“Is attempted suicide just so terribly shameful?”

The Guardian

Although it is well-documented that people who survive a suicide attempt are at heightened risk for eventual death by suicide, there are few services designed to reach this vulnerable population. A movement has emerged in the United States, led by suicide attempt survivors themselves, to address this gap. Cara Anna, a journalist and suicide prevention advocate, said that she launched the website talkingaboutsuicide.com when she was unable to find any support groups or online forums that were both positive in outlook and welcoming of attempt survivors’ experiences. “Is [attempted suicide] just so terribly shameful that we all have to walk around in silence after something so traumatic and dramatic?” she asked. Anna participated in a prevention-focused attempt survivors’ task force of the American Association of Suicidology, which has since become a formal division of the organization.

Spark Extra! Read the Attempt Survivors Task Force’s report The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery, and Wellness with Insights from Lived Experience.