2017 World Suicide Prevention Day: “Take a minute, change a life.”
Tana Nash, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council
Every year in Waterloo Region, an average of fifty-seven people die by suicide and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt. Behind these statistics are the individual stories of those who have, for many different reasons, questioned the value of their own lives and the families and friends who love them.
Each one of these individuals is part of our community. Some may be well linked in to this community and have a network of family, friends and work colleagues or school mates. Others may be less well connected, and some may be quite isolated. Regardless of the circumstances, our community has an important role to play in supporting those who are vulnerable.
This sentiment is reflected in the theme of the 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day:
‘Take a minute, change a life.’ As members of the community, we can watch for those who may be struggling, check in with them, and encourage them to tell their story in their own way and at their own pace. Offering a gentle word of support and listening in a nonjudgmental way can make all the difference.
Taking a minute can change a life
People who have lived through a suicide attempt have much to teach us about how the words and actions of others are important. They often talk movingly about reaching the point where they could see no alternative but to take their own life, and about the days, hours and minutes leading up to this. Suicide attempt survivors often share that they did not want to die but were struggling to live and instead wanted someone to intervene and stop them.
The individuals telling these stories are inspirational. Many of them recount reaching the point where they did try to take their own lives, and tell about coming through it. Many of them are now working as advocates for suicide prevention. Almost universally, they say that if someone had taken a minute, the trajectory that they were on could have been interrupted.
Life is precious and sometimes precarious. Taking a minute to reach out to someone – a complete stranger or close family member or friend – can change the course of their life.