It reminds us that suicide is about more than statistics. Each occasion when someone, and particularly a young person, takes their own life is a tragedy for themselves and for their friends and relatives. The realisation that so many young lives with all their possibility have been cut off, and that the passion for life has been smothered by disadvantage, by despair or by illness, is horrifying and affecting. World Suicide Prevention Day leads us from recognising the loss that is involved in suicide to ask how we can help prevent similar deaths in future. That change of focus should not distract us from the hard reality of suicide. An important element in prevention will be to help people to reflect and talk about the deaths of people whom they have loved dearly. In our culture it has been difficult to talk about suicide, and the silence has been destructive. That taboo may be changing now that we have been made more aware of the risks of suicide and the need to address them. To prevent suicide we must build into our society the resources to help adults re-engage with society through work and build a sense of belonging. We must also accompany young people as they struggle to work through issues they encounter that lead to a despair of finding meaning in their lives. Suicide Prevention Day is a time for valuing community as the place in which hope can grow and health be restored. It is about listening and talking to one another. (Source: Australian Catholics Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ)
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