I am posting this today to give you extra time, so you can get your candles ready and tell a lot of people to participate in this important world-wide event of remembrance and great love and respect and honor for the many beautiful lives lost by mental illness and suicide.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention
invites you to light a candle at 8 PM
On September 10th
World Suicide Prevention Day.
Light a candle near a window at 8 PM
to show your support for suicide prevention
to remember a lost loved one
and for the survivors of suicide.
I am a numerous suicide attempt survivor. I praise God for saving my life.
I am beyond blessed to be alive.
I often think of everything I would have missed. I think how my children wouldn’t have had me, their mom, with them to experience special occasions and just to enjoy the beauty of living.
Suicide is finite. The definition of finite is that it has an end. Suicide has an end, a forever end. Suicide is an end to a beautiful life ended, stopped, lost, gone too soon. A beautiful life gone forever on earth, but a beautiful spirit and soul to live on in heaven forever and always.
Suicide is finite for the person who has died by suicide, but the pain and the loss for the survivors is infinite…
This is a link for more information about lighting a candle on
September 10, 2018 for World Suicide Prevention Day
Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds.
Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior includes suicide, and also encompasses suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide.
Suicide is the result of a convergence of genetic, psychological, social and cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss. People who take their own lives represent a heterogeneous group, with unique, complex and multifaceted causal influences preceding their final act. Such heterogeneity presents challenges for suicide prevention experts. These challenges can be overcome by adopting a multilevel and cohesive approach to suicide prevention.
Preventing suicide is often possible and you are a key player in its prevention! You can make a difference – as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a neighbor. There are many things that you can do daily, and also on World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), to prevent suicidal behavior. You can raise awareness about the issue, educate yourself and others about the causes of suicide and warning signs for suicide, show compassion and care for those who are in distress in your community, question the stigma associated with suicide, suicidal behavior and mental health problems and share your own experiences.
It takes work to prevent suicide. The positive benefits of this work are infinite and sustainable and can have a massive impact. The work can affect not only those in distress but also their loved ones, those working in the area and also society as a whole. We must endeavor to develop evidence based suicide prevention activities that reach those who are struggling in every part of the world.
Joining together is critical to preventing suicide. Preventing suicide requires the efforts of many. It takes family, friends, co-workers, community members, educators, religious leaders, healthcare professionals, political officials and governments.
Suicide prevention requires integrative strategies that encompass work at the individual, systems and community level. Research suggests that suicide prevention efforts will be much more effective if they span multiple levels and incorporate multiple interventions. This requires the involvement of interventions that occur in communities and involve social and policy reforms, as well as interventions that are delivered directly to individuals. To reach our common goal in preventing suicidal behavior we as the public, we as organisations, we as legislators and we as members of society must work collaboratively, in a coordinated fashion, using a multidisciplinary approach.
Everyone can make a contribution in preventing suicide. Suicidal behavior is universal, knows no boundaries so it affects everyone. The millions of people affected each year by suicidal behavior have exclusive insight and unique voices. Their experiences are invaluable for informing suicide prevention measures and influencing the provision of supports for suicidal people and those around them. The involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in research, evaluation and intervention should be central to the work of every organisation addressing suicidal behavior.
This year is the first WSPD with the theme “Working Together to Prevent Suicide.” This theme will be retained for WSPD in 2019 and 2020. We have chosen this theme as it highlights the most essential ingredient for effective global suicide prevention- collaboration. We all have a role to play and together we can collectively address the challenges presented by suicidal behavior in society today. On September 10th, join with us and many others across the world who are playing their part in the prevention of suicide. Be sure to involve or invite other local organisations and collaborators to organize an event to mark WSPD 2018.
“Every day, we lose many lives to suicide, and many more are profoundly impacted by their deaths. We acknowledge all who experience the challenges of suicidal ideation, and those who have lost loved ones through suicide.”
Ways to take part in WSPD 2018
This Monday September 10th, join with us and many others across the world who are playing their part in the prevention of suicide. To optimise your activities be sure to involve or invite other local organisations and collaborators to organise an event to mark WSPD 2018.
Show your support by taking part in the annual IASP Cycle Around the Globe, in which we encourage our valiant participants to collectively cycle the globe! Participants can take part in groups, individually, at home, in the gym or anywhere!
You can also take part in our Light a Candle event in which we invite participants to Light a Candle near a window at 8pm on WSPD as a symbol of support for suicide prevention, and for many it is a means of remembering a loved one. For more information, visit:
Join us on social media
Connect with us on Facebook , Twitter and YouTube
to share your support of WSPD 2018.
#wspd #suicideprevention
Download our WSPD materials
Download WSPD 2018 Suggested Activities
Find WSPD Resources relating to the theme of Working Together to Prevent Suicide
Access the WSPD 2018 Toolkit, and PowerPoint Presentation
Download our Light a Candle Postcard
Share our WSPD Imagery available on our WSPD Resources page
2018 © International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) Privacy Policy
Sunday, September 10, 2018 is World Suicide Prevention Day
2018 marks the 16th World Suicide Prevention Day. The day was first recognized in 2003, as an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and endorsed by the World Health Organization. World Suicide Prevention Day takes place each year on September 10.
If there is anyone you are concerned about, take a minute to check in with them.
It could change their life.
My Loud Whispers of Hope 