The 10th of October marks World Suicide Prevention Day organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Even in 2021, talking about suicide is hard and there is a lot of stigma and misinformation around it. So even though every day should be a suicide prevention day, on the 10th of October we unite to move the conversations and education on the topic a step forward.
So what can we do to act today?
- Join the conversations – #WSPD on Twitter and other social media platforms
- Educate yourself – the day is a great opportunity to find out more – here in the UK: Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness and Mental Health Foundation
- Take your local ASIST course to learn to save lives – it is usually two days long and prepares you for all aspects of starting a conversation with someone who might feel suicidal
Mental Health Foundation has a great WAIT model to support conversations about suicide – you can find the poster here.
This year the theme is hope so I would like to leave you with this song for inspiration. Please, stay safe and reach out to your friends too!
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
