colin mcgregor - The Social Eyes

Cruel Tube

04/26/2024 Colin McGregor 0

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

Full Parole

07/27/2022 Colin McGregor 1

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

A Rescue Line

01/04/2022 Raymond Viger 0

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

Here is a checklist of points to follow up on in a crisis situation

11/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

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

Phases of the Mourning Process; Reorganization

08/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

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

Phases of the Mourning Process; Disorganization and Despair

07/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

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

Phases of the Mourning Process; Protest

06/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

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

Phases of the Mourning Process; Shock

05/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

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

Mourning a Suicide

04/04/2021 Raymond Viger 2

“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

The Emergency Phase

02/04/2021 Raymond Viger 3

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