York Ending Stigma – Let’s talk #SuicidePrevention
About our campaign
Our Let’s Talk #SuicidePrevention campaign is a fully lived experience produced campaign by York Ending Stigma – Let’s Talk Mental Health. At York Ending Stigma we are people with experience of poor mental health and for some of us that includes suicidal thoughts and attempts. The stigma that surrounds the subject of suicide is something that we specifically address with this campaign. The campaign includes the resources that we share on this website and our documentary film, ‘WHY’.
WHY is our documentary film where 6 of us share our experiences of the realities of living with suicidal thoughts. You will learn about us and some of the things that help us to stay as well as we can. Our film is realistic, yet positive and hopeful – we do not share any details of suicide attempt methods, and we only share information that we feel has the positive purpose of suicide prevention.
Take action
We’re asking you to help us to break the silence, stigma, and shame of suicide through compassionate conversations; by talking, sharing, and listening. Please help to spread the word about our work:
- Attend our public ‘WHY’ film screening and panel discussion events
- Request a ‘WHY’ film screening at your venue / workplace / group
- Download, use, and share our ‘Getting Started’ conversation tri-fold leaflet
- Take a look at the other sections of this website
- Tell people about us – Tweet, talk, tell… however you choose
Thank you for engaging in our Let’s Talk #SuicidePrevention campaign.
Contact Us
All enquires should be directed to our parent project York Ending Stigma via yes@yorkcvs.org.uk
Attend a ‘WHY’ film screening event
Each ‘WHY’ online or in-person screening will be attended by us and we will host a panel discussion Q&A immediately after your screening where you can ask us about our campaign and suicide prevention.
To request a showing of WHY at your venue/workplace/group please get in touch via YES@YorkCVS.org.uk
Amazing film screening of WHY, an inspiring, heart-breaking and beautiful film about why we need to talk more about suicide and end the stigma around mental health
The film was amazing, I felt just the right balance between the harsh reality and also hope. I thought the Q&A session after was great
Our fox mascot
We have chosen a suicide prevention mascot for our campaign to connect us as a group and to represent us overcoming our suicidal thoughts. Here we share why we feel that the fox captures that:
The Fox – Positivity
The fox it is clever, intelligent, and uses its wits
It has a spiritual meaning of connection and creation
Foxes are playful and independent maintaining a sense of self
The fox self-protects and nourishes, and is able to get out of their comfort zone
Foxes teach people about their concerns and values too
The positive strengths of the fox represents us overcoming our suicidal thoughts and behaviours
The Fox – Countryside View
The fox is a predator
The fox will find any weakness in the chicken coop and work it’s way in
Once inside, if not quickly removed, the fox will wreak havoc and destruction in the hen house
There is no reason nor logic to the carnage delivered by the fox
To defend against the fox
We must initially become aware of the risk the fox is to the lives of the chickens
We must re-enforce the chicken coop
Strengthen the chicken wire around the run
Once the fox strikes,
The fox will return again and again
Unless we make it impossible to penetrate the chicken coop…
The Fox as an analogy to our suicide survival journey
Initially we had no knowledge of the fox
The fox found it’s way into the coop of our mind
Later it found a home in the hen house of our thoughts,
It wrecked destruction
We’ve taken action to re-enforce our minds against suicide, strengthening the coop
At times, gaps develop in the defences around our minds
When left un-checked, the fox can breakthrough and cause carnage
To re-enforce our defences, we seek help, seeking to seal the gaps in our defences to turn our fox away from predator and towards its positive characteristics
York Ending Stigma 