No matter how long I work in the mental health field when we talk about suicide people find the subject challenging.
Mental Health First Aid has been talking about, training participants and reducing stigma about suicidal thoughts and behaviours since its inauguration in 2000.
That's a lot of training, debunking myths and demystifying suicide in Australia and around the world.
2% of the Australian population have already been trained in Mental Health First Aid. Lots of people have suicidal thoughts but most do not act on them.
When we discuss suicide in the course it is like breaking through each time, giving participants a chance to really think and openly discuss a topic that is rarely open for discussion. There is a freedom in this that takes flight and releases participants to be together at a deeper and more meaningful level.
Mental Health First Aid Australia have just released news that they will be offering a half day MHFA for the Suicidal Person, teaching how to provide mental health first aid to someone experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
This opens the opportunity for more people to cross over the line on one of the last taboos and be able to talk and learn about suicide in a supported environment. Let's dispel the myths and explode the taboo, suicide is an important topic and mental health is everyone's responsibility.
Remember Mental Health is everybody's business.
