National Suicide Awareness Day recognized locally

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As Sept. 10 was National Suicide Awareness Day, the Centre for Suicide Prevention set up a stand at the Strathmore Farm and Flea Market on the same day to help raise awareness.

Executive director of the Centre for Suicide Prevention Mara Grunau explained suicide is an issue that remains not discussed enough and is the cause of death for a significant number of people annually.

“Suicide is really interesting because more people die by suicide around the world every year than they do (from) homicide and war combined,” said Grunau. “Most people don’t know and it’s a bit of a silent killer that way. Because of the stigma people are not willing to talk about it, or they’re so uncomfortable they don’t know what to say, and often people don’t know until they lose somebody.”

Grunau said with the onset of COVID-19 restrictions, generally speaking, people did not fare well and mental wellness was significantly impacted.

With rising mental unwellness, more people were willing to talk more openly about suicide after having experienced mental unwellness that some may not have otherwise been able to understand.

“More people are willing to talk about suicide because now they kind of get it. Maybe they had never experienced mental unwellness before and now they see how (suicide) could be a possibility for someone,” said Grunau.

Stigma is the biggest barrier to suicide prevention. Grunau explained if the topic is swept under the rug and not addressed, nothing is able to be done about it.

For those who are concerned about a friend or loved one who may be considering suicide, open and gentle conversations are a step in the right direction to potentially saving their lives.

“So often when we’re having thoughts of suicide, we don’t want to share that with anybody because we’re embarrassed or we feel ashamed or we feel even worse about ourselves,” said Grunau. “If someone can ask you instead of you having to ask them — if someone can say to you, ‘hey, you’re not yourself these days, I’m concerned about you, I see this,’ and you were very specific about what you see … give the person an opportunity to talk. And if you’re still concerned you can ask them directly.”

Significant changes in behaviour can be possible signs of suicide consideration. As an example, Grunau explained, if perhaps someone who is normally very reserved is noticeably more outgoing without apparent reason or cause, or inversely, someone who is normally more boisterous becomes quiet and distant, these can be indicators to look for.

For some, it may also be an increase in risky behaviour or substance use. The important factors to look for are traits that are out of the ordinary and to create a comfortable invitation to discuss those changes with the person one may be concerned for.

“If you can get to the point of saying, ‘are you thinking about suicide?’ If the person says no, okay, it might be a little bit awkward, but the person is going to go away knowing you cared enough to ask,” explained Grunau. “If they say yes, don’t panic, even though of course you will be panicking. Don’t panic, together, call the crisis line … the other thing you can do is listen. And I know that sounds like nothing, but it’s so important.”

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, there is help available through the national crisis line at 1-833-456-4566.