Late last December, The Citizen ran a story about a woman in severe emotional distress who died after walking into the freezing Nechako River.
Last week, a Conservative MP suggested convicted killers be given the option of committing suicide.
Both situations generated immense discussion, further alerting us to grave concerns over mental health services, stigmatization and lack of awareness.
It also goes to show people are ready and even eager to talk about the serious and sometimes fatal issues around mental illness.
And that's no surprise. As reported by Statistics Canada, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the country, with the number of lives lost totalling about 10 people a day.
So why are politicians, police and media still so reluctant to discuss incidents of suicide?
Suicides are mostly reported in media and by police only in highly public cases - such as the woman walking into the Nechako. And information is typically very brief at that.
It's long been policy among authorities that suicides not be reported since it may encourage others to follow suit. But does it make sense to deny a person's illness out of an irrational fear that debilitating despondency is contagious?
Police and media also treat suicide more delicately than vehicular fatalities or even violent crimes, largely to protect victims and loved-ones from the typical insensitive judgments heaped on the mentally ill - snide comments like "Why couldn't she just snap out of it?"
Ignorance is at the heart of stigmatization, and it's why people with mental illness hide themselves away - the worst possible solution - rather than seek help.
As trite as it sounds, it's nonetheless true that self-harm is almost always preventable through caring, compassion, commitment and community. Not that it's as simple as saying so - it can take a lifetime of effort to maintain, but support is key.
Feb. 5 to 11 is national suicide prevention week, and the first step to prevention must be to take the shame away from mental illness so uncensored discussions can begin.
Taking an uncritical look at disorders leading to suicide helps those with self-destructive thoughts realize they're not alone, and helps their loved ones recognize symptoms and know how to approach them.
We at The Citizen strive to do our part with an upcoming special report on suicide and mental illness services in Prince George, as well as a special feature in conjunction with anti-bullying day, an initiative that began as a response to bullying-related suicide among children and teens.
In the meantime, if you are in crisis or know someone who is in dire need of help, reach out to the Crisis Centre for Northern B.C. by phone on its crisis line, 250 563-1214, or youth line, 250 564-8336, or get more information online at www.northernbccrisissuicide.ca.
-- Prince George Citizen
