Mental health officials in Wellington and Dufferin counties are encouraging residents to take the first small step to help prevent suicides before they happen.
In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, the Suicide Awareness Council of Wellington Dufferin (SAC) has issued an open letter to residents, said coordinator Sandra Parkinson.
“Building a suicide-safer community means having a commitment to suicide prevention, showing compassion for those in distress, offering support for those bereaved by suicide, and promoting the mental health and wellness of all its citizens,” the letter reads.
“Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility where every person has the potential to make a difference and save a life. A suicide-safer community believes that everyone has the right to a future with hope and possibilities.”
In an interview with the Advertiser Parkinson said, “Every single one of us can do something, it’s not just the (mental health) organizations. We are inviting each person to in some way be involved on that day and do something.”
Parkinson said the campaign is designed to get residents thinking about what they can do to help people deal with mental illness – not just on Sept. 10, but on a daily basis.
“We should think about it more than once a year but it gives us a national day to say it happens every day,” Parkinson said of the campaign in conjunction with Sept. 10.
SAC members have already dedicated the day to special events. Hospice Wellington is setting up a display and lighting a candle in support of those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
The Upper Grand District School Board is providing information about suicides and links to helpful resources on its website and is also planning suicide awareness workshops.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, which oversees the SAC, is providing a virtual and interactive display of a “Tree of Life,” where messages of hope and resiliency can be shared at all of its public sites.
The Mount Forest Healthy Opportunities Promoting Empowerment – De-stigmatizing Mental Health (HOPE) committee has planned a special event to mark the day.
“In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, the HOPE Committee has partnered with the Mount Forest public library and the Suicide Awareness Council of Wellington Dufferin in planning an event on Sept. 11, starting at 6pm in the library community room,” states a News release issued by the committee.
“The public are invited to a movie showing of As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson, followed by a discussion about the key messages and perceptions taken from the film. Information displays about mental health, suicide and resources that can help will also be available.”
For more information on the event contact HOPE committee member Rhoda Seibert at 519-323-2105.
“Suicide is a major public health problem,” according to a News release from the World Health Organization. “The psychological pain that leads each of these individuals to take their lives is unimaginable.
“Their deaths leave families and friends bereft, and often have a major ripple effect on communities.”
It’s a feeling with which Myrna Hutchison, as well as her husband Stu and son Kevin, are all too familiar, after her son Steven took his own life in 2013.
“When you lose someone you love to suicide, the world stops. You ask yourself a million times the question ‘Why?’ which you know is a question that will forever remain unanswered,” said Hutchison.
“You wonder how as a family, as a group of friends, as a community are we ever going to get through this, but somehow, with a strong dependency on each other, you do – because you have to, for each other’s sakes.”
She added, “Smiles and laughter are something that you have to learn to do all over again and it seems so foreign when it happens because you are not sure if it’s okay for you to do that or not.”
Steven’s suicide led the family to organize the #GetInTouchForHutch run and walk, an annual event in Arthur to raise money to combat the stigma attached to mental illness and raise awareness. The event has raised about $110,000 in two years.
The committee, comprised of family members and friends, has also been at the forefront of erecting signs in arenas and community halls throughout Wellington County to raise awareness about where people suffering from mental health can find help.
Hutchison says in addition to the overwhelming loss, having a family member commit suicide can also impact one’s relationship with others.
“Your radar is up because you want to be extremely protective (of everyone) so that no one else ever has to experience the same pain that your son did or the same level of deep grief that you have,” she said.
“Education and awareness becomes so important to you. You want to try to understand a world that before 18 months ago never existed for you and seek to make a difference for those who may be in a similar place as your son was.
“Through this process, new relationships are formed where they would never have been otherwise. You find a strong connection with those who have loved and lost because you know they’ve been exactly where you are and have an in-depth understanding of what a day can look like for you.”
Hutchison continued, “As a result of losing someone you love to suicide, you are forced to find a new way to live without them being physically present in your day-to-day life.
“You honour their memory in the best way that you know how and realize every single day that you will love and miss them forever – that you will always miss his beautiful smile, his laughter, his love for Sports and music, his friends and most importantly his family.”
Parkinson credits the efforts of the Hutchison family with getting the message out in a bid to dispel the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“If you make a difference for one person that’s something,” Parkinson said.
“It’s about building the capacity in the community to help prevent suicides.”
