• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 7 subscribers
  • Views 249 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Local "suicide prevention" campaign

mp500

So, I just found out that my local council, in conjunction with various local mental health/autism groups, have launched a suicide prevention campaign, with an emphasis on autistic people.

Not surprisingly, it just contains generic stuff about talking to friends/family [I thought autistic people didn't have friends], calling the Samaritans [who are planning to close 100 odd branches soon], or downloading an app [ok...]. There's also "training" available for those who want to experience some death-by-powerpoint.

Doesn't look like there's anything there to help people get quality decent paying jobs, or claiming the benefits they're entitled to, or overcoming loneliness, or improving access to GPs. And where were these campaigns 5 years ago during lockdown... oh wait, they weren't standing up to the government during lockdown because they were actively pushing the lockdown agenda!

  • For those wondering, here's the link to the suicide prevention campaign I was on about: https://www.be-the-one.co.uk. Its basically a directory of URLs and telephone numbers. 

    Here's a link to one of the "training courses" they recommend. If you are not ready to kill yourself now, you will be by the end of these: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/suicide-awareness-training

    One of the other links is to some "app" thing called "Stay Alive". I don't have access to apps, but the online demo suggests you can programme it to tell you things - e.g. "When I'm suicidal I will talk to a friend or the Samaritans", or "I will go to so-and-so's house". Seriously, who gets paid to make this crap? See stayalive.prevent-suicide.org.uk

    Not surprising, in today's news: "Samaritans facing volunteer exodus over proposed branch closures" - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c931w38kdqwo 

  • In an ideal world there would be a specially trained professional who specialises in autistic mental health that could come out to visit someone in a crisis. And not just a localised service but all over the UK. The real world equivalent would be the community mental health team although I am not sure they are available all up and down the country. 

  • People who aren't autistic can find it difficult to understand what it's like being on the spectrum, and if someone has never felt despair and enough to not want to go on living, that's difficult for them to imagine too. So if you are unable to "put yourself in someone else's shoes" it's difficult to come up with solutions that help .

    Perhaps you should suggest that they signpost people to this forum, as it's one place where at least they will be really understood.