Weekly News Roundup Aug. 27 – Sept. 2, 2022
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Nationwide 3-digit suicide prevention hotline launching next year, CRTC says – CBC
August 31, 2022
Last week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that Canada will adopt a 3-digit suicide prevention hotline number sometime next year, which will be accessible by dialing 9-8-8 – the same 3-digits used for the US hotline, which was launched there in July. Conservative BC MP Todd Doherty tabled a motion for the hotline which MPs voted unanimously in favour of back in December 2020. MP Doherty says, “It took way too long to do this but today is a great day. When minutes and seconds count, this will save lives.”
Related:
This MP lost a friend to suicide. So he fought to bring a crisis hotline to Canada – CBC As It Happens
CAMH tapped to lead rollout of 988 suicide crisis line – City News
What to Do When You’re a Parent Contemplating Suicide – Parents
August 31, 2022
In this article, Kimberly Zapata describes her journey with having thoughts of suicide as a parent, and how she recovered from those thoughts. Reaching out to friends and family, creating a safety plan and working to get the mental health help needed are actions that people contemplating suicide can take to stay safe. Zapata says, “While I could have easily been one of a million (Americans who attempted suicide)—while I was closer than I would like to admit—a few things saved me: excellent support, care, and an emergency plan.”
Physician burnout, depression, and suicide – Medical Economics
August 31, 2022
September 17 is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, a reminder that physician burnout and suicide need to be addressed. Kristen Kim, M.D., who studied physician suicide says, “I think medicine still, as a field, embraces this outdated sense that we need to sacrifice everything as a physician, including our own well-being and that is just simply wrong. At this point, it’s time to move beyond that and to really prioritize our own well-being in order to best care for our patients.”
Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall says he contemplated suicide while dealing with injury, family tragedies – ESPN
August 30, 2022
LA Clippers Guard John Wall opened up about having thoughts of suicide while healing a torn Achilles and coping with the deaths of family members during the pandemic. “Darkest place I’ve ever been in,” said Wall, “… I mean, just tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing, my grandma passed a year later, all this in the midst of COVID and at the same time… And to me to get back on top where I want to be and seeing the fans still want me to play, having the support from my hometown, this important period means a lot. I went to find a therapist. A lot of people think, ‘I don’t need help, I can get through it at anytime,’ but you’ve got to be true to yourself and find out what’s best for you.”
Opinion: Like me, many Americans struggle with suicidal thoughts. This law can help us. – The Washington Post
August 30, 2022
In this opinion piece, Bryan Barks, who has experienced thoughts of suicide, explains why they believe that the US proposed law, the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act, would help prevent suicide. The law would allow people in the US to put themselves on a no-buy this, preventing them from buying guns. The person could remove themselves from the list after a 21-day waiting period, which, Barks says, would “safeguard against the impulsivity that sometimes characterizes suicide attempts.” Barks explains, “I have mental clarity most of the time, but I know the storms will come again. I want to have the ability to preempt crises. I want to have the ability to protect myself from the version of me that is not thinking clearly. People who are prone to suicidal thoughts and behaviors need this bill, which allows us to protect ourselves from our unwell selves. We need this policy, which gives us the agency to make preemptive decisions about our own health.”
Three parents on the ‘black hole’ of child suicide – BBC News
August 29, 2022
Pete Kenny lost son Jamie, 17, to suicide in 2019. Reflecting on what he would have said to Jamie if he could have spoken to him before he died, he said, “This will pass. However bad you feel now, this will pass. You are not on your own, things will likely look different tomorrow, in fact they will likely look different in a few hours.” Kenny is one of the Three Dads who have lost children to suicide and walked to raise more than £800,000 for suicide prevention in the UK. Tracey Hargreaves, who joined the Three Dads for some of their walk, lost son Charlie, 17 to suicide. Hargreaves says, “You get bullying, you get social media, you get everything thrown at youngsters and they just can’t deal with it all. Like my Charlie, it was like he was looking for perfection, and I think this is too much on youngsters nowadays, that they need to be that perfect person. Well they don’t. They don’t need to be that perfect person, they need to be real, they need to be them, and I think there needs to be as much help out there as possible for them.”