Suicide Prevention in Ireland
Yesterday we shared some Australian resources, today I came across an Irish resource for suicide prevention, and thought we should give the Irish readers some equal time:
Sharing – Small Talk With A Stranger Can Still Save Lives, Says Samaritans
I’ve talked about this a little bit, but maybe not in detail. When I was really struggling, I can’t necessarily say that someone starting a conversation with me made the difference that day. I don’t think I was self-aware enough to know that. What I do know, however, is that being seen makes a huge difference. In my depression, I did not want to be seen. I wanted to fade away. That was the driver behind my desire, to simply not be here. To disconnect from everything in order to disconnect from the pain I was in. Small connections helped me understand what I was giving up, and why I might want to rethink that.
Sharing – Half of men have had unwanted sexual experiences, UK study finds
We have always kind of known that the estimates for all survivors is low because of underreporting, especially for men, where reporting is actually pretty uncommon. What this study is suggesting is that the numbers we typically rely on, are significantly lower than the reality.
Sharing – Antidepressant use in England soars as pandemic cuts counselling access
This is not great. Medication can be incredibly helpful, but it’s really not a “fix” for depression.
“Lucy Schonegevel, the deputy campaigns director at the mental health charity Rethink, said there was a “big risk of antidepressants being prescribed with no support”, adding that such medications should “go hand in hand” with therapy.
Her concerns were echoed by the mental health campaigner Natasha Devon, who said: “People are going to their GPs with symptoms of mental illness and being sent away with a bag of medication, having been put on an 18-month waiting list.””
U.K. World Mental Health Day Rundown
Top stories from the U.K. for World Mental Health Day. You may find more by searching Google News. https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/liverpool-lads-carry-39kg-over-26-miles-to-mark-world-mental-health-day/ https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/mental-health-day-england-football-070008697.html https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/tennis-news/news-and-opinion/general-news/2020/october/world-mental-health-day-oli-jones–how-tennis-saved-my-life/ https://www.atvtoday.co.uk/160285-uktv/ (Dave and CALM Mental Health Day) https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/community-news/qpr-supports-world-mental-health-day/ https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/uk/harry-and-meghan-join-podcast-to-support-world-mental-health-day/ https://www.efl.com/-more/all-about-the-efl/official-charity/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54418803 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/54477545
Samaritans UK Charity on How to Help
A charity by the name of Samaritans from the UK has put together a ton of resources, one of which caught my eye because it’s a question we hear quite often: What to do if you think someone isn’t OK Not only do they have a section on what do do if you’re worried about…