win mode. I wanted to show all those bullies not to mess with me and it worked. But it didn’t take the anger and pain away. I was at home alone o...

“ We don’t have the answers to everything, sometimes we just need to ask the questions. ” (John Rotter) The above quotation is taken from an article by John Rotter, Marketing and Communications Assistant at MHFA England. It expresses perfectly why asking questions is such an important aspect of mental health literacy. This post was inspired by an open letter to me by fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson in response to an article I wrote recently about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and legitimacy . In her letter, Aimee described how important it is to have people she can turn to for support. Having gone through my mental health journey with my Mum being my main source of support, I think that I now know how essential it is to have the support of another person through your times of struggle and the challenges thrown at you. [....] The difficulty comes in allowing yourself to lean on another person or even to just admit that you need to lean on them! Something she went o...