PAPYRUS
prevention of young suicide
PAPYRUS
CEO Report
prevention of young suicide Welcome to the newsletter of the national charity PAPYRUS.
Winter 2012 no.48 Contact details PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide 67 Bewsey Street Warrington Cheshire WA2 7JQ. Tel: 01925 572 444 Fax: 01925 240 502 email: admin@papyrus-uk.org web: www.papyrus-uk.org For support, practical advice and information concerning suicide prevention call the PAPYRUS helpline:
HOPELineUK 0800 068 41 41 Or text or email us:
SMS: 07786 209697 e-mail: pat@papyrus-uk.org Patrons: Rt Hon David Hanson MP, Rt Hon David Heathcoat-Amory, Simon Hughes MP. Honorary Advisor: Professor Mark Williams – University of Oxford.
This newsletter is available online at www.papyrus-uk.org/NL/48 Back copies of previous newsletters are also on the website. Please note, the views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial team or of PAPYRUS as an organisation. Any information contained in this newsletter is intended for guidance only and is not a substitute for professional advice. No responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or refraining from acting because of what is written in the newsletter can be accepted by the publisher, authors or the PAPYRUS Trustees.
Registered Charity Number 1070896. A Company Limited By Guarantee Number 3555482. COVER: Team Robbie – see page 13.
We are ALWAYS looking for people to get involved with PAPYRUS so if there's something you'd like to do to help, please contact PAPYRUS on admin@papyrus-uk.org or on 01925 572 444. 2 PAPYRUS WINTER 2012
Dear Friends and Members of PAPYRUS Many young suicides can be prevented. This is a fundamental belief of our charity. Drawing on the rich breadth of experience within our membership, we know that there is much that can be learned from and put in place to make future tragedies fewer in number. Such is the importance of our campaign work and, in turn, your support and participation. Thank you for all you do to make PAPYRUS known in your communities. You can be our most effective ambassadors: we need friends and members who will speak to others about the charity, helping us reach more young people who have thoughts of suicide and those who are concerned about them.
In this newsletter you will, I hope, get a flavour of what we do and why we do it. You will also find it helpful to become part of our growing number of active online supporters. The internet is often used for ill but we know how powerful it can be for sharing good news too. Our social media outlets are increasingly the place where we interact not only with people who support us but also with those who seek our advice and help. I offer a particular word of thanks to those who come forward from time to time to share with PAPYRUS their own story of having survived previous episodes of suicidal thinking or behaviours. Young people who have been or remain
PAPYRUS IN THE COMMUNITY
Out&about Since the last newsletter, our team has continued to venture into a number of schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK providing workshops and presentations to young people on the topic of suicide prevention awareness. Some of those we’ve visited include Carmel College, St Helens for a Student Health Day, Colchester Royal Grammar School Lower Sixth students and over 240 young people at Preston Manor High School in Wembley; as well as a group of MSc Integrative Psychotherapy students from Birmingham University on how to work with suicidal clients and Nursing Students from Glyndwr University in Wrexham. ! The team has also provided training to a range of services who work with young people including Notre Dame College,
Leeds to over 200 staff members regarding the work of PAPYRUS and suicide prevention awareness; Middlesex University Counselling Department training day on how to work with suicidal clients. A training day at Sycamore Counselling Service in Chelmsford on suicide awareness and suicidal clients; Bridgewater High School, Warrington senior tutors and pastoral staff on the work of PAPYRUS and suicide prevention. We were also invited to speak at the Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide London branch’s conference on the work of PAPYRUS. ! The team has had a stall at a number of events, raising awareness of suicide as well as the profile of PAPYRUS including MIND Stockport’s Family Fun Day in September, Warrington Collegiate’s Fresher’s Fair,
PAPYRUS on Campus We were at Warrington Collegiate to meet Army veteran Phil Packer and students supporting his project walking 2012 miles for Youth in 2012. Phil’s aspiration is to build a Centre of Inspirational Excellence for Young People Facing Adversity through his British Inspiration Trust. “This was a great opportunity to hold an informal ‘open forum’ with the students, who were keenly interested and pleased to learn that a national charity supporting young people was based in their own town,” said Alice Newton, from our suicide prevention team.
Phil Packer Warrington Collegiate.
Contents suicidal give us particular insights into the personal challenges of coping with life, seeking help, and finding reasons for living each new day. Some of the contributors to this newsletter remind us powerfully that, for some young people, suicidal thoughts are ongoing and present a daily battle. Finally, do let us know what else you’d like to see in this newsletter. You can Tweet us @papyrus_tweets or email admin@papyrus-uk.org or phone us on 01925 572444. We love to hear from you!
Aspergers and suicide.
4
Confidentiality – why we need to know.
5
PAPYRUS trains SOBS.
6
School report – a sixth formers point of view.
7
Frequently asked questions.
9
A survivors story.
10
Research update.
11 12-15
Fundraising to save lives
Best wishes
DiaryDATE
GED FLYNN Chief Executive
Conference Report 2012
Our next Conference will be on Saturday 29 June 2013 in Manchester. More details on our website soon.
It was great to see so many of you at the PAPYRUS Conference in Bristol in June 2012. The feedback we received was very positive. Speakers Cindy O’Connor from Pieta House in Dublin spoke not only about services to young people but gave a real sense of the importance of meeting individuals without pretence, listening to their story and destigmatising their thoughts of or attempts at suicide. The bridge between prevention of young suicide and bereavement support for survivors was addressed by Dr Sharon McDonnell from Manchester University. Members were pleased to see young people from Kent talking about their project to engage schools in young suicide awareness. Alice, raising awareness at Blackpool & Fylde college. Newman College, Birmingham Fresher’s Fair. We were also invited to have a stall at the national conference for Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide in Manchester and most recently two full days at Blackpool and Fylde College’s student fair. ! We have also attended an event on Suicide and Self-harm Research: Prevention and Policy Development hosted by Mental Health Research Network Cymru in Cardiff in September and more recently attended the launch of Talking Taboos research on Young People and Self Harm at Westminster. Members of the team also attended the Hereford CRUSE event in July to help raise awareness of the work we do. Our team has also represented PAPYRUS on various national radio stations since the last newsletter. ! We have continued to attend meetings of the Welsh Assembly Government Suicide Prevention Advisory Group as well as several suicide prevention strategy meetings across Wales. We have also attended a number of sessions of the All Party Parliamentary Group (Suicide Prevention) in the Palace of Westminster and continued to represent our members on the UK Government’s National Advisory Group on Suicide Prevention.
Appointments We welcome two new Trustees to the Board. Anne Thorn lives in Cornwall, having earlier this year relocated from Chingford, East London seeking a more fulfilling work/life balance. She brings considerable IT experience and is also studying counselling. Having lost her only son Toby in 2010, Anne is pleased to have the opportunity to share her personal experience to raise awareness and help reduce the stigma that surrounds suicide today. Don Hart lives in Somerset. After many years working in music education he is now a church leader. Following the suicide of their youngest son Dave last year, Don and his wife have been keen to raise both funds and awareness of the charity’s work. Don is committed to working with PAPYRUS to prevent other families enduring the experience of losing a young person through suicide.
New Suicide Prevention Advisors We recently recruited new advisors to our Suicide Prevention Team. David Foy, a qualified Social Worker, has experience of working in a variety of mental health settings. David also spent time training within a refugee charity and has first hand experience of working within an Assertive Outreach team. David is keen that the experience he has will add to the depth of knowledge already in the team. Natalie Burton also joins us and is currently studying for her PhD. Natalie has worked in a number of mental health settings including a retreat as well as working closely with people with eating disorders. Both David and Natalie have previous experience of working with suicidal clients and this shared knowledge is a welcome addition to the team. PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 3
Between the idea and the reality Between the motion and the act Falls the Shadow T. S. Eliot
Preventing suicide in young people with undiagnosed Aspergers
A PAPYRUS Member writes My nephew James was 24 when he took his life. He had never kissed a girl. He struggled with friendships, jokes and sarcasm and had been failed by the mental health system. Eight months before he died, a family friend who was a child psychologist suggested James had a hidden disability called ‘Aspergers’. Despite self harming and his dealings with mental health, he had had no formal diagnosis though he had been treated for depression. It seems that a lot of able and gifted students may have undiagnosed Aspergers as it can be suppressed at school because of family support, routine and regular sleep patterns. As he grew from a child to an adult, it became increasingly evident that he would sit and watch childish games but not actually join in – often preferring the company of adults. He was happy to observe but unsure of the social rules. As he grew older, James researched Aspergers and felt as though he ticked all the boxes and was devastated to find there was no cure. James hated secondary school and university. These environments are not always beneficial to someone with Aspergers, particularly those who are undiagnosed. It can be too much to expect someone to cope with socialising in crowded, noisy halls; shop, eat and cook in front of people they have only just met; as well as sort out individual timetables,
site maps and ensure enough sleep to stay awake during lectures. Many students struggle with this personal management. For those who may be on the autistic spectrum, issues with social functioning can make it even more challenging. Over-stimulation The signs for Aspergers at an early age can be varied and sometimes development appears to be normal. As a child, they may be drawn to machines, washing machines revolving – any spinning object or switching light switches on and off incessantly. They may hate competitive sports and playtime where they may be happier walking around the edge of the playground rather than joining in with random unstructured play and conversations. Sometimes there may be rapid repetitive movements like rocking back and forth or hand flapping near the eyes which is to help cope with over-stimulation and sensory issues. This is known as ‘stimming.’ A lot of children learn to only ‘stim’ at home, away from teasing
eyes, and where they feel most comfortable. As the children grow they may dislike wearing new clothes and changes in routine. As they become older, some find eye contact uncomfortable and struggle to make small talk and yet, can seem to talk at length about subjects that interest them, sometimes missing social cues. Many young students are not willing to flag up that they may need help, preferring not to have attention drawn to them. They are generally surrounded by other people who make socialising look easy. The study, Responses and Prevention in Student Suicide (http://www.rapss.org.uk/pdf/ summary_pdf.pdf), commissioned by PAPYRUS, found that ‘many of the students were concerned about the stigma associated with use of mental health services and some were unwilling to use university or NHS support services’. On top of new surroundings, they face pressure to make friends, go out drinking, jump into the freshers’ activities and manage tasks that parents have usually taken care of. Universities and colleges owe a duty of care to their students. It would be refreshing to have all lecturers and staff trained in recognising Aspergers so that help and awareness of potential pitfalls can be given.
Many young suicides are preventable if agencies work effectively together. 4 PAPYRUS WINTER 2012
“
There are clearly times when mental health service practitioners, in dealing with a person at risk of suicide, may need to inform the family about aspects of risk to help keep the patient safe.
Parenting ” in the dark
Preventing Suicide in England, A Cross-Government Outcomes Strategy to Save Lives, Department of Health 2012, section 4, 19
PAPYRUS Members Don and Lynne Hart suggest lessons to be learned in medical confidentiality. “Our youngest son, Dave, took his own life last November at the age of 17. He had seemed to his friends to be the ‘life and soul of the party’. He hadn’t displayed the ‘classic’ symptoms of depression – he was doing well at college, was planning to take up an apprenticeship, he was intelligent with a vibrant sense of humour and someone others confided in. In April 2012 we received a letter from the Coroner offering a ‘read-only’ inquest. He had reviewed the reports and had concluded that Dave had taken his own life. We initially accepted the offer, but elected to see the various reports. It was then that we realised there had been numerous errors in procedures by GPs and Mental Health Services and also discovered that the GPs had been aware that Dave had already attempted suicide. When Dave was 16 he went to see a GP. Dave was feeling unhappy about school, having been bullied and following the breakup with his girlfriend. What we didn’t know was that Dave had told the doctor that he had already attempted suicide.
The response to his GP’s ‘urgent referral’ to CAMHS took more than three weeks to arrive asking Dave to make an appointment. He never did. No attempt was made to contact Dave by telephone and we were unaware of his state of mind. Yet, this important information was out there. Eighteen months later, Dave went to a different GP. Again, what we didn’t know was that he had told the GP that he had attempted suicide just five days before. In another three weeks Dave was dead. Had we known about the recent attempt we could have done something, but we were parenting in the dark. We discovered a few months later that Dave had been online, searching for ‘how to commit suicide easily and efficiently’. We are pleased that PAPYRUS is active in this area of concern. Changes will be made Dave’s inquest was successful in addressing the issues and the Coroner used his powers under Rule 43 of the 2009 Coroners and Justice Act to draw attention to some of the failings in the system.
A Serious Untoward Incident Report and Somerset’s Child Death Review Panel resulted in similar findings. It is encouraging to know that changes will be made to help save other young lives. The main question remains: ‘Can confidential information ever be justifiably withheld from people who can help when there is clear risk of death?’ Keeping such information ‘confidential’ can feel like a denial of our parental right to safeguard the child and can feel like asking us to parent with both hands tied behind our backs. As parents, we believe that young lives are being lost as a result of the fear of breaking confidentiality within the NHS. General Medical Council Guidelines for working with Young People are very clear – it is vital to break confidentiality when there is risk of death, even if the patient is not in agreement. We want to highlight that these guidelines are not always implemented. Surely our young people deserve better.” Ed: After Dave died his family released a song he had written when he was 16 with his friend Jake called ‘Home’ to raise money for PAPYRUS. It is still available on Amazonmp3 and itunes.
Call to Action Over 50 national organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors in England have signed up to take action so that fewer lives are lost to suicide and people bereaved or affected by a suicide receive the right support. PAPYRUS has been part of this from its outset and aims to ensure that young suicide prevention is part of this collective endeavour. The Call to Action complements the UK Government’s Strategy for England. Check out our website for updates. PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 5
Media In the news
It has been a busy summer in the press office working with journalists covering a variety of news stories and feature programmes, as well as production companies forward planning future broadcast documentaries. We have been approached for guidance, comment and case studies on subjects that have included underground and rail suicide; mental health services; automatic prescription of antidepressant drugs to teenagers; pro-suicide internet sites; self-harm; mental health stigma; distressed young people detained in police cells without committing an offence; young suicide survivors; increasing use of barbiturates and gas; and increasing numbers of suicide referrals from GPs receiving very little follow through. Several media picked up on our response to the new Suicide Prevention Strategy for England announced in September and we have supported fundraisers with statements for their local press. As a result Chairman Stephen Habgood, CEO Ged Flynn and Alexis Elliott and Alice Newton from our suicide prevention team have all appeared either in print or on air. So too have some of our members and fundraising supporters, which is enormously helpful. It is not always easy to speak about personal experience of suicide, but we desperately need more support from spokespeople to help us raise awareness, through the media, of our helpline and suicide prevention work. If you feel able to explore this further, please call Rosemary Vaux in our press office (direct line 020 8943 5343) for an initial non-obligatory chat. 6 PAPYRUS WINTER 2012
Suicide Bereavement Support and Suicide Prevention
– two sides of the same coin? Many of our PAPYRUS members and friends have experienced the tragic loss of a young person through suicide. Whilst PAPYRUS is a prevention charity, it is very important to us that people are able to receive support too in dealing with their loss. It is often said that suicide post-vention (supportive activities which follow a suicide) and suicide prevention (activities which aim to reduce the likelihood of a suicide) are often ‘two sides of the same coin’. Some of our members have also been involved in the charity, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (also known as SOBS) and speak highly of the benefits of their involvement. The trustees at SOBS are keen to let their members know about PAPYRUS – many of them are keen to be involved with us in working to save young lives in the years ahead. At PAPYRUS, our trustees have been working to forge ever closer links with SOBS, recognising that many of our respective members share some common goals.
In October, some of the SOBS trustees and some of their group leaders attended our Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Here's what some of the participants from SOBS had to say about the PAPYRUS training:
"The group's experiences were really handled sensitively and we all learned so much from the training. Thank you." "I feel much better prepared."
How SOBS started ... In February 1982 Alice Middleton’s brother took his own life. Later, in 1990, surprised to find little support for those bereaved by suicide, she wished to start a group where people could have empathetic, compassionate support in confidence and so set up Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide in 1991. Alice said, “It is important that survivors feel safe to be themselves. I saw group work as a safe environment, a place of healing and hope.”
One of the charity’s trustees, Anne Culley, writes: “Today, there are over 40 groups around the country. They are not social or counselling groups but groups where people (over the age of 16), who have suffered a loss through suicide can get support from one another. They meet for two hours once a month and people can talk about whatever they want, related to their loss. Those who come the first time talk about their experience and their immediate concern. Gradually they move on to different things, like the inquest, what to
School Report – Through the eyes of a 17 year old …
“
Today our sixth form had a mental health awareness day. We had a load of speakers come in and chat to us – better than normal lessons! Someone spoke about bereavement, someone about sex and relationships … and someone about young suicide and how to help stop it. When the lady told us she was going to talk to us about suicide, I wasn’t surprised. I mean, I know there are kids my age who have problems. It makes sense to talk about it.
better skills to "Now I feel like I have ne's life." hopefully save someo
Our staff train SOBS staff.
"Excellent – should be used by every company, school and college." ining helpful and it "I really found this tra le idence to assist peop gave me a new conf thoughts of suicide." who may be having
"I can't believe how much we got through in two days." Please contact PAPYRUS on 01925 572444 if you want to participate in ASIST or have us train your colleagues where you work. Here, we share a little more about Survivors and how you can get in touch with this bereavement support charity (see article below).
tell their children, problems with their children or other family members, whether they should move house and how they will manage financially. Those who have moved on are able to help those who are just beginning their journey.” Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide also has a telephone helpline open 9am – 9pm, 0844 561 6855 and an email helpline sobs.support@hotmail.com If you want to know more about Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide or need their support, please visit their website at http://www.uk-sobs.org.uk/ All the charity’s groups are led by people who have lost someone through suicide as are their telephone helpline and email service.
The lady showed us some statistics. I thought it would affect women more and couldn’t believe that three times more males than females take their own lives! I haven’t felt suicidal personally – maybe I’m one of the lucky ones? It’s good to know what kinds of things could cause someone to have suicidal thoughts, although scary to think that it could happen to any of us. I thought it would have to just be something really, really horrible but it’s more about change and how people cope with it. It can also be because someone has depression and may not even know. I hope I can deal with stuff in life, ’cause we’re all gonna have to go through big events in life aren’t we? At least I know I can talk to HOPELineUK if I need help. As well as my doctor – she told us we don’t have to go with an adult and I had no idea about that! I think I’d be a bit nervous going on my own but it’s worth knowing that if I ever need to. We also talked about not being afraid to talk about suicidal feelings with parents or people we can trust. I’m really glad PAPYRUS came to talk to us. Now I know what to look out for if one of my mates seems down. I’m not afraid to ask about suicide and if they need help, I can give them HOPELineUK’s number and help them speak to a teacher or their mum or dad.
”
If YOU need to talk about suicidal feelings, contact HOPELineUK on 0800 068 41 41 or text on 07786 209697 or e-mail pat@papyrus-uk.org PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 7
Around 1,400 young people in the UK under the age of 35 take their own lives every year. Are you, or a young person you know, not coping with life?
Let’s talk about it.
Phone: HOPELineUK 0800 068 4141 SMS: 07786 209697 e-mail: pat@papyrus-uk.org
PAPYRUS
prevention of young suicide
FAQs about Suicide Prevention A few days ago I walked in on my friend self-harming. I didn’t know what to say at first I was so shocked. When I asked him why he was doing it, I didn’t need to say anything else. He couldn’t stop talking, everything just came tumbling out about his parents arguing and possibly getting divorced and what with university coming up, he’s worried about leaving them on their own together. He thinks it will be his fault if it all ends. I’m glad he talked to me but I’m terrified he’s going to hurt himself, what should I do? Firstly, it’s important to recognise what you have already done. You stayed and gave your friend someone to talk to. By allowing your friend the space to open up to someone, you would have already helped release the pain he was feeling inside. Reassure your friend he did the right thing by talking to you and to encourage him to do so again whenever he feels the urge to self-harm. He will need a lot of reassurance that his parents’ problems are not down to him and that he can still be there for both of them, should anything happen. Although not always linked, look out for signs of suicidal ideation – such as your friend suggesting not wanting to be here anymore. If you think he may be suicidal, don’t be afraid to ask him. You can always call our helpline HOPELineUK 0800 068 4141 for more advice, as well as directing your friend here. I’ve been feeling really down recently. I keep crying for no reason over the smallest of things and it feels like everyone’s getting fed up with me. I feel so alone; no-one seems to understand. What should I do? It must be difficult having people around you who don’t understand why you’re feeling so low. There are a number of different things you can do, or people you can talk to. Depending on what you would prefer, you can speak to your GP.
They can talk to you about medication and NHS counselling. However, another option may be to speak to people who are going through something similar. Lots of areas have support groups for depression/anxiety. Take a look at the Depression Alliance website, or a mental health forum may list something in your local area. If you give us a call, HOPELineUK 0800 068 4141, we can help find something for you. In the meantime, try to have a routine that gets you up in the morning and create some goals for yourself to help keep you focussed on something each day. I am a teacher and I have a student at school who I’m concerned about. He used to be very outgoing, friendly with everyone, even the teachers. I’ve noticed in the past few weeks that he has become more withdrawn, his grades are actually better, but he doesn’t seem his usual self. No cheeky comments anymore or spending time with his friends, I noticed him in the canteen having lunch by himself one day reading a book, which is very unusual. Should I be worried? You’re right to be concerned as, despite his positive development in his studies, his behaviour has clearly changed and it’s important to identify why. It is great that perhaps he is focussing on his work more than before, but it is concerning that he’s not spending time with his friends or what he used to do. It’s important to have a conversation with him. Identify the positives of his achievements in work, but also mention the change in behaviour and ask why that might be. He may not choose to tell you anything right now, but by asking, you’re showing him that you’re there should he want to talk another time. It may be that he’s fallen out with friends, or had a change of heart about upcoming exams, but the fact that something has changed needs to be addressed.
PAPYRUS TRAINING Our team can offer various types of input to organisations which support young people. Interactive Suicide Awareness Information Sessions for young people which – look at some of the difficulties young people may be facing today – identify young people’s own community resources and encourage them to access these – make young people aware of PAPYRUS as a source of suicide prevention support SuicideTALK – a seminar for whole staff groups and/or groups of parents/carers (2 hours) which – looks at the benefit of speaking safely and openly about suicide – helps to remove the stigma which can prevent help-seeking behaviours Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) (2 days) training workshop for those with contact with young people throughout their working day which – helps participants to identify when a young person may be at risk of suicide – provides caregivers with an evidence-based intervention model which keeps young people safe – equips participants to feel more ready, willing and able to address the needs of someone at risk For more information or to see how we can support your efforts to prevent young suicide, please contact training@papyrus-uk.org or call us on 01925 572444
PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 9
A young person’s experience and suicide prevention message
“I had kept this to myself for years.“ My battle with mental health started just before my teenage years. I was bullied for having different interests to my peers. This alienated me at school and I became withdrawn and self-absorbed. During secondary school, I was bullied to a greater degree for being ‘different’. I already felt a huge degree of self-resentment, so the bullying, which was both physical and mental, added to this distorted self-perception I had. The experiences of school made me feel worthless, ugly, trapped and helpless. I battled depression for many years but was not diagnosed for a long time. As a teenager, I regularly self-harmed as a way to escape my feelings. At college, I began to experience problems with anxiety. This developed into very severe anxiety attacks, where I would self-harm, cry for long periods and destroy anything within my radius. I began to consider suicide and I would think about what life would be like if I was not here. I somehow
managed to make it to University. This fresh start was overwhelming. As the idea that I could achieve something became too much, I began to feel as though I was always going to fail and I became even more anxious. One step in overcoming the battle was announcing to friends and family my plans to undergo gender reassignment. I had kept this to myself for years. I felt as though I was trapped in the wrong body, but due to my military background and bullying at school, I never thought I could come out. The gender reassignment gave me the hope to feel like I had found my true self, and that there was no one to bully, or stop me. I had a full mental health recovery in June this year, and I am now in my final year at University. The future is looking bright. I found creative outlets to vent personal feelings, and found escape through music and poetry. I also began regularly exercising as a way to release pent up and repressed feelings. Another way that helped was talking to my friends, and slowly but surely, the gender transition was the last piece of the puzzle I needed to finally beat my battle.
I understand that not everyone reading my story who may have had similar experiences would want to have gender reassignment, but I have this message; never give up on your hopes and dreams. You are never alone with your problems, and there will always be someone willing to listen, be it a friend, a family member, a professional, a helpline, a school counsellor, no matter who it is. If you feel negative about yourself in any way, or you are experiencing bullying and/or similar problems, speak to
When the body hurts life can be a pa At some point in our lives, we will all endure a physical illness. It may affect us for a day, a week, a month or even years. You may remember being physically ill, perhaps you were bedridden, unable to get up and do your day-to-day chores, work, or spend time with friends. Do you remember how it affected you emotionally? In our past editions we have mentioned how closely our emotional and physical health are entwined, and how you can lift your mood by being active. However, it is also important to be aware of how physical illness can lower our mood.
10 PAPYRUS WINTER 2012
Being physically unwell can place a certain amount of stress on ourselves. The medication taken to get better can affect the chemicals in our brain, but also, the disruption to our life routine can be extremely distressing. We may have to rely on other people in life to do tasks for us – if we have other people in our lives. We worry about not being able to continue with tasks and taking care of others because we don’t have the energy. Being ill can make people feel depressed, useless, or/and frustrated. Someone could be in constant pain, or perhaps not, but quarantined and feel extremely bored due to a lack of stimulation. However being ill makes you feel, it always brings change. This can add to the number of stressors life is already presenting you with and contribute to feelings of anxiety or depression.
We can all experience feelings of anxiety and depression. However, if these feelings begin to: ! Overcome the general fears or worries you already had ! Not get any better, or become worse ! Affect the relationships you have with family, friends, work and hobbies ! Give you thoughts and feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness ! Give you thoughts and feelings of suicide ... ... then seek help Sometimes our physical illness can affect our emotional health. We may not realise that we are not be coping with it as well as we could be. It is ok to ask for help. It is important to let someone know we may not be feeling as positive about things as we used to.
Towards a positive future
Researchers from the University of South Florida, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute have found that the low-expression form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with greater self-reported happiness in women. The MAOA gene controls the activity of an enzyme which breaks down the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters typically targeted by anti-depressants. The low expression form of the MAOA gene leads to a higher level of these neurotransmitters in the brain, which then boost mood. The researchers found that women with the low-expression form of MAOA were significantly happier than women without this low-expression type of MAOA. However, men with copies of the ‘happy’ type of MAOA were not found to be happier than those without it. So, what causes this gender difference? Researchers suspect that the hormone testosterone, found in smaller quantities in women, may cancel out the positive effect of MAOA on happiness in men. However, the researchers emphasise that happiness is not determined by a single gene alone, but rather a number of genes and lifestyle factors. Henian Chen, Daniel S. Pine, Monique Ernst, Elena Gorodetsky, Stephanie Kasen, Kathy Gordon, David Goldman, Patricia Cohen; The MAOA gene predicts happiness in women; Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, online in advance of print Aug. 4, 2012.
someone. Do not suffer in silence. Nobody deserves to feel negative about who they are. I suffered in silence for years. I went through hell and back to become the person I am today, and although I am proud of who I am now, I feel if I had spoken up about my problems in my younger years, it could have saved me years of suffering. Please speak up if you feel suicidal, depressed, or anxious or just need somebody to listen to you. There will always be somebody there to listen to your voice. MT Williams
a pain
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy over the phone as effective as face-to-face With an increasing number of cuts to NHS funding, it is vital that new ways of delivering both high quality and cost-effective healthcare are developed. A recent study involving 39,000 patients from Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services (which aims to increase the availability of psychological therapies) compared Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) delivered over the phone versus face-to-face. This study found that CBT delivered over the phone was as effective as face-to-face, and cheaper per session. Hammond GC, Croudace TJ, Radhakrishnan M, Lafortune L, Watson A, et al. (2012) Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapies Delivered Face-to-Face or over the Telephone: An Observational Study Using Propensity Methods. PLoS ONE 7(9), Available online.
When the pain gets too much: – –
– –
seek professional help. Speak to your GP or someone specific to the illness you are coping with. share your worries and concerns with those who are close to you in your personal life. Although they may not have a great knowledge of your illness, it can help to talk and get things off your chest. Simply eat regularly and having a balanced diet. Neglecting our bodies can have a huge impact on our emotional and physical self. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant; it could exacerbate your feelings and may also interfere with any medication you are on.
Remember, a doctor is not just there to treat the physical illness, but also the emotional impact that may come with it. We all have feelings, we all get down, and it’s okay to talk about it. Don’t suffer in silence.
New project to tackle teenage suicides Anglia Ruskin University is launching new research, the SUPREME project (Suicide Prevention by Internet and Media Based Mental Health Promotion), to examine the benefits of internet-based mental health promotion, with the aim of reducing the rate of suicide amongst young people aged 14 to 24. The project is launched in response to the European Pact on Mental Health and Well Being (2008) which called for strategies to be developed across the EU to tackle the growing issue of young suicide. The project focusses on using the internet to disseminate information to young people. This builds on previous research which has shown that internet based information is effective for educating adolescents on health matters. The study will involve 300 randomly selected 15-year-old pupils from a number of randomly selected state schools across the region and the fieldwork will run until June 2013. For more information about the project please visit http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/project_to_tackle_teenage_ suicides.html
PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 11
Research review
Happiness – Is it all in the genes?
Fundraising... !
Great Sports …
Amy, Andre, Chelsea, Chris, Chrissie, Jack, JP, Leah, Nick, Nikki and Paul, colleagues at Tesco Mobile climbed Mount Snowdon dressed as Disney characters in memory of Mike Hammond.
“A challenging day but hugely rewarding. We wanted to do it for this amazing cause.”
! More than 150 runners (and walkers) of all ages took to the countryside for the 5k cross country Josh Hanks Memorial Run, followed by burgers and entertainment from young musicians including brother Jake Hanks and Josh’s friends.
! Caitlin Cockroft ran the Cardiff Half Marathon in memory of Nat Merriman. Richard Gorrett (pictured right) was also in the running for this event in memory of his brother Dan. “Family and friends will remember the true Dan we all know and the good times spent with him.”
Family, friends, pupils and staff from his school were running with Josh in mind.
! Former Trustee Sam Greaves with friends Samantha and Tamarisk Morris, Charlotte van Der Noot, Sandrine Fecheyr Lippins and Kyla Reid ran the British 10k.
! Shane Horkan, Mark Ashworth and Carl Appleyard – ran 140 miles from Bridlington to Blackpool in memory of Shane’s brother Chris.
! Jay de los Muertos in Gran Canaria walked over a mile on broken glass because he ‘wanted to raise greater awareness’.
“After going through what myself, family and friends went through and still are going through, I want to make as many people aware of the support, service and good work PAPYRUS is doing on a daily basis.”
! Lee Dobson ran the Liverpool Half Marathon.
! David Crum, Chris Fulton, Duncan MacNeill, Alistair McLeod and David Montgomery walked the 54 mile Great Caledonian Challenge. “Despite rain and Highland midges we were pleased to complete the event as a team and to support PAPYRUS helping young people when they need it most.”
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! Nathan Boddey ran, swam and cycled the 2012 Virgin Active London Triathlon in memory of Dave Hart.
! Lorraine Hale, with stepson Will and friend Debbie Beling ran the BUPA Great South Run in memory of Lorraine’s son Robbie. ! Sally Hill and friends Graeme, Michelle and Bill undertook the Three Peaks Challenge in memory of Alara. ! Zoe Lucas and Marisa Silba thought of Steve Way every step of the Big Fun Run London 5K as they ran in his memory. ! Katie MacIntyre performed a bungee jump from the Tees Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough in memory of her best friend Jess. ! Jennie McKercher cycled from London to Paris so that ‘young people know there is someone out there’.
! Family and friends of Rosie Whitaker ran the Brighton Brooks 10k run along the seafront to raise more money for Rosie’s Memorial Fund. ! Kelsie Willis scaled Ben Nevis in five hours in memory of Kerr Farmer, whose family chose PAPYRUS. ! Chris Shepherd ran the Manchester 10k in memory of Emma Curley. Also taking part in this event were Ben Lancaster, who took time out from his fundraising cake baking and Gwen Thirsk ‘because PAPYRUS does great work’.
! ! Damian Ryan (This Gun’s for Higher) climbed Cotopaxi, the highest volcano in South America because
“sometimes life can feel like an uphill struggle!”
Growing Strong
We welcome to our team in Warrington Aanika Dhillon (left), PAPYRUS Fundraising Campaign Manager, and Laura Green, PAPYRUS Membership & Fundraising Assistant. Aanika leads on our income generation plans while Laura ensures that our members and supporters are kept updated with information and resources to help us to #saveyounglives
Climbing Cotopaxi will take my breath away, but I will breathe again on my next step.”
! Tom Moran walked 250km from West Limerick to Dublin to support PAPYRUS and Pieta House in Ireland.
! Sisters Rhea and Roxanne Timmins have recruited 12 friends to launch Team Running for Robbie in memory of their brother Robbie. Various members have run the East Coast Classic 10k, Great North Run and Mablethorpe Half Marathon – with more scheduled.
Team Running for Robbie is growing, with bigger plans for 2013.
! Linda Matthews and friends Tory Smith, Toni Lewis, Su Seymour, Marianne Lording and Trudi Lawrence took part in HOPEWalk2012 in Portsmouth in memory of Linda’s brother John Carter.
Team spirit on the Portsmouth HOPEWalk 2012.
. . . o g , o g Go,
“We are not going to let our support stop here,” says Tony Harrison.
! David Wallis led a group of friends taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge in memory of their old school friend Paul “Our friend Paul Gaddas. With treacherous Gaddas loved weather preventing them nothing more scaling Scafell Pike they than setting valiantly climbed Snowdon himself physical twice. challenges, which is why we’re taking on the Three Peaks.”
! Over 100 family and friends took part in Walk with an Angel, organised by Tony Harrison in memory of his daughter Vicky. They walked 130 miles from Witton Park Blackburn to Blackpool Tower. ! Clare Hesketh ran the Liverpool Marathon and Newcastle Marathon (just two weeks apart) in memory of her niece Natasha.
“I was overwhelmed by people's kindness and if it can go any way to help your work and save a life it will be brilliant.” PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 13
Fundraising. … ls a iv t s e F d n a n Fun, Fashio
! Common Goals the not-for-profit project set up by Jack Hyde and Nathan Blaker works with bands to raise money and awareness for charities. In a recent project Exeter’s ‘The Cut Ups’ band designed a t-shirt to raise money for PAPYRUS. The Cut Ups hope to raise awareness on a forthcoming UK tour.
of Ann ! Family and friends latest the to ed ck Curley flo in memory of d ise an org ts en ev ma. A Funday her daughter Em Golf day was followed by a brother, n’s An by organised John.
Young Fundraiser Recognised !
! Clare Pike organised a Skatoons gig at the Northampton Picturedrome in memory of Natasha Warnes from Northamptom, whose father is a drummer in the band. For all our events, please see our website for details of how you can join in:
www.papyrus-uk.org
! Walk
When 16 year old Jake Hanks lost his older brother Josh to suicide, he organised a number of fundraising activities to raise money for PAPYRUS. His achievement has now been celebrated at West Mercia Police’s annual Young Good Citizen of the Year award ceremony that honours those Jake with Penelope Lewis, High whose acts of generosity and Sheriff of Shropshire. displays of community spirit Picture credit: with kind permission of Bromsgrove Advertiser. have made a difference to other people’s lives. A spokesperson for the Awards said that following the death of his brother “Jake demonstrated a positive attitude towards all aspects of school life from day one and coped extraordinarily well … considering the pressures on him. Jake’s fantastic work, commitment and fabulous attitude to life makes him a worthy award winner.”
with an Angel tops ASDA Community Giving
Walk with an Angel for PAPYRUS received the most customer votes in the October community project donation scheme at the ASDA store in Blackburn. Tony Harrison, who set up Walk with an Angel in memory of his daughter Vicky, visited the store to receive a cheque on behalf of PAPYRUS. Both ASDA and Waitrose run schemes where customers vote for their favourite local causes. Although PAPYRUS is a national charity, your local store may consider your nomination for a PAPYRUS fundraising project. Ask for details in store.
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! The family and friends of music-loving DJ Billy Picken celebrated his life by organising Freak! One More Time for Billy at Club Phoenix, Chester. Billy had started the Freak! club nights with some friends in 2003.
Good luck to all of you training for or planning a future fundraising event to support PAPYRUS. Do contact our fundraising team fundraising@ papyrus-uk.org for ideas, publicity support, shirts and collection boxes.
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Above top: Jacqueline and Panda Reid on stage with compère Baron Bartholomew Black.
!
Showtime!
Jacqueline Reid and her Hero Next Door supporters held another glamorous Burlesque Evening in Aberdeen. !
Christmas Stocking Filler
The Hero Next Door Burlesque 2013 calendar, with photos from some of their amazing shows during the year, is now available and can be purchased at www.justgiving.com/HeroNextDoorCalender2013 – all in aid of PAPYRUS. ! Lauren Lovatt and her mother June organised a glamgiving party for ladies in Somerset who donated designer fashion and shopped till they dropped. Below: Lauren Lovatt and friends.
Teenage survivor inspires through song !
“You know those dark days? The ones you think you will never escape from? The ones you feel like ending it all to get to a better place? Well I do too.” These are the words of 19 year old suicide survivor Richard Howarth, a Manchester teenager who attempted suicide twice last year when finding it a struggle at his new college and losing ‘the only girl I had loved’. Richard now believes it was the luckiest thing that on each occasion he was found and nurtured through those extremely dark times by two of his very close friends, among others. “My family really didn’t understand why I had tried to take my own life, found it hard to deal with, but they too stood by me 100 percent.” Richard is now supporting PAPYRUS to raise awareness – and hopefully funds for PAPYRUS. Under his singing name Xprki (Sparky), he has co-written and teamed up with popular R&B singer Steelo 1 and top producers in a London studio to record a new song ‘Take it Away’.
“I’ve always wanted to record a charity single and it was the most surreal experience singing with such talented singers and producers: a dream come true,” said Richard. “All I want now is the single to sell well so we can put a stop to the useless waste of life and talent that is lost through young people taking their own lives.” Blind since the age of 10, Richard is now looking forward to next April when he will hopefully begin a full time music course at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. We wish him well. ‘Take it Away’ is on sale from iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, eMusic and Rapsody. All proceeds are being donated to PAPYRUS – please support it!
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She needs US...
Registered Charity 1070896.
...we need YOU Please call 01925 572444 to donate what you can prevention of young suicide Thank you
PAPYRUS
Why not join us... Membership form When PAPYRUS Trustees discuss what the charity needs to do, we look to the experiences of our members to help us. If you want to help young people to live with hope, you can give our work some special meaning. Family, friends and professionals, please join PAPYRUS now. Name
GIFT AID DECLARATION.
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I want to treat this and all donations I may make in the future, until I notify you otherwise, as GIFT AID DONATIONS.
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Signed: I enclose ÂŁ40 for annual membership. I enclose a donation of ÂŁ Only one newsletter and information will be sent to an address, if you want additional copies of mailings, please tick this box. By filling in the Gift Aid declaration, we will be able to claim back from the Inland Revenue the income tax that has already been paid on any donation you may make.
Date: Please Note: Remember to notify us if you no longer pay an amount of Income Tax/Capital Gain Tax equal to the tax we reclaim on your donation. This declaration can be cancelled at any time by notifying PAPYRUS.
Please tick this box if you require a receipt. Please return this form to: PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 7JQ.