World Suicide Prevention Day 2024: The challenge of expanding awareness to include male victims and sustaining awareness beyond 24 hours.
September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, and I guarantee lives will be saved.
And some won't.
Folks will celebrate how they, for a day, raised awareness about suicide and how much they wished folks who are considering suicide would find help.
There will be a monumental effort to trend hashtags, maybe some class discussions, some work talks too.
And the day will end and 95% of all that effort will soon be forgotten.
The numbers will roll on, for the other 364 days of the year.
Three quarters of those suicides will be men.
Here in Canada that works out to about 3000 men per year. And men have made up that 75%, or more, of suicides for a very, very long time.
Since 1951 Canada has observed a week dedicated to mental health with an underlying theme. In 2015 that theme was men.
64 years and men were told back of the bus just wait a little longer.
And the numbers rolled on...
“My brother is long gone and not a damn thing can help him. But there are chances to stop another 'Anthony' from happening.”
By 2015 I was already fairly well versed in most of the issues a man faces from womb to tomb, and seeing the opportunity to highlight one issue that was close to me I decided I would do a walk of about 75 miles, posting stickers pointing out the fact that men were - at the time - close to 80% of all Canadian suicides.
I myself knew all too well the effects of suicide - my brother Anthony died by his own hand in 1982.
Anthony's death left a black mark on my soul.
I believe that black mark on the soul is left on all those close to a suicide victim.
And I suppose I for a long time carried around some baggage of his death. He didn't leave a note. That leaves a lot of questions.
Image: One of the stickers for Project Jeb
I assume most of you would think my brother is the main reason why I do the walks.
It is a small part of why I do the walks. I do think of him here and there as my feet beat the street.
The main reason is the hope that I prevent another Anthony.
My brother is long gone and not a damn thing can help him.
“It's a simple concept: I highlight the fact 75% of suicides are men, remind men they matter, and provide the government suicide hotline.”
But there are chances to stop another 'Anthony' from happening. And over the years with the help of some awesome artists I have managed to put together chances to prevent men from killing themselves.
It's a simple concept: I highlight the fact 75% of suicides are men, remind men they matter, and provide the government suicide hotline.
I called it Project Jeb after the dog I had on the first walk.
I originally called it the 'Men-tell health walk' but while preparing for the second walk Jeb died.
So to honour my old wingman I changed the name.
It's been many miles since I did the first walk. I remember I had many blisters, I used gorilla tape to keep gauze on them.
It's been 9 years since that first walk. Every year I start the year off asking myself why bother, do I got another walk in me? Does Jeb's replacement Charger have another walk in him? He is 9 and his beard is about as white as mine.
But his tail still wags and he did get another thumbs up from the vet.
After this year's world suicide awareness day passes, and those deplorable ignored numbers roll on as the world turns its collective attention to something else,
I know one thing, Those Project Jeb stickers I put up every year, they're a chance at preventing another Anthony.
And they are doing their suicide prevention job 365 days per year.
Blisters heal, money can be made again.
A person can’t be brought back nor can the lives of those close to a suicide victim be whole again.
And the numbers will still roll on.
f you are having thoughts of suicide, or have been impacted by the suicide of someone close to you, phone Samaritans on 116 123 (UK & Ireland), who are open 24 hours per day, every day of the year. In Canada or the US phone 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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Dan Perrins
Ordinary man driven to delivering one-man voluntary community health promotion by extraordinary circumstances. I run #ProjectJeb throughout Southern Ontario, Canada, hoping to improve men’s mental health by spreading the Four Pillars of Jeb. #MenMatter no more or less than #WomenMatter. Be a Jeb-i warrior - be a force for good.