Our Suicide Rates Are Heartbreaking: 3 things you can do to help / Hadz Pouesi

Photo credit Twigs & Sticks media

Last year I was on tour in the Hawkes Bay when the 2018 suicide stats came out. I wrote a post that I decided not to share at the time because I was afraid how it might be received. This year I feel compelled to write my thoughts out again.

It is a true shame that our suicide toll is as high as it is, but I really feel we tend to handle this news the wrong way (and I am only basing this off the tone of my personal news feed). But, I feel we highlight the problem, point fingers and sensationalize the issue, yet never really talk about solutions.

Fighting negativity with negativity will only result in more negativity. I can go on and on about this but I realize that I will in turn be adding to the negativity.

So let's change the conversation and talk about some solutions.

If you are keen to help beyond your news feeds here is some tips:

1. Every day, message someone randomly and let them know something great about themselves. You never know what your unplanned words of affirmation could do for someone and you don't need to target the people you feel are going through a hard time (supporting them should be a give-in). Choose people who you feel "have it all together", everybody needs some positive vibes!

2. Volunteer your time at health providers or social services. I work at an AMAZING organisation and we are always looking for volunteers. We have a ground breaking Online Intervention Team that is always looking for people to jump on board, they have hundreds of conversations with people who are identifying as going through crisis. Other than us there are a TON of organisations that would love some support. The system isn’t broken, we just don’t have enough soldiers on the frontline with us.

3. Have meaningful face to face conversations, try for at least one a week (I know that sounds easy but if you reflect on your last couple of meaningful conversations most of us would be looking at weeks if not months between chats). Shout someone lunch, go for coffee, have a beer and have a good old chat. The power in talking is huge!

There is so much we can do, but we need to get out from the comfort of our keyboards and jump on the frontline. Unfortunately these actions aren't going to get you hundreds of likes or followers on insta, these are solely actions for you to make our communities better places.

A few thoughts before wrapping up...

This isn't a New Zealand issue, this is a worldwide epidemic. As high as our toll is we are still sitting around 50th in the world (it is a myth that we are 1st). So as a country let's be the worldwide solution.

And finally, my heart goes out to our Pacific and Maori men. The stats don't lie and we aren't holding up to well. As a youth worker it hurts to see the number of young people taking their lives is rising. Yet, it is still nowhere near the number of grown men (especially Pacific and Maori) who have given up hope. I know how it feels to hit the wall, I have battled that taniwha many times and still do to this day, but brothers we can do it, we can keep fighting. We are losing too many soldiers to this unnecessary war. Please make an effort to check in with the men in your life, fathers, brothers, grandfathers, kaumatua...

Words of affirmation and life are not exclusive to those stereo-typically labelled as vulnerable.

Let's be the champions of this! Let's spread positivity and be the change we want to see in our communities.

#jointhefrontline

Hadz Pouesi, is an expierenced Youth Worker and also the Regional Manager of Zeal, Auckland.