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OPINION: Shining light on dark places

When my friends and I were in our 30s, I had a routine girls’ night at my place. A good friend brought a friend of hers whom I didn’t know. This woman was kind, funny and laughed easily. She wore a funky hat and had a bob haircut.
woman

When my friends and I were in our 30s,  I had a routine girls’ night at my place. A good friend brought a friend of hers whom I didn’t know.

This woman was kind, funny and laughed easily. She wore a funky hat and had a bob haircut. 

Shortly after that party, my friend told me that this woman had killed herself.

Since then, I have had people closer to me go through suicidal ideation — thinking about or planning suicide — thankfully come out the other side.

The issue is complex. Contrary to popular belief people don’t usually feel this way over one incident or setback. And while 80% of those who consider, attempt or die by suicide gave off warning signs first, 20% don’t show signs, according to the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention of BC.

The best description I have read to understand why people resort to suicide was in a Today article.

“What’s happening in the brain is there’s a narrowing of coping options that stems from changes in the brain’s ability to come up with three or four ideas to problem-solve like it usually would,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “It’s not letting you access your other ways of thinking.” The brain needs help sometimes to see other ways forward, in other words.

In media, we are taught to avoid writing about suicide due to the contagion effect — or “copy-cat” effect — of news stories that deal with suicide. With celebrities, especially, studies show that because they are revered, vulnerable fans may follow suit when news of their cause of death is splashed across headlines.

But suicide is a significant public health problem and unless we shine a light on its dark spaces, it will continue to stalk our communities.

There were 572 deaths by suicide in B.C. in 2017, according to the Coroners Service of British Columbia.

The highest rate of death by suicide was between the ages of 40 to 49.

Thirty-three of those who died were between 10 and 19 years old.

Squamish is not immune, as many locals know all too well.

In 2017, there were 40 deaths by suicide in our North Shore/Coast Garibaldi region.

From 2007 to 2017, 406 people died by suicide in our region. 

These deaths are a significant loss to our society. And the cost to loved ones is great.

It weighs on the living. There’s blame and shame and a sad lack of compassion from others.

This is what gets lost when media doesn’t cover this issue — the loss to us all.

And silence perpetuates the stigma, thus preventing people from saying the words “I need help” to their doctor or trusted ally and it prevents bereaved families from talking openly about it or getting the support they need.

Let’s make it less scary to talk about and address.

If you are thinking about suicide, know someone who is, or have lost someone to suicide, there’s help. Call the toll-free crisis line: 1-866-661-3311. The First Nations and Aboriginal specific crisis line is available 24/7: 1-800-KUU-US17 (1-800-588-8717).

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