Most people feel uncomfortable discussing suicide. We can be immobilised by thoughts like “What if I say the wrong thing?” or “I don’t want to put the idea in their head.” At LifeConnect our Reach Out & Connect training has been developed to equip people with an understanding of what factors can lead to suicidal feelings and practical tools to respond. Our trainings are delivered by a team of Lived Experience Practitioners who intentionally draw on the collective courage of Lived Experience expertise as well as their own experiences to build community capacity to Reach Out and Connect with someone who is thinking of suicide.
In our trainings we provide unique Lived Experience perspectives on suicide grounded in evidence-based theories with first-hand understanding of what it is like to navigate the challenges of suicide. Suicide is taboo in cultures across the globe, with many people viewing suicidality as ‘weak,’ ‘selfish’ and ‘attention seeking.’ We know intimately the commonly felt emotions of shame, burdensomeness and guilt that stems from stigma associated with suicide. The result we continually see of stigma and taboo is silence and avoidance. We use our experiences and those of the Lived Experience collective to challenge the entrenched silence of stigma along with the associated beliefs to empower people to have the courage to have conversations about suicide.
Genuinely connecting with people in distress through the values of empathy, non-judgement, and care can make someone who is feeling isolated and burdensome feel seen and valued. Connection is the medicine and is suicide prevention in action. Asking directly about suicide can show a person that you are genuinely interested. Connection, meaning, and purpose is imperative in suicide prevention. We support workforce and community groups to enhance their capacity to not only have the courage to begin a conversation about suicide but to have the courage to sit in the pain with someone and listen without judgement.
To demonstrate how we use Lived Experience Practice to fight stigma and encourage people to reach out and connect, we will deliver a shortened four-hour version of our nine-hour training. In our session we will highlight how harnessing the collective courage of the community though a lived experience lens can empower people to reflect on their own discomfort and values to break the stigma and have conversations about suicide. Empowering community to have conversations early on will have impact in suicide prevention.