09/09/2024
Tomorrow (September 10) is World Su***de Prevention Day. As professionals, we are acutely aware of the ripple effect. Deaths by su***de have a ripple effect. On the people who love them and know them and on the people who know and love those people. Not to mention the pain for all of us inherent in the understanding that another human being felt that their emotional and psychological pain was unbearable, unmanageable, unending, unfaltering, or just too much…..it hurts.
Another painful piece of knowing: deaths by su***de are preventable.
So on World Su***de Prevention Day, let’s all take one tiny, micro step towards su***de prevention. Let’s do our tiny part and recognize that those tiny actions will have their own ripple effect.
For mental health professionals: seek out training in an intervention that is evidence-based for the treatment of su***de in the population with which you work. Su***de, when present, is the treatment priority. https://afsp.org/therapies/
For parents: Start the Conversation. With your kids. With other parents. With family members. Be courageous. Be brave. And talk about it. Don’t let our kids hold it alone. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-su***de-prevention-day/world-su***de-prevention-day-2024
For everyone: check out some of the amazing resources on the Canadian Association for Su***de Prevention website. Just increase your knowledge one tiny bit. That helps. https://su***deprevention.ca/events/world-su***de-prevention-day/
Little by little, bit by bit, we change our comfort with a heavy, emotional, challenging topic and in doing that, starting in our own tiny corner, we begin to change the world. ❤️
Su***de is a major public health challenge, with more than 700 000 deaths each year globally. Each su***de has far-reaching social, emotional, and economic consequences, and deeply affects individuals and communities worldwide.
