Today is designated as RU OK day — a day to check in on friends and family to make sure they are managing. It is particularly relevant in these times of isolation and lockdowns as many are struggling with their mental health.
My phone beeped first thing this morning with a text from a friend enquiring if I was okay, and if I needed any support she was there for me. Simple, concise and to the point, but I was left in no doubt that if I’d needed any help then a reply text would have gotten me a caring listening ear. It also mentioned that a problem shared is a problem solved — or at least halved.
There are many ways we can get help if the struggle begins to be too much and sometimes we are hesitant to ask for help, thinking that it is a sign of weakness, or that we may be a bother to someone. But I like to think as if the shoe was on the other foot. If one of your friends contacted you to say they were feeling overwhelmed and struggling with their day-to-day living then how would you respond? Would you brush them off because you were in the middle of something or would you drop what you’re doing and be there for them? If we can stop to think of it in these terms then there is no issue because we always want to help our friends.
Also we are rarely being asked to actually solve their problems, but rather to be a listening ear and sometimes all people need is simply that. Years ago I did a free online course called QPR — Question, Persuade and Refer. It was run by the Salvation Army and I found it very informative. It is still available and to access QPR suicide prevention training please head to: suicideprevention.salvos.org.au or call 0294663541. Then there is LivingWorks which also has a training program to help you recognise a potential suicide, and teaches how to respond.
Of course there is always Lifeline, Beyond Blue and there are many others out there who are only too willing to help. So If you think that someone you know may need help then there is an abundance of support available. However not all who may be considering suicide will ask for help directly; they may refer to it in such a way that it may seem they are not saying anything at all. So sometimes we need to just come out with the question — “Are you thinking about suicide?” It can be a very difficult question to ask but I’d rather look foolish for a short while and know that someone is okay, than to think it may be a possibility and then find yourself going to a funeral.
So whilst I think that initiatives such as RU OK day are great, they are publicised for only a short time. I believe we need to be on the lookout for the signs that people are not coping all year round.
#copingsuicide #blacklivesmatter #lifematters
copingwithsuicide 