Dr. Brenda Restoule was one of a handful of speakers to talk about the problem of suicide in our region. PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.
The topic is usually an uncomfortable one to discuss, but it was front and centre Thursday afternoon at Canadore College.
The topic of Suicide was the focus of a Suicide Prevention Community Meeting hosted by Nipissing-Timiskaming MPP Jay Aspin. He says the initiative called #308 Conversations, was a national event launched by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
“We were challenged as MP’s by the Canadian Mental Health Association and I thought this was getting to become a serious problem, it’s a serious problem all over Canada and it’s a problem that can be overcome, and can be overcome with collective thought and energy so I thought I would do my part,” said Aspin.
Aspin admits the topic hits close to home.
“I’ve had some friends that have unfortunately have been subject to this so its kind of emotional from that point of view,” Aspin said sadly.
More than 70 participants gathered to discuss the sometimes controversial subject.
They included teachers, police, care givers, government workers and military officials.
Dr. Brenda Restoule, a registered Clinical Psychologist, was one of the key speakers.
As member of the West Nipissing Suicide Task force, she touched on the challenges of the first nation communities and their higher rates of suicide. She knows the tragedy first hand as she lost her brother to suicide 14 years ago.
“If you lose someone from your community it ripples into other communities,“ Restoule told the audience.
“Suicide causes breakdowns in our families, if overwhelms first nation communities, especially when there are multiple suicides in a short time. Then it seems like the crisis never ends. The community becomes numb and they feel they can’t make a difference because they feel helpless themselves,” added Dr. Restoule.
Sue Lessard, who is the Mental Health Lead at the Near North District School Board, along with being the Community Chair of the North Bay Suicide Prevention Committee believes the key to an event like this is talking about how to prevent it.
“How can we promote resiliency of our youth in our communities, what can we do to have everyone feeling comfortable about having that conversation so if you yourself were struggling or your neighbour, whatever, that you could have that conversation so if we can have people starting to feel comfortable I think we will make considerable in roads,” said Lessard.
“It takes an entire community to do something like this, it’s not one agency or any one voice, it’s the collective voice that makes it happen.”
