A few weeks ago I had the privilege of co-hosting a twitter chat about Suicide Prevention being a social justice issue. This took a “10,000 foot overview” of the the larger systems that can contribute to suicide. More importantly there was a discussion about how larger systems can rally together to prevent suicide.
There are many social-economic factors that influence suicide and the potential to prevent it. When thinking about the big picture, one can’t help but think about an individual contemplating suicide. The tragedy around suicide is that despite these large factors it appears to know no boundaries. Suicide is clearly not someone’s “destiny” but there is often the perception that suicide is a “choice” or an “option”. That people need to “get over” their life circumstances. Would you tell someone with cancer to just get over it?
Using some great analogies including stepping into an ice bath and the twitter war between Neil deGrasse Tyson and B.o.B; David W. Covington lays out a wonderful argument how suicide is not a choice. It is about individuals being in deep emotional pain and this deep emotional pain is no different than deep physical pain…. Here are some of the tweets of quotes that resonated with me…
.@davidwcovington in his beautiful #SLAY t-shirt, from above. #AAS16 #STAY pic.twitter.com/4OMNCrO1CA
— Dese'Rae L. Stage (@deseraestage) March 31, 2016
.@davidwcovington "the pain is not a choice" #Sucide #AAS16
— Norine Vander Hooven (@norinevhlcsw) March 31, 2016
#AAS16 @davidwcovington "Is Suicide Really a Choice?" The all consuming terror to escape the pain, to get out, is not a choice.
— Lindsay Branine (@pro2callpromise) March 31, 2016
@davidwcovington language in suicide prevention. We don't say "commit suicide" #AAS16 pic.twitter.com/KVPcdL240P
— Liz Barnes (@LizB1203) March 31, 2016
A BETTER HEADLINE: "Robin Williams lost his battle. Tragically, he succumbed and lost his life to suicide." #AAS16 @davidwcovington
— Live Through This (@lttphoto) March 31, 2016
One more moment of holding on can be all the difference. Let's work together to help people hold on./@davidwcovington #AAS16
— Jess StohlmannRainey (@JessStohlmann) March 31, 2016
You can click on the below link to watch the entire speech…
Please share this if you believe he “hit in the nail on the head”…
.@davidwcovington just blew the whole audience away. #AAS16 pic.twitter.com/rOnd7mvHnm
— Chris Maxwell (@chrsmxwll) March 31, 2016
