People are speaking out about mental illness as part of World Suicide Prevention Day.
According to suicideprevention.ca, 210 Canadians attempt to take their lives every day, 11 of whom are successful.
Smithers Mental Health spokesperson Cynthia Rondeau says it’s important to open up about how you feel.
“It’s quite liberating for someone who has ever contemplated ending their life or looking at ‘what is the meaning of my life?’, ‘why am I here?’, ‘what’s it all worth?’, ‘what’s it for?’, to have someone to share that with,” she says.
Rondeau says it’s important to ask the tough questions.
“Ask them ‘have you every thought about killing yourself, would you do that?’ Get honest about talking about and get real about the subject because a lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about that,” she says.
Rondeau says that anyone in need of help can explore many avenues, including the Mental Health and Addiction Services Centre, Friendship centre, Positive Living Northwest, or a local physician among others.
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