When you read about a suicide in the news, it seems far away. No way this could happen here. Not in my town. Not in my neighborhood. Certainly not in my family.
Until it does.
Suicide rates are climbing. Our area has seen many in the past year, several in the last month. When a suicide occurs “close to home,” it reverberates through the town like the sound of a gong. Everyone is saddened and shocked that this terrible thing took place in “their” neighborhood. Previously, when you read about a suicide, you might have experienced a little sadness, but with no afterthought. Now it is “too close to home” to ignore.
“A suicide is like a pebble in a pond. The waves ripple outward.”
Sadly, the family and community are deeply affected. Obviously, the family is broken-hearted and in a state of shock and the first wave of impact. The next wave is the friends, classmates, teammates, teachers, first-responders, etc. Ultimately, the community as a whole may feel the ripple changing their own “pond.”
Following a suicide, postvention is needed. Postvention provides crisis intervention and community support. Postvention is really prevention as the help and support throughout the community prevents future suicide loss and prepares us for when suicide does take place. Talking about suicide is essential for prevention and postvention. Being silent helps no one.
Talk to your children. Check up on friends and family – even the strong ones (maybe especially them). Be willing to ask the hard questions and be prepared for honest answers. Leave it open-ended, so there is always room to continue the talk.
It will need to be continued.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours every day
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