Samaritans

When you're having suicidal thoughts, your brain can do a really convincing job of telling you that life will always be this difficult. But your brain isn't always a reliable narrator when it's in pain and your worst days don't tell you what every day after them will be like. Please don't face everything on your own, let someone into what you're feeling, we're always here if you need us 💚 116 123

Most people don't start the day thinking they might save someone's life. But you might suddenly end up noticing that someone doesn't look OK, and wondering if you should do something. Approaching someone who you think could be suicidal and interrupting their thoughts could save their life. Here are 4 things that could help you make that approach. The more we all know about how to spot someone at risk and safely intervene, the more lives we could save. If you'd like to learn more about what to look out for and how to help people, take a look at our course 'Making a suicide intervention'. Link in comments.

Yesterday, we marked World Suicide Prevention Day in Parliament, bringing together Parliamentarians, civil servants and other partners. We teamed up with Premier League to talk about the success of the Together Against Suicide Partnership, and how we can use the reach of football to help more fans find out about the support available to them. Our Chief Executive, Julie Bentley, joined a panel discussion hosted by Liz Twist MP, Chair of the APPG for Suicide and Self-harm Prevention. She was joined by Clare Sumner CBE from the Premier League, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, and Minister for Social Care Alison McGovern MP. It was great to hear the Minister say that she would build on the work of the Suicide Prevention Strategy when designing the new Mental Health Strategy, which the Prime Minister has asked to be completed by Christmas. It was a really useful opportunity to bring people together, talk about what more needs to be done to prevent suicide, and remind those making decisions that their actions can save lives.

“A few years ago, I was really struggling. I was working 80-100 hour weeks in a very senior role which came with a lot of pressure. Having been away all week, I’d get home at weekends and need to squeeze family time into two days, alongside managing a million and one other things. It felt like a constant treadmill of trying to please everyone else and living up to expectations. I felt tired, burnt out and broken. It was from here that things started to go wrong.” “Although this wasn’t the reality, I started to feel like I was the root cause of every problem and if I removed myself, that would fix everything. I tried to access support from my GP and found it near impossible. It seemed that because I was managing to go into work every day, I had a nice house and kids, there was nothing to worry about. To them I was just a bit tired, I wasn’t dying.” “One evening, when I was away on a work trip, I decided I was going to end my life. I headed out and was crossing the road unobservantly when a taxi stopped me. The driver must’ve recognised that something wasn’t right. He got out and started to chat to me, asking if I was OK and what was going on. He then went back to his taxi and got a card with the number for Samaritans. He said something like, ‘you need to talk to someone, so talk to Samaritans.’ I wandered around for about an hour and a half, as I didn’t know what I was going to say if I called. I felt like I needed to have a story prepared.” “I don’t remember much about that first call. I couldn’t say if the first call was a man or woman I spoke to, but they helped me get through the night. It helped me go to bed and try again the next day.” “It’s all very subtle and Samaritans don’t really tell you anything, but they listen and enable you to offload – they’re a safety net. Sometimes, I think that’s all people need. At that point I felt like I had nowhere else to go. It’s very hard to say to your wife, we’ve got this wonderful life, but I’m utterly depressed, because it feels like an insult.” “If I hadn’t called that night, I might’ve just wandered around feeling slightly distracted by my interaction with the taxi driver, but I would’ve been back in that same place a few days later, about to do something drastic. It seems a bit dramatic to say I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that conversation, but that is the reality.” Thank you so much to Paul for sharing his story for World Suicide Prevention Day and showing that suicide isn’t inevitable and that suicidal thoughts can be interrupted.

We're often taught that interrupting is rude. But when it comes to suicidal thoughts, an interruption could save a life. If you take one thing away this World Suicide Prevention Day, it's this. If you think someone might be struggling, don't worry about saying the perfect thing. Ask if they're OK. Show them you care. Start the conversation. You never know what it could mean to someone.

To anyone affected by suicide, whether you’re missing someone you’ve lost, struggling with suicidal thoughts yourself or supporting someone who is going through it right now – we’re thinking of you this World Suicide Prevention Day. Just a reminder that if you find World Suicide Prevention Day hard, for any reason, it really is OK to switch off from social media tomorrow. Take care of yourselves 💚 We’re always here to talk on 116 123 📱

If you’ve lost someone to suicide please read this 💚 World Suicide Prevention Day is soon. You’ll probably see lots of posts talking about suicide, encouraging people to reach out, and sharing hopeful messages. Reading all of that can feel really complicated when you’ve lost someone to suicide. You might think about them all the time as it is. Then days like World Suicide Prevention Day can make their absence feel even more painful. It might bring a lot of things to mind. Like what happened, what you wish you’d known, all the things you wish you could say to them now, or about the things they’ve missed since they’ve died. You might feel angry, sad, or numb. Or perhaps you feel fine, and then suddenly not fine at all. You might feel all those things in the space of a day, sometimes even within the same hour. There’s no right way to feel. You don’t have to read all the social posts, join the conversation or share your story if it doesn’t feel right for you. Step away from it all if you need to. Log off from social media on the day, put your phone down. Do what you need to take care of yourself. Remember to listen in a way that’s best for you. We’re always here to listen on 116 123.

Many of you will have seen the sad news that Papyrus is closing. Our thoughts are with the young people and families who have relied on Papyrus over the past 30 years, and with the staff and volunteers who have supported them.  Papyrus closing is a stark reminder of the pressure charities are under. Together with Shout UK, we will continue to highlight the vital role that charities play in suicide prevention. Suicide prevention needs sustained support and investment. Without it, we risk losing more of the charities that provide a lifeline to people when they need it most.   We want to remind everyone that together with our friends at Shout, we’re here 24/7 if you need someone to listen.  You can call Samaritans on 116 123 or text Shout on 85258 

Good news! This season, all 20 Premier League clubs will be offering matchday support to fans through the Together Against Suicide initiative, following a successful pilot last year. Together Against Suicide supports fans who are affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. By opening up conversations in their communities, football clubs are creating safe spaces where fans can talk openly, without fear of judgement, and find further support if they need it.   If you support a Premier League team, look out for the initiative at your home stadium. Together, we can prevent suicide 💚

If you think someone isn’t OK, ask them about it. When someone feels suicidal their thoughts can become repetitive and overwhelming, leaving the person feeling trapped. Even a small interruption can help to distract someone from the cycle of their thoughts.