Tuesday was World Suicide Prevention Day.

There are very few of us for whom this won’t touch our lives in some way whether it be a family member, a friend or someone that we know.
What can you say about something that is almost impossible to understand unless you have found yourself in that situation?

In a recent poll, a whopping 74% of people stated that they were happy to talk about their mental health with friends and/or family, but only 45% said they would open up about having suicidal thoughts.

This absolutely needs to change.

The word suicide has such a stigma attached to it, and as with everything, the less its talked about, the harder it is to destroy that stigma and change it from a taboo subject to one that people are willing to open up about.

Even just saying the words out loud – ‘I feel suicidal’ can be lifechanging, and sometimes that takes not the strength of the person feeling the emotion but the strength of the people around them to ask about it if they have concerns.

We have a long way to go but it all starts with a conversation and looking out for the people around us that we love. We have attached a link for some recommendations from the Samaritans for ways of tackling this incredibly sensitive and emotional topic.

Remember its okay to not be okay, but there is always someone ready to listen. No problem is too big.

https://lnkd.in/exKAkhei