News - SUICIDE PREVENTION PROJECT

Since the 1960’s suicide rates in Ireland have dramatically increased and the high rate of suicide amongst young people is one of the highest in Europe. There is no family in Kerry that has not been touched by the impact of suicide. Whilst there are a lot of services out there to support people, sadly there are still some gaps. SouthWest Counselling Centre aims to address this through our Suicide Prevention Project.

Our Counselling service provides a supportive relationship to people in times of crisis and assists people who feel isolated. Our counsellors work to enable individuals to discover more effective ways of handling stressful situations.

Are you concerned about suicide?

TALKING to SOMEONE CAN HELP

Are you feeling suicidal?

Talking openly about how you feel can be a huge relief. Sometime you may feel that you don’t want to burden the other person or someone you know. However, from our experience most concerned family members and friends really want to help, and don’t want to see you suffering alone.
Our Counselling service provides a supportive relationship to people in times of crisis and assists people who feel isolated. Our counsellors work to enable individuals to discover more effective ways of handling stressful situations.

Are you concerned that someone you know is suicidal?

All threats of suicide should be taken seriously. Responding to such a situation can be very difficult. We may feel inadequately trained or ill prepared when faced with something so serious. Sometimes we may not want to hear and wish the problem would just go away. This is very natural. It is worth noting that even those who are trained to respond can also find it difficult.


If you are concerned about someone, you can talk to a counsellor at SouthWest Counselling Centre 064 36416. They will listen and support you in dealing with this crisis and assist you in putting together a safe plan.

The following steps may be useful:

SHOW YOU CARE



Offer support and let them know you care
Say something like:-

‘I’m worried about you and I want to help’

‘What’s up? I’m very worried about you’


ASK THE QUESTION

Don’t be afraid to discuss suicide – asking about it won’t
put the idea in people’s heads:

‘Do you feel like like harming yourself/suicide?’

‘Are you considering suicide’/do feel ending your life?


CALL FOR HELP

Encourage them to look for help:

‘Let’s talk to someone who can help’

‘I’ll stay with you until you get help’

‘You’re not alone and there are people who can help you out of this situation’


IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN CRISIS NOW AND NEEDS SOMEONE TO TALK TO:

CONTACT:

Samaritans (24 hours) 1850 609090
Your local GP
Southdoc – out of hours GP service 		1850 335999
Go to or contact the A/E Department
Tralee General Hospital 		066 7184000
SouthWest Counselling Centre
Killarney (10am – 5pm) 		064 36416
Suicide Help Line (6pm -10pm) 1800 633633

Further info from:
Southwest Counselling Centre,
Emmets Road,
Killarney,
Co.Kerry,
064 36416
info@southwestcounselling.ie