Tuesday, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day.
Established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), the day aims to focus attention on the worldwide issue while reducing stigma and raising awareness among organizations, governments and the public – reinforcing the singular message that suicides are preventable.
“If you are having suicidal thoughts, this is not an abnormal thing,” says Peer Connections Manitoba Director of Peer Services Adam Milne. “The danger is that you leave (the thoughts) to yourself.”
Milne stresses the importance of having conversations, and reaching out to family, friends or mental health professionals to make it a “community concern.”
“When we suffer in silence, we make a thing bigger and bigger and bigger, and it keeps getting big enough that it can block out everything else,” he says. “When you can talk about it, when you can explore it and when you can see it for what it is... that's when recovery starts.”
Peer Connections Manitoba, formerly known as the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, is a charitable non-profit organization that connects individuals facing similar experiences and challenges, providing vital peer support since 2020.
“I'm really excited that we are all here together having these discussions,” says Director of Development Monique Levesque-Pharoah.
What's a semicolon tattoo?
In an effort to further raise awareness and support mental health initiatives, Levesque-Pharoah plans to get a tattoo of a semicolon on her wrist.
Started by Amy Blueul on social media in 2013, the idea of “Project Semicolon” symbolizes that, like a sentence, one’s life isn’t over yet and that it continues.
Understandably, there are some nerves for Levesque-Pharoah ahead of her first tattoo, which will be done by Living Canvas, in partnership with Peer Connections Manitoba.
“When I think about the cause and I think of the struggles that people have – myself included, I myself have lost friends to suicide – when you compare it to that, I'm getting pretty excited to show that I'm an ally now.”
This is part of a broader $200,000 fundraising campaign which includes various organizations and community champions, in hopes of creating a more equitable and compassionate Manitoba.
“We want people to be able to get the support when they need it because we know that every dollar we spend in that mental health preventative space is saving uncounted dollars and lives later on,” explains Levesque-Pharoah.
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 Manitobans are impacted by mental health challenges with at least 1 in 5 Canadians experiencing a mental health problem in a year.
“I think those numbers keep going up, not because things are getting more difficult inherently, but I think people are recognizing what they're going through much more frequently,” says Milne.
“It's a big deal when people can actually get support and talk to somebody about what they're dealing with.”
Get help with suicidal thoughts
In addition to Peer Connections Manitoba, Milne points to Klinic Community Health or the Canadian Mental Health Association as support services.
If you're in immediate danger or need urgent medical support, call 9-1-1.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.