Unique Suicide Support Service Launches In Leeds

If you’re thinking about suicide, who would you turn to?

Well a new, unique service is launching in Leeds to help people who are thinking about it or have even attempted to take their own lives.

Stamp Out Suicide has a phone and textline that’ll offer free counselling instantly. Unlike similar services – it’s specific to suicide and has councillors that specialise in it.

Colm Farrell set it up. He spent 600 days meeting families in the UK and Ireland who’ve been affected by it.

“I learned from them that after they had attempted to take their own lives they ended up in A&E departments they would have been put on medication, put on a waiting list to receive counselling. Having spoken to a lot of them, a lot didn't have access to counselling, so we were sat thinking about it one night and maybe if we set up a phone line service, that way it's accessible to anyone within the UK.

“If you break your leg and you end up in an A&E department - you're going to have surgery. Now if you attempt to take your own life and you end up in an A&E department - this is an emergency and you should not be put on a waiting list for up to eight months to receive help.”

It allows people to even text ‘SOS’ to a mobile number who’ll then be called back by the service. Statistics suggest that around 6000 people end their own lives every year in England.

“It's very important because there's not a lot of services out there to help people in this situation. If each person who dies by suicide has 25 family and friends - you're looking at a quarter of a million of people who're affected by suicide each year. That's a lot of people. We just want to try and help people the best we can."

He adds that it’s important to never ignore someone that makes suicide threats. Instead you should advise them to stay away from alcohol and drugs, to listen and keep relaxed and to talk to a professional. But it’s also important to look after your own health too.

He says sometimes just asking if someone is okay isn't enough.

“If you think someone is contemplating suicide it's very important that you ask them that question - are they contemplating taking their own life? It's been proven that there's a 90% chance that if someone's suicidal they'll actually tell you. It breaks down all the barriers. It's the starting point, then you can work from there and it's amazing, it does actually work.”

Click here for more advice on how to help someone you're concerned about.

Eventually, Colm is looking to expand the service to help bereaved family members too (pictured below).

“We have another room here at the centre, we're hoping to open it up to family and friends of people who've died through suicide. They can come down here, sit down and have a chat, have a cup of coffee. Some people are left in the dark after suicide and left with the guilt, left with the suffering and nobody to talk to. So if they can come down here and have a chat, it may make things a little bit easier for them.”

For more information visit the Stamp Out Suicide website.

There's also a number of charities that can offer advice and information, including Samaritans, Mental Health Foundation and Mind.