In an interesting and controversial case, a 20 year old woman is currently on trial in Massachusetts and is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. The charge is related to the death of her boyfriend 3 years ago which was deemed a suicide; however, it has since been reported that prior to his death, the woman had been sending texts encouraging her partner to follow through on his plan to end his life.

The case is being followed closely as it could set legal precedent. Currently in the state there is no law against encouraging someone to commit suicide, and previous cases regarding others' involvement in an individual's suicide (i.e. encouraging online, bullying, and offering tips/support in carrying it out) have been generally unclear.

"The case against Ms. Carter is not without precedent, but such cases are rare and raise unusual challenges for prosecutors: To what extent can one person be responsible — and criminally liable — for the suicide of another person?

“The key issue is going to be causation, of who actually caused the death,” said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, who said people who kill themselves are generally considered to have acted of their own will. “Did she,” Ms. Levenson said, “or did the victim himself?”"

To find out more, visit:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/us/suicide-texting-manslaughter-trial.html

When those in a high school in Oakland County, Michigan watched the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, the premise and themes it focused on hit close to home as the school had also lost one of their students to suicide back in 2013.

While the show has been criticized, many feel it accurately and excellently portrayed present day issues that teens face today including bullying, body-shaming, social media use, abusive relationships, as well as consent and sexual violence, and even the increased risks associated with having access to weapons such as guns in the home. 

Despite this, many at the school including the dean felt the show portrayed little hope, and depicted suicide as the only way out, without highlighting the many mental health resources available and the care/support family and friends frequently provide. This sparked an idea for a project called "13 Reasons Why Not" ...

The project involved 13 recordings from students at the school being played over morning announcements. Each day, on the recording one teen would share a problem they had been struggling with, whether that would be bullying at school or issues in their home life. However, rather than placing blame, at the end of the recording, the student would thank someone, such as another classmate who has helped them and thus provided a sense of hope and encouragement to carry on.

​Since the project has been in place, students who have volunteered recordings have found an outpouring of love and support from their classmates, and have found that their school has become a community where individuals feel safe and comfortable sharing their mental health struggles. A bright idea not only to raise awareness and encourage ongoing discussions on these issues, but to show what 13 Reasons does not ... that help, hope, and support do exist. 

"“I watched the series. I thought it accurately depicted the problems that teenagers in high school are facing now. But it was incredibly troubling to me that suicide was portrayed as being, almost, inevitable, like she had no other option,” said Fine.
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“The idea was to come up with 13 reasons why not, because that was not portrayed in the show. … Even though it can get very dark, there is always hope. Our message is that there are no 13 reasons why. Suicide is not an option."

To find out more, visit:
"Oxford High School students begin project called '13 Reasons Why Not'" by Monica Drake (Oakland Press News)

Marine corp veteran and suicide survivor, Timothy Lawson, shares some powerful insights into how we can improve suicide prevention efforts in our communities based on his own experiences as well as his observations from an 18 month study of suicide among the veteran population. 

Specifically, Lawson challenges us to adopt a proactive approach to mental health, and one that incorporates 4 simple components: empathy, a sense of purpose, mentorship, and knowledge that we matter. 
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"If I went to a doctor to show concern about heart disease, he or she would probably recommend nutrition, fitness, and overall care for my cardiovascular system. My doctor would not need to see me at risk for heart disease to recommend these preventative measures. I do not need to show symptoms for my doctor to be proactive about my physical health. Yet the culture around mental health, specifically suicide prevention is reactive. We wait until we see the signs ... then we act. Is the person talking about death often? Are they giving their belongings away? Did they seem distant or detached? I'm here to challenge us all to be proactive about suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention."

In honour of #WSPD and TWLOHA's theme "And I Kept Living' this year, suicide survivors were asked why they kept living. Their answers are beautifully honest, and serve as a real and raw expression of hope, love, and drive for life. 

“I kept living because I realized no matter how I saw myself, there were people who loved me and believed in me. I learned pain wasn’t all there was and that pain meant I was still alive. I still struggle today, but no matter what, I will continue to keep on living.”

“I kept living because a guy I loved couldn’t be in this world anymore. He died by suicide two weeks ago. I’m living for both of us now.”

“I keep living because I am not done breaking the stigma of mental illness by openly, unabashedly telling the story of my struggles with depression and anxiety. I keep living because I know I’m not alone in this fight and I want others to know they aren’t alone either.”

“I kept living because I was meant to. And so are you.”

For the full article, click here: https://themighty.com/2016/09/suicide-prevention-reasons-to-keep-living-ikeptliving/

Did you know that as part of #WSPD, you can get involved by wearing an orange/yellow ribbon which helps to raise awareness for suicide prevention, as well as, show support to those who are suicide survivors or have lost a loved one to suicide.

2016 marks the inaugural year of the universal suicide prevention awareness ribbon.  "Yellow and orange were shown to be the two most frequently used colours in suicide prevention awareness around the world. The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) also believes orange and yellow colours illicit feelings of hope, like the dawning of a sunrise on a new day." The IASP also uses these colours as it reflects the burning flame of a candle, reflecting hope and offering a light in the darkness.

As part of National Suicide Awareness Week, suicide survivors were asked what they wished others understood about their experiences with suicide and suicidal ideation. 

For those of us who have not contemplated suicide ourselves it can be incredibly difficult to understand the mindset of someone who has. Thus, the hope of this article is to shed light on individuals' experiences with #suicide to help eradicate judgment and stigma of suicide, and learn instead how we can help our loved ones who have been through or are going through these troubling times. 

“I don’t really want to die. I just want to kill the way I feel, shut up the incessant chatter in my brain, have a break from feeling like the worst most unworthy and unlovable creature on earth. It is not selfish nor cowardly. It is not to hurt you. It is pure unadulterated desperation.”

“Attempting suicide is not weakness. It can be a cry for help, which takes much strength to ask for when your mind does not want you to. It is a lack of understanding within yourself and from others. It is confusion when you constantly feel like a failure. It is a permanent solution to a temporary feeling that doesn’t feel temporary at all. It is so much more than a mere escape from suffering, and it is sometimes the only conclusion our brains with illnesses can make for ourselves when we don’t know what else to do.”

“I wish my friends and family could understand that it’s not their fault. It wasn’t that I didn’t know they loved me; it was because I was buried so deep. It was too dark for me to see or feel their love. It’s a totally different reality. I just wanted all my struggles and their feelings of helplessness to end. I didn’t want to leave them. I just didn’t have it in me to keep fighting my monsters.”

For the full article, click here: https://themighty.com/2016/09/what-its-like-to-try-to-kill-yourself/

Did you know that today, September 10th, is World Suicide Prevention Day?

Every year the International Association for Suicide Prevention holds #WSPD to raise awareness for suicide, which takes the life of an individual every 40 seconds around the world, including that of 4000 Canadians every year.

This year the theme is "Connect, communicate, care", three vital ingredients in addressing and preventing suicide in our communities.

To learn more about this year's WSPD and how you can get involved, check out the links below. You can also get involved by joining the conversation on Twitter by using #WSPD.
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https://www.iasp.info/wspd/index.php
http://suicideprevention.ca/wspd/

Catch up on all the news related to mental health and psychiatry from the last few weeks!

Catch up on all the news related to mental health and psychiatry!