R U OK Day
What’s the story with R U OK Day?
We’re glad you asked! R U OK? is a public health promotion charity that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times in their lives. This quote comes directly from the R U OK? website and while that's a great way to summarise the cause, it’s hard to put into a short 140 character snippet, just how important having those conversations with friends and loved ones can be.
The work of the R U OK? organisation focuses on building the motivation, skills and confidence of the person starting the conversation with the person in their life who may be struggling. R U OK? actively contributes to suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest time in building the capacity of informal support networks (friends, family, colleagues), being aware of whats going on and having conversations if they notice signs of distress or difficulty as well as connecting someone with appropriate support long before they’re in crisis.
So how does this affect you?
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone in your circle has struggled with suicidal ideation. The scary numbers laid out tell us that per year, 65000 Australians will make a suicide attempt and over 10 million Australian adults know someone who has died by suicide. The difference that starting a conversation can make to someone’s life is invaluable.
One of the most well renowned theories behind preventing suicide is by Dr Thomas Joiner.
Following the suicide death of his father, Thomas has dedicated his research to try and answer the question, 'why?'. His theory tries to answer that complex question by describing three forces at play in someone at risk. One of these forces is a decreased sense of belonging. It’s that lack of belonging that drives the R U OK? movement. Taking the time to ask someone “are you OK?” genuinely and authentically as well as listening to the the answer with an open mind, you can help someone feel connected and supported long before they think about suicide.
R U OK? has a special place in our hearts at AkinCare as does many mental health organisations. Many members of our team have lived experience with suicide and mental health and wellness is something we will always fight for both in the workplace and in our personal lives. If you’d like to learn more about starting a conversation you can visit RUOK.org for resources.
