Safe Talk training with Drew
SafeTALK is a certified training programme that prepares anyone over the age of 15 to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.
Target Audience: Counselors, teachers, ministers, those in a health or justice, community workers, emergency service workers, mental health practitioners, everyone.
The programme will:-
- Enable you to identify the signs for risk of suicide.
- Enable you to safely ask someone about suicide.
- Enable you to listen to someone who is in emotional distress and thinking of suicide.
- Enable you to increase safety from the risk of suicide and reflecting on what is expected within our job and volunteer roles.
Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety. As a SafeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to:-
- Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
- Identify people who have thoughts of suicide;
- Apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.
https://www.amh.org.uk/services/menssana/safetalk/
http://www.northerntrust.hscni.net/livewell/1396.htm
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/speak-out-stay-safe/
I feel that this training has left me with the skills to hopefully pick up the sign that a personal maybe thinking about suicide to asked and get them the people and support they need to mange these thoughts.
Things I need to remember it is not my job to support the person thought the hold process i am not trained to do this it in my job to ask the person and stay with them until help comes.
If you’re feeling like you want to die, it’s important to tell someone.
Help and support is available right now if you need it. You don’t have to struggle with difficult feelings alone.
Just because someone is having suicidal thoughts does not mean they want to kill themselves they will be conscious or unconscious sending singles out asking for help they just need support to work thought what they are experiencing
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/mindyourmood
One death by suicide every two hours
Suicide is a final act of behavior that is the result of a range of factors, difficulties and distress.14 For many people an attempt occurs after months of having thoughts and feelings about suicide.
What to look out for:-
- Feeling depressed, withdrawn and anxious.
- Loss of interest in hobbies, work, socializing or even in their appearance.
- Expressing feelings of hopelessness or purposelessness.
- Acting impulsively or in a reckless way and not caring what happens to them.
- Giving away possessions, sorting out their affairs or making a will.
- Talking about suicide, death or dying or wanting it all to end.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/suicide
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate in the UK.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-45836491/suicide-in-northern-ireland-i-have-no-sons-left
More people have taken their own lives in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday agreement than were killed in political violence during the Troubles between 1969 and 1997, the latest regional figures on suicide reveal.
The statistics on the state of mental health in the region show that since the peace deal about 4,500 suicides were registered in the region.
An estimated 3,600 people died in shootings, bombings and other killings during the Troubles.
concern over Northern Ireland’s “worsening mental health crisis”.
Northern Ireland has a 25% higher rate of mental illness than England.
Statistics released from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) have shown that of the 80 deaths registered as suicide between January and March 2018, almost half of them were young people aged 15 – 34. Bernard McAnaney AWARE Chairperson said: “Unfortunately, the prevalence of mental illness in Northern Ireland is 25% higher than any other region of the UK yet our funding for mental health is significantly lower. As a charity, we are continually fundraising in a bid to increase our service to as many people as possible. “We are seeing an increase in demand for our services including the AWARE Support Groups and Support Mail service. AWARE Support Groups are free of charge and open to anyone over the age of 18. We have 25 Support Groups based in communities throughout Northern Ireland running on a weekly and fortnightly basis as well as an Online Support Group.Depression can be a very isolating illness and an AWARE Support Group gives people an opportunity to meet others with similar experiences and speak freely about how they are feeling.”
Read more at:
So this shows that training like SafeTalk are more important than ever. We will mostly likely be working in northern Ireland so will will mostly likely meet clients that have had suicidal thought or have unsuccessfully tried to take their life or have friends or family that were successful in their attempt.
What can we do? :-
- Go on training talk about suicide.
- Address it by its name.
- Try to change the stigma behind it so that it is easier to talk about.
- Know that anyone can have suicidal thought.
The attitudes we hold towards people who attempt to take their lives can influence the course of their condition. The isolation that suicidal people feel can be reinforced by a judgmental approach in which their behavior is viewed as manipulative or selfish. By stepping beyond our personal assumptions, and showing care and respect for the people behind the behaviors, we can help them share their feelings and help prevent suicides.
If you are have suicidal thoughts remember you are not alone please talk to someone
Where could you get help?
https://www.inspirewellbeing.org/mentalhealth/directory-links
0808 808 8000
Lifeline
If you or someone you know needs help, you can telephone Lifeline free at any time. Lifeline is a crisis response helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people in Northern Ireland. It offers immediate help over the telephone if you, or someone you know, is in distress or despair.
- Lifeline Freephone Telephone: 0808 808 8000
The Samaritans
The Samaritans offer a 24-hour telephone helpline:-
- Telephone: 028 9066 4422 (local call charges apply)
- National telephone:116 123 (this number is free to call)
- Text phone: 08457 90 91 92
You can also contact them by email or post.
Childline
If you’re under 19, you can contact Childline:-
- Telephone: 0800 1111
