Suicide is a men’s issue.
Although women are three times more likely to attempt suicide, men are four times as likely to die of suicide as women.
How has suicide affected your life?
Has someone close to you committed suicide? What are the continuing effects?
Have you ever considered suicide? Did you attempt it? What is the reason you are still here today?
Can suicide be prevented?
The Good Life invites you to share your stories, photos, poetry, and articles on men and suicide. Pitch, or send your submissions, to Justin Cascio, Senior Editor of The Good Men Project, at [email protected]. Completed articles are due by Saturday, August 11 for consideration.
In Canada and the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Read more on Suicide.
I see that the posts on suicide have already started running. Is there already a large post where links to all the posts in the series will appear as they release ?
Yes, and thanks for asking, Danny! The Suicide theme is all here: https://goodmenproject.com/category/the-good-life/suicide-the-good-life/
Also, I’d like to repeat this emergency contact information here, as I have on other posts in the series, since Barb Hildebrand included it in her Suicide Shatters (which I recommend reading to anyone, but especially if you think that killing yourself doesn’t matter to anyone around you).
I apologize for not having similar numbers for UK, Australia, and NZ; if anyone has them, please post them here in comments.
Hi Justin,
In respone to your comment for suicide hotline information and numbers for the UK, Australia and NZ please see the following:
– UK – Samaritans 08457 90 90 90 or email: [email protected] http://www.samaritans.org/
– Australia – Lifeline 13 11 14 http://www.lifeline.org.au/ and for many other hotline #’s http://www.mindframe-media.info/site/index.cfm?display=87224
– NZ – http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/new-zealand-suicide-hotlines.html
Here is a general link for international hotlines where people can locate by their country: http://suicidehotlines.com/international.html
ht tp://www.beyondblue.org.au/ for Australia also has handy information
also ht tp://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
I’ll try write up an article of my own suicidal feelings and how it’s affected my life.
The image that was originally used in this post has been changed to avoid triggering people who have experience of gun violence. Please note that this policy isn’t instituted across the entirety of The Good Men Project. You will still find images of breastfeeding infants, of violence, sex, and drugs, including alcohol, and other potentially disturbing images. The next few weeks of special themed calls on The Good Life are for topics with a high emotional valence and one later this summer will be on gun control. There will probably be images of guns. We’re also going to have an… Read more »
Hi Justin,
I for one am extremely grateful that the image was removed particularly when it deals with suicide. I posted a second comment as a reply to my initial comment thanking all involved with this responsible decision.
Also appreciate the heads up about upcoming themes.
I am running the submissions on this theme this week, and would still welcome yours, Barb.
Hi Justin!
I missed the deadline and felt badly about that, so seeing your very kind offer to allow me to still submit has spurred me on ;). I will be forwarding it by email shortly.
I’m glad you wrote for us, Barb.
A permanent solution to a temporary problem…..
Except when it is an end of life decision…
Wait that reasoning is circuitous…..
damn….
Sometimes its a life-long problem. Sometimes it truly is…
At our private school, we had 3 in one year. Two Asian men going through with it and one woman attempting. I came back one day to ask what was wrong with her but all the girls huddled together and thought it was impertinent of me to ask. I wasn’t close enough to the group, I guess. I assumed something more SVU had happened to her, but months later, after she came back to school, she had scars “down the river.” I actually ran into her in a book store recently, but she barely remembered who I was, so I… Read more »
When my ex was about 19, his 17 yo sister died in a car accident…his car was right behind hers…he said he couldn’t believe it at the time…it looked like she was just sleeping… Later his mom blamed him and said something like “You should have been watching over her more carefully…” Many years later, he got to know me…I was so young and unaware of the secrets he kept inside…alone in the dark, he asked me to help inject something into him…he said he wanted me to help him to die….I felt paralyzed and stunned….I couldn’t help him to… Read more »
Thought about it quite a few times, mostly when I was about 15-19. Also self-harmed quite a few times too during that period. But I guess the benefit now is I have a better understanding of pain that many others may not.
While I’m all for have open discussion/conversation around suicide, I so wished this Shutterstock image had NOT been used. Anyone having attempted or lost someone to suicide with a firearm can be very badly triggered by seeing graphic images like this one.
So hoping you’ll change the graphic to one not clearly showing method. There are some wonderful guidelines on how to responsibly cover suicide on this link: http://www.afsp.org/media
I would love to share this post and encourage interaction, but won’t because of the image.
I would like to say thank you to The Good Life and The Good Men Project for their prompt response and removal of the graphic image used. So few organizations bother to respond, and even fewer are willing to remove something that can be harmful with a sensitive subject such as suicide. Kudos!
Barb….
Many, many thanks for asking that this project take down the image!!!! Apparently it worked!!! I also appreciate you sending these folks a connecting link for images & policies regarding suicide & media, etc.
Thanks, 8/11 Project, for responding & taking down the image.