A Letter To Our Goverment

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to you as someone who has not just experienced suicide, but been through the horrifying experience first-hand, luckily surviving. Someone how has helped many people through their darkest thoughts, to see the other side. I am one person but I am 29 and male, did you know that I am more likely to die by suicide then any disease or illness?

That is the shocking fact, I am writing as one voice who is collectively representing a group of us who are asking the simple question ‘what will you our leaders, our government do to educate teens, educate society, and tackle this issue’.

Quite simply the processes in place from education on mental health issues, to our NHS services are not working. When I attempted suicide I was sent from the crisis team to a councillor, who in term informed me the help I needed had been withdrawn for men due to “over demand in the service”. Is this right? Would you shut a school because too many children needed a place?

On average three men die a day from killing themselves, 5% of the population will attempt once in their lifetime, and even more saddening one in six people are affected by a death from suicide. Statistically speaking that means someone in Government has been affected by suicide. Yes, this is a massive issue and one that is buried in society. Let us not mourn another death but take action and fast.

I am pleading to you as someone devoting their life to help others, to improve the education in schools from awareness to better support, to take action. No one should go through what I went through, no one should feel alone, you can make this change, you can take action now by listening to people like me and those I represent, taking our ideas and developing them into policy, and changing the stigma and social awareness of suicide.

What I am asking for:

Better education and processes in school and colleges at a critical time, to highlight depression, and mental wellbeing, including access to peer to peer support groups, and educational programmes that highlight the issue of suicide.

A clear policy to tackle suicide, and offer better support to those who feel alone who feel there is no help, out reach programmes and a better campaign to highlight these issues. Remember suicide does not mean someone is suffering from a mental illness, and this needs to be made clear.

A committee of people, doctors, and patients, that report back to the government strategising policy and reviewing its success, from education to the NHS. This must be made up from not just health care professionals, but those like me, who have experience first hand, and also third hand.

Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely

Richard Matthews

Hurry Up We Are Dreaming (suicide education campaigner)