A poem from Colin McGregor from the anthology It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn – available from the publishers Editions TNT.com Cruel Tube Oh toothpaste, why won’t you go back? I hope and hope and hope and hope And hope again I’ll squeeze you in […] See more
By Colin McGregor The Parole Board of Canada recently gave me my full parole. A Zoom hearing, two commissioners asking pointed questions for an hour, an adjournment of ten minutes, and then, the verdict, in my favor. Decades of work to redeem myself boiled down […] See more
Self-Expression Through the Arts The young person on the precipice of suicide is isolated, alone, focused on the self. Communicating with the outside world is difficult. At our community drop-in centre, we’ve created a milieu in which we can accommodate young people. They are given […] See more
Help the sufferer to understand that they have been cut off from the help and support that is there for them from those closest to them. With the suicidal person, create a list of significant contacts that can be available in dark times. Usually, the […] See more
This phase is characterized by a new interest in the outside world. The mourner is ready to get on with his/her own life. New acquaintances and friends are made. New love may blossom. The quality of this readjustment will depend on the mourner’s psychological resilience, […] See more
At this phase, the mourner starts to rethink their relationship to the deceased, and comes up with new ways to relate to what has transpired. This will play very heavily on the mourner’s own sense of personal identity. This part of the process can take […] See more
This phase can come about very quickly if the first phase (shock) is particularly long. The mourner searches for reasons why the death came about. When those answers don’t readily appear then anger, rage and resentment can ensue, not to mention shame and guilt. The […] See more
At first the mourner is in shock. He/she will continue to live a normal life. The suicide won’t have made make much of a psychological impact, from all outward appearances. In reality, the mourner hasn’t accepted what has happened as a real fact. He/she can’t […] See more
“A suicide kills two people, Maggie, that’s what it’s for.” – Arthur Miller, playwright, After the Fall, 1964. (Act 1) A suicide has many victims. Those around the deceased in their final days will likely all be deeply affected, as will you, the suicide prevention […] See more
Direct Intervention Intervening to save the life of a suicidal youth means conveying a sense of hope: you must be warm and very, very human in your approach. A spirit of simplicity and humility on your part is absolutely necessary. Without humility in your heart, […] See more
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