Have you had thoughts of suicide?
I want to have an honest conversation about suicide.
I know there’s many people who work in suicide prevention that say you have to be careful about this kind of thing. I get that. But I think sometimes we’re a little too careful… so careful that little ends up being said. People feel like they can’t talk about suicide… or can only do so behind closed doors.
Unfortunately, I think suicide – even now in this day and age – is a taboo topic.
We have to talk about this. How else are we going to help reduce the suicide rates if we don’t have real, honest conversations about suicide?
If you’ve thought about suicide, if you’ve attempted suicide know that you’re not alone.
What if all of us – from the student to the doctor to the artist to the stockbroker to the tech worker to the teacher and on and on – shared our story? Because we do all have a story.
I know for myself and from speaking to clients, people are relieved to know they are not alone.
The fact is anyone can have suicidal thoughts. Anyone. Even the so-called “best of us” or “strongest of us.”
What if being open about suicide could make us stronger?
What if by talking about it we made suicide one of those things that years from now we’ll look back and wonder why we ever whispered about it?
So it’s in that spirit that I want to share my own story with you…
Resources to Reach Out To
1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) – National Hopeline Network
1-800-273-TALK (8255) – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
To find a crisis centre nearest you…
Canada: http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help/
United States: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/our-network/
You can download the transcript of this episode by clicking here.
