September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day, an annual event recognized in more than 50 countries world-wide.
Karen Letofsky, Associate Director for the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, says that the day gives people a chance to combat the stigma surrounding suicide.
She says that it’s important to talk openly about the issue and to educate people on the importance of responding to the issue.
By working together, Letofsky believes that we can address the root causes of suicide and come up with programs and initiatives to reduce the numbers and impact of suicide.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention explains that, each year, 160 million people worldwide contemplate suicide and 800,000 people die by suicide.
If someone you know is struggling, they recommend checking in with them regularly to see how they are doing and listening supportively to what they have to say.
Remember that you don’t have all of the answers.
They ask you to try and know and introduce the resources available to them and be prepared to help them with finding information.
One resource they recommend is the Canada Suicide Prevention Service, which is a 24-hour Suicide-specific helpline that has additional resources on it’s website.
The phone number for the helpline is 1-833-456-4566.
