I was invited to speak at the gorgeous Sisters For Sisters fundraising event about current news from the Australian Suicide Prevention sector, storytelling from recent conversations, fact-finding and progressive perspectives that have inspired me since the National Suicide Prevention Conference, Perth 2014.
This particular episode, Brothers in Our Arms, was hosted to show support for men in the community experiencing depression and suicidality, and to highlight the tireless work of Lifeline Australia in suicide prevention. In 2013, Lifeline took 730,000 calls through its suicide support hotline. Incredible!
C.C. Myers
The Babyfacedassassin
Advocate of the Heart and Soul in Mental Health Care
*** A note on language:
In this video I refer to the act of someone dying by suicide as a ‘completed suicide’ despite knowing that it is more appropriate to say Ended his/her life. I muddled my words during this presentation!
This is a good reference for applying more appropriate language when we discuss suicide:
STIGMATISING TERMINOLOGY APPROPRIATE TERMINOLOGY
Committed suicide Died by suicide
Successful suicide Suicided
Completed suicided Ended his/her life or took his/her own life
Failed attempt at suicide Non-fatal attempt at suicide
Unsuccessful suicide Attempt to end his/her life
This table is taken from ‘Suicide and language: Why we shouldn’t use the ‘C’ word, by Susan Beaton, Dr
Peter Forster and Dr Myf Maple. Published in InPsych, February 2013, and available online at
http://www.psychology.org.au/Content.aspx?ID=5048.