The City of Williams Lake hosted a suicide awareness and prevention workshop this morning in support of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th.
Bettina Egert with the Canadian Mental Health Association was at the workshop and says when times are difficult, individuals can benefit from the help and support of their family, friends, and community.
“People do want to get help…People do usually want to live…They don’t want to die, they just want to get rid of the pain.”
Bettina adds that suicide prevention is a shared responsibility that begins with the willingness to talk about it and recognize the signs.
“Suicide can be prevented if people are just aware of the risks and the warning signs and if they just recognize it…It actually does affect many people; that they have suicidal thoughts or that they feel depressed. The more you have that conversation, the more likely it is that people can get help.”
Each year suicide claims the lives of more than 3,500 people in Canada, with an estimated 500 of those from BC.
For more information on World Suicide Prevention Day, you can visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention or the Mental Health Commission of Canada webpage.
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