World Suicide Prevention Month

According to an online article called “Suicide in Canada: Key statistics (infographic),” approximately 12 people die by suicide each day; there are approximately 4,500 deaths by suicide per year; suicide rates are approximately 3 times higher among men compared to women; and, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults (15-34 years) (Government of Canada, 2023).

It is very sad to think of these statistics around suicide. I think of all those young people out there struggling to want to live, struggling with life and how we need to do better as a society to support them.

In the article, “Suicide: Risks and Prevention,” here are some risk factors that can lead to attempting suicide (Government of Canada, 2023):

• a prior suicide attempt
• having a mental illness 
• a sense of hopelessness or helplessness (i.e. you believe your life or current situation won’t improve)
• misuse of alcohol or substances
• chronic (long-term) physical pain or illness
• trauma, for example:
  • violence
  • victimization, like bullying
  • childhood abuse or neglect
  • suicide by a family member or friend
  • events that affect multiple generations of your family

And additional factors that could increase risk are (same source)…

• significant loss, including:
  • personal (relationships)
  • social
  • cultural
  • financial (job loss)
• major life changes or stressors, such as:
  • unemployment
  • homelessness
  • poor physical health or physical illness
  • the death of a loved one
• harassment
• discrimination
• lack of access to or availability of mental health services
• personal identity struggles (sexual, cultural, etc)
• lack of support from family, friends or your community
• a sense of isolation

It’s helpful to know these risk factors and understand that the more of these factors a person has experienced means that there may be increased risk for attempting suicide, especially if they have a mental illness.

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If you are a person at risk for suicide, here are some important factors that can be protective and help prevent suicide (This is from the same article as above):

• social support
• positive mental health and well-being
• healthy self-esteem and confidence in yourself
• a sense of hope, purpose, belonging and meaning
• asking for help if you’re having thoughts of suicide
• a strong identity (personal, sexual, cultural)
• access to appropriate mental health services and support
• good coping and problems-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to change and new situations
• supportive environments where you’re accepted and valued (school, workplace, community)

Having support, both from family and friends, is an obvious protective factor. Tragically, a lot of people feel isolated and do not have the kind of support they need from family and friends. I think that’s why community programming for mental health is so important. These resources fill a niche when someone is isolated, as well as being places where people can make new connections.

As I talked about in the last post, having work, a purpose, hobbies, passions, and activities that are meaningful are so key for building self-esteem, cultivating wellness, engaging in creativity, and connecting with others. Having deep meaning is an important protective factor against suicidal ideation.

Feeling good about yourself and practicing self-compassion is important for encouraging yourself, especially when you experience life challenges. Developing strong wellness practices and tools are also essential when stress is escalating.

Yet some of these protective factors are hard to cultivate, especially if you have a strong background of trauma, marginalization, or a serious mental illness and/or addiction. Suicidal ideation and/or attempts reflect complex interplay of many factors.

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So what do you do when you feel suicidal?

Here is one service in BC that is a helpful resource: 1-800-SUICIDE | HealthLink BC

According to their website, this service “…provides a confidential, 24-hour toll-free crisis line for people who are feeling suicidal, are concerned for someone who might be suicidal, or for emotional support. Crisis line workers are able to provide intervention through emergency mental health teams or other emergency services, and may also refer callers to their local crisis centre for additional support and information.” One can also call a local crisis line for support (on Vancouver Island this number is 1-888-494-3888).

Another option is to go to the emergency. If you are not hospitalized, make sure to follow up with a psychiatrist or mental health team to have ongoing support. Even as I write this, I know from experience working in the field, that many people live with their suicidal thoughts without getting the support they need. They don’t find crisis lines helpful, or they’ve been turned away at the hospital. Wait times for psychiatrists are long and often don’t offer the comprehensive mental health services a person needs. Even people with support, find that they still experience suicidal ideation. We simply need more resources going to mental health, and more effective mental health treatment.

Also we must address systemic and societal issues, as well as provide affordable, qualified help. We need to address poverty, the high cost of living and lack of affordable housing. We must address systemic issues, like racism and homophobia. Individuals with trauma need access to affordable trauma therapy which is often not accessible because of its cost. Many people feel isolated even though we have technology that connects us instantly. People are disconnected from nature which can provide a place to decompress and connect. Our materially-focused society breeds constant feelings of not having enough or not being enough while at the same time contributing to the destruction of our planet and many other problems. I obviously feel very strongly about this, and others may not agree with my beliefs but I think most people would say for different reasons that it is not an easy world to live in and that people need more support.

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I have not attempted suicide, but I have been highly suicidal. For me it wasn’t in depression, like it is for a lot of people. It was because of the psychosis and experiencing relentless auditory hallucinations, plaguing me for months without respite. The incessant noise in my brain with fearful, angry, and shaming voices was so hard that I can’t possibly explain in words how tormenting this was. Once, when I was young, I needed to be hospitalized because suicidal ideation became very serious. I am so grateful for all the people who have shown care, kindness, and love because that is what got me through. And, of course, professional help and the people who worked within inpatient settings who were kind, positive, and supportive.

I wanted to share a project that I found online called, “Reasons to go on Living,” It is a Canadian project that includes stories of those who survived at suicide attempt and went on to live. The project is to try to identify resiliencies that can protect people from attempting suicide but also to raise awareness about suicide. Here is the link: http://www.thereasons.ca/stories.php

I just want to make sure when I talked about suicide prevention that I am not encouraging judgment for those who have taken their lives. It’s important to remember those people, as people first and not a statistic. They did not fail at life.  Their struggling outweighed their capacity or desire to live. They may not have gotten the help they need or maybe help wasn’t enough. I hope that these people are remembered for more than their struggles. With the public conversations around MAID and mental illness, I think it is important to know that some people are ready to leave this world because of their suffering and/or other reasons. I know this can be challenging for people and may bring up different feelings. That’s okay. It’s just important that we think about it.

Here is a link to the website for the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. This page provides information and support for those who’ve lost a loved one to suicide. It emphasizes the importance of grieving, feeling your emotions and finding self-care strategies to help. To lose someone to mental illness is devastating and it is important that family and friends (and also professionals) are supported in their grief.

Support for People Living with Loss – Canadian Association For Suicide Prevention

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Art Therapy and Suicidal Ideation 🖊️📄🖼️🎨

The article called “Art Therapy as Treatment for Adolescent Suicidality” on the Franciscan Children’s website says that “Using art therapy as a complementary treatment for those at-risk of suicide merges artistic approaches with strategies that help reduce suicidal thoughts and decrease risk of self-harm. By having individuals engage in sensory art forms such as sculpting, clay formation, printmaking, painting, and making collages, self-harming behavior can be replaced. This positive association can then transcend into other concepts such as art as a form of socialization or boosting self-esteem. Art therapy can enhance an individual’s treatment journey by providing safe ways of exploring overwhelming and inexplainable emotions. It can provide something concrete and manageable during a time of unpredictable transition and growth, supporting adolescents as they discover what it means to feel, cope, and let go of harmful thoughts and feelings.”

This is a quote taken from Quality Counselling website – “Art as a Lifeline: Using Creative Expression to Navigate Suicidal Thoughts:”

“In our sessions, we used art therapy to create affirmation cards—small, personalized pieces of art that reinforced positive self-talk. One card simply read, “I am enough,” adorned with colors and images that resonated with the client. Over time, this practice became a ritual of self-love. The client not only created art but also rewired their thinking, moving from self-criticism to self-compassion. By engaging in the process of creating art that affirmed their worth, they developed a healthier relationship with themselves. This is just one example of how art can be a healing catalyst for those in emotional pain” (Wineglass, A., 2024).

As I’ve said many times therapeutic art can be a complementary healing modaility to help those who are overwhelmed by emotional pain. Those who who feel suicidal and/or are self-harming may benefit from not having to verbalize their pain, as well as from the tactile nature of art which is soothing and, at hte same time, cathartic.

I just want to say that I don’t think my therapeutic art activity is helpful for someone in suicidal crisis but I do think overtime therapeutic art can help change our voice in head, improving self-esteem and regulating emotional overwhelm or pain.

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Okay, are you ready to dive into making art? 🎨

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Therapeutic Arts Activity

Inspired by the quote above, create an affirmation card that reflects back a positive statement to use when you are struggling to find something positive about life or yourself.

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Instructions

Using a card deck sized paper, design your affirmation. Use a phrase that is meaningful for you and decorate the card using whatever mediums you chose.

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Materials

• There are so many materials you could use but you may not need any, so I am leaving it up to you.

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Once you’ve completed this activity, here are some questions as guidelines for your personal explorations:

1. Has there been a time in your life when you have been suicidal? If so, what helped you through?

2. How did you feel about creating an affirmation card?

3. How can creativity connect you with your connection to life and internal resources?

4. If you have been suicidal, can you create a plan for support if you ever feel like this again?

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I want to say again that this therapeutic arts activity of an affirmation card is not going to change suicidal ideation necessarily. Obviously suicidal ideation is complex and needs multi-level interventions. However, regular therapeutic art can bring back a compassionate inner voice, can provide a place for expression, and for developing identity and finding life’s meaning. Over time it can be a great resource to regulate when you feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts and emotions.

If you are feeling suicidal, please reach out for support. Keep trying until you find the support you need. Your are not alone. ❤️❤️❤️ With care and kindness, Meegan

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In the spirit of creating a community of reflection and art making, your comments are welcome. If you choose to leave a comment, it is important to know I respect your privacy. Your information will not be given, lent, rented, or sold to anyone. However, when making a comment on the site, your IP address and browser user will be collected. Please see full Privacy details on my Privacy Policy Page Privacy Policy. If you are having a mental health emergency, please take care of yourself, and call 911 or take yourself to emergency at your closest hospital. 

Sources:

Franciscan Children’s blog. (2023). Art Therapy as Treatment for Adolescent Suicidality. Art Therapy as Treatment for Adolescent Suicidality – Franciscan Children’s.

Government of Canada. (2023). Suicide in Canada: Key Statistics (infographic). Suicide in Canada: Key Statistics (infographic) – Canada.ca

Government of Canda (2023). Suicide Risks and Prevention. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/suicide-prevention/suicide-risks-prevention.html

Healthlink BC. (2025). 1-800-Suicide 24/7 Distress Phone Services. 1-800-SUICIDE | HealthLink BC

Suicide Prevention.ca. Support for People Living with Loss. Support for People Living with Loss – Canadian Association For Suicide Prevention

Wineglass, A. LPCA (2024). Art as a Lifeline: Using Creative Expression to Naviagting Suicidal Thoughts. Art as a Lifeline: Using Creative Expression to Navigate Suicidal Thoughts – Quality Counseling