Speaking Out About Suicide

Doreen S. Marshall, PhDSenior Director of Education and PreventionAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention

6/24/2015

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“All speaking is public speaking”--unknown

--unknown

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In general, what is most challenging for you when speaking out about suicide? (Not necessarily talking to someone at risk.)

I don’t know the right language to use. I am worried about how the other person/audience will receive the information. I don’t fully understand why people become suicidal, so it is hard to talk about it. I have my own emotional reactions to talking about suicide

Question

1. To explain safe messaging

2. To provide some guidance to help ensure that when you are speaking out about suicide, you are delivering a safe and effective message

3. To consider your own reactions when talking about suicide

4. To provide some additional resources to support us speaking out about suicide

Learning Objectives

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Speaking out about suicide: What is safe messaging?

Speaking about suicide in a way that is thoughtful, safe, positive and makes use of current research and best practices.

Speaking in a way that is mindful of the impact on both the audience and the speaker.

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What is safe messaging?

Effective sharing of stories Sends a message that healing and recovery are

possible Lets others know they are not alone Encourages help-seeking Helps to reduce the stigma of speaking out about

suicide

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Safe messaging and sharing your story

Consider the impact of your story On others On those who do not know much about suicide On those struggling right now On those grieving right now On your own healing process

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How can I share my story safely and effectively?

Define your key messages Telling your story should be to help others and

define hope

Define your narrative Talk about your journey and your healing.

Know your audience9

What should I do to speak about suicide effectively?

Incorporate a positive narrative There are actions that people can take to help to

prevent suicide. Prevention works. Resilience and recovery are possible. Effective programs and services exist. Help is available.

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What should I do to speak out about suicide safely?

It is important to understand some basic language when talking about suicide.

Those who have experienced a suicide death loss survivors, or bereaved by suicideThose who have made a suicide attempt attempt survivors, or preferred, persons with lived experience of suicide.

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Language and concepts related to talking about suicide effectively

We avoid stigmatizing language: We say “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide.” We do not refer to attempts as “successful” or “failed.”

We avoid detailed depictions of suicide methods when speaking publicly in order to keep our message safe.

We approach the topic of suicide with the awareness that given the numbers, we are likely to have someone in our midst who is a loss survivors or a person with lived experience.

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Language and concepts related to safe messaging about suicide

Practice what you are going to say.Speak slowly.Time your talk to fit into the overall programNotice what happens when you practice telling your storyBe mindful of how you might be impacted by speaking about suicide.

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Speaking out about suicide

Sharing our stories safely

Do:Go beyond expressing pain.Emphasize the journey that spans before the loss or attempt and how you have healed since.Include the full range of experiences, positive and negative

Avoid:Providing details about the method of suicideFocusing solely on the suicide attempt or deathProviding a simple explanation for suicidePortraying suicide as an option to consider

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Sharing our stories safely

Avoid:Saying that suicide happens without cause or due to a single cause.Describing suicide as an epidemic, an unsolvable problem, or what most people doProviding too many personal details about person who died

Do:Talk about the complexity of suicide and warning signsGo beyond saying, “Suicide is preventable.” Give examples of effective prevention.Provide resources for help

Suicide as a complex phenomenonNot about an individual’s willpower

Seeing resiliency in lived experienceNot “permanent fragility”

Recognizing the possibility of posttraumatic growth from lived experience

Not detracting from a person’s abilities

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Challenge our notions

Talk about suicide accurately expressing what we know from current research familiarize ourselves with resource information

(such as 1 800 273-TALK) to share with our audience, particularly if we have a vulnerable individual in our midst.

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Language and concepts related to talking about suicide safely

Examining one’s own reactions to suicide

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Consider where you are in your journey… Is it the right time for me to be sharing my story? Am I able to speak about suicide in a way that conveys

hope and a prevention message? Has enough time passed since the death or suicide

attempt? Do I have support for my own feelings beyond the event

at which I am speaking? Am I clear about the impact I want to have, and is it

consistent with the goals of the event?19

Before speaking out about suicide…

Are normalCan be a result of stigma, social influences, our own values and experiences Can result from misunderstanding or misinformation about what contributes to suicideAre not value-neutralCan evoke a sense of fear and helplessness Can evoke confusion about our role as helpers and advocates

It is important to understand our reactions so we understand how they might get in the way of these conversations.

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Our reactions to suicide…

Examine your own personal views about suicide and those who are impacted by suicide.Acknowledge how your viewpoint has been shaped by society as well as your own experiences.Educate yourself on a regular basis about suicide by consulting reliable resources.Take opportunities to learn about lived experience and suicide loss.Following an interaction with someone at risk or who is currently struggling, debrief your emotional reaction.

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Managing our reactions

Additional resources

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American Foundation for Suicide Preventionwww.afsp.org

Speaking Out About SuicideWelcoming Those with Lived Experience

Resources

Action Alliance for Suicide Preventionwww.actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org

Public/Private partnership with the goal of advancing the national strategy for suicide prevention by:

Championing suicide prevention as a national priorityCatalyzing efforts to implement high priority objectives of the NSSPCultivating resources for sustainabilityResource on Successful Messaging

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Questions for Presenter?

Doreen S. Marshall, PhDSenior Director of Education and PreventionAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention

dmarshall@afsp.org212 363-3500 x 2014

Presenter Contact Information