Dear Editor:
RE: Sept. 10 marked World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept. 14.
It was good to see the article by Nicole Beswitherick in a recent edition of the Advertiser. She writes about the support services, telephone help lines and workshops available to be used by people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. There are also workshops for people to learn skills which could help them engage family members or friends in difficult conversations regarding suicidal thoughts.
There is help and there is hope and the article includes a quote to support this from Helen Fishburn, the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Wellington. She states, “we want to continue to promote the awareness and to continue to promote the empathy and compassion for hope.”
Another article on the topic of suicide prevention was written by Anna Nienhuis for the The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada, a grassroots Christian political advocacy organization.
The author reminds us of the need to write to our MP to support Bill C-314. This bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code by removing the expansion of MAiD to those with living with mental illness.
As it stands now, after March 2024, a person with mental illness will be able ask his/her doctor to take his/her life if this person does not want to go on living. How does this make sense?
As Nijenhuis states, “We either believe in encouraging people with mental illness to find hope and a purpose – or we don’t. Suggesting to someone with suicidal ideation that their doctor can help them by killing them destroys the foundation of trust needed for proper psychiatric care.”
Diane Breukelman
Elora