Posted online: Sep 27th, 2011

A local community group is taking a hands-on, practical approach to suicide prevention in Inishowen.
“Let’s Talk Drink” in Moville have organised a series of talks and workshops over the next few weeks aimed at educating and training people on what to do if they suspect someone may be at risk of suicide.
The first of these is these is “SafeTalk,” to be held twice so to ensure the workshop is available to as wide an audience as possible.
The talks, at the Caiseal Mara Hotel in Moville, are specifically tailored to helping people recognise when someone is contemplating taking their own life, and to show them where to go for help.
Both will be given by Sarah Meehan from the HSE and are completely free and open to the public.
The first takes place this Thursday from 10.00am to 1.00pm, followed by an evening one on Thursday, October 6 next, from 7.00pm – 10.00pm.
There will then be another, more advanced, workshop later in October and early December.
Hosted by ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), it will be a two-day course aimed at helping attendess build skills in “suicide first aid”.
It offers people the chance to learn skills necessary if you find yourself in an emergency situation where someone is in danger of taking their own life, including learning “how to talk someone down.”
While it follows on from the initial SafeTalk workshop, those interested do not have to have attended that pervious talk to be able to come along to the Assist workshop.
Once again, all are welcome. Dates for this workshop will be announced as soon as they are finalised.
Let’s Talk Drink, who are organising the talks, is an Inishowen-based community initiative which aims to reduce the abuse of alcohol.
It is putting on the workshops “because alcohol can often play a large part in suicides” and Let’s Talk Drink want “to help local people know what to do with someone who is having thoughts of suicide.”
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