World Suicide Prevention Day

Suicide is something that can touch all of us. Whether it is someone we know, someone we care about, or something that affects us personally.

How often has someone turned up on site and put on a brave face? Laughed and smiled their way through the day hoping that nobody will pick up on how they may actually feel? With today being World Suicide Prevention Day, now is the time to start the conversation.

Despite people working in the trades growing into a diverse population, those working on the tools are predominantly male. Men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women so it’s important for us to help continue the conversion around suicide and mental health.

‘It’s okay to not be okay’ has become a widely used phrase and it’s that initial acceptance of not feeling okay that has helped many. Allowing yourself to have a day where you feel a bit low and not beating yourself up over not feeling great can really help.

One of the most effective ways of helping your mental health is to have a conversation about it. Whether that’s with a friend, colleague or family member, and letting them know that you’re having a bit of a rough time can help to lift a weight off your shoulders.

Mental Health Experts

If you’re not comfortable in talking to people you know then there are some brilliant services out there that can be of real help. 

Samaritans is a registered charity who look to support people suffering with mental illness. Whether you’re struggling to cope or at risk of suicide they operate a free 24 hour helpline.

Call: 116 123 (Free 24-hour helpline)

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) help people who are struggling with their mental health. Their helpline is open from 5pm through to midnight and they also operate an online chat facility if talking over the phone isn’t right for you.

Mental health can be severely affected by money issues. Money, whether we like it or not, plays an incredibly important part in our lives. Without it we’d be struggling for life’s essentials and concerns over where your next pay cheque is coming from can have a real baring on how you feel.

Fortunately there are some excellent services out there that can help you if your mental health has suffered due to finance. Check out the Mental Health & Money Advice website if you’re struggling.