PAUL O'HARE,
Sir, - The Samaritans in Ireland believe that the recent discussion of the retention of stigmas surrounding suicide could lead to counterproductive attitudes in this country towards dealing appropriately with this serious issue.
The Samaritans have had almost 50 years' experience listening to people who are in emotional crisis, some of them suicidal as a result. We believe that lives are saved when people understand more about the reality of suicide and what they can do if they feel suicidal themselves or know someone who is.
We believe that the existence of stigmas and taboos works against our vision for a society where there is less suicide because people feel able to express their feelings and be accepted without judgement. Stigmas devastate people who might feel suicidal, the memory of those who have died by suicide, their family and friends.
Ill-informed beliefs, myths and perceptions - all of which are component parts of stigma - lead suicidal people, particularly younger men, to believe that no one can understand what they are going through and that no one can help them.
The inability to talk about this issue constructively in Ireland has led to a self-imposed silence about emotional pain. Bottling your problems up just makes them bigger and more difficult to deal with.
Samaritan volunteers in our 20 branches in Northern Ireland and the Republic have spent a lot of time ensuring that people experiencing an emotional crisis are accepted instead of misunderstood, ensuring that they get the time and space to express difficult emotions, including those that may lead to suicide.
We promote the idea of emotional health through confidential emotional support - talking to someone who won't break your confidence, who isn't going to judge you or tell you what to do, and who is listening to you rather than your problem.
The Samaritans believe that suicide must be included in the wider discussion on emotional health. Using appropriate portrayal and talking about the facts will lead to the full and terrible reality of suicide becoming apparent. It is everyone's responsibility to move away from the fiction and deal with fact.
We don't make any progress here if stigma remains. The Samaritans are saddened to think we might not be mature enough as a society to opt for the truth. - Yours, etc.,
PAUL O'HARE,
Public Relations Manager,
The Samaritans,
Dublin 1.