Suicide

This sounds like a dark subject, and it is - but it's not one that we can ignore.

This year we have encountered a number of people through our centre, our community services or through our chaplaincy work that are on the edge and considering suicide. There has been one case where we needed an immediate intervention and hospitalisation for someone. Last night, even, I was counselling someone at the Army barracks who lost a workmate to suicide, and whose girlfriend has considered suicide.

In Australia there are around 2000 completed suicides each year. This is 2000 too many. Suicide is generally preventable.

Please consider: praying for people with mental illness or under stress, enrolling in a short course that helps identify people at risk and intervene (The Salvation Army offer "Hope for life" on line, or you could enrol in "ASIST" through a TAFE college or your employer), or just being friends to those you know and keeping an eye on them.