Ellan Dickieson Losing a friend or loved one is never easy. However, when you lose someone to suicide, it can feel different from other types of loss. Ellan Dickieson I can quickly count 10 people in my life that have died by suicide.
Ellan Dickieson
Losing a friend or loved one is never easy. However, when you lose someone to suicide, it can feel different from other types of loss.
I can quickly count 10 people in my life that have died by suicide. Old, young, male, female, black, white, rich and poor. Like many illnesses and diseases, suicide does not discriminate and no one escapes without being affected. This seems to be even truer in a small town like Sarnia, where people are tightly connected and live by the motto: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’
Several conditions can make death by suicide different, making the healing process challenging. Grief after losing someone to suicide can feel like a rollercoaster, full of intense ups and downs and everything in between.
The good news is that there are healthy ways to cope with a loss. We have seen this firsthand in Sarnia, where time and time again the community has fused together to make good out of a bad situation.
Like me, you may find yourself wondering what you can do to help build a suicide-safer community and demonstrate a commitment to suicide prevention.
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” ― Shannon L. Alder
Connect: Talk to your family, friends, and colleagues about suicide prevention. By talking about suicide and suicide prevention, without judgment, we break down stigma and raise awareness about the services and resources available for those in need. Social connectedness reduces the risk of suicide, so simply being there for someone can be a life-saving act.
Participate: Sept. 10th marks World Suicide Prevention Day. The Sarnia Lambton Suicide Prevention Committee invites the community to come together and promote awareness and show our support for those who have been affected by suicide. A formal program will take place at the Lambton Mall starting at 11 a.m., with activities happening until 2 p.m.
Learn More: Have questions around suicide, its causes, and want to know how it can be prevented through open and honest discussion? There are a number of workshops happening in our community. These range from grief seminars, to Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK trainings. You can learn more about upcoming events by visiting www.sarnialambtonsuicideprevention.com
We can all help build a suicide safer community. Give hope a voice today.
Ellan Dickieson is the co-ordinator for the Sarnia Lambton Suicide Prevention Committee and is passionate about the power of community.
