Distress Centre Events
STARTING A CONVERSATION BEGINS TO TEAR DOWN THE STIGMA BEHIND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE
Scott Chisholm author, photographer of “Collateral Damage: Images of Those Left Behind by Suicide” and Nick Paparella, Emcee for the inaugural Day Break Event to start a conversation about mental health distress and suicide.
London ON – The London and District Distress Centre callers feel understood and not alone. Allowing callers
to talk about their feelings and their pain helps them on the road to recovery and can help the caller to choose
life over suicide. On October 28, 2010 the London and District Distress Centre launched the first Day Break
Breakfast event that encouraged participants to start a conversation about mental health and suicide.
Scott Chisholm author, photographer of “Collateral Damage: Images of Those Left Behind by Suicide” shared
his story of losing his father to suicide and his current project to decrease the social stigma associated with
suicide. “Although I never hid the fact that my father took his own life, I often felt that I was left dealing with my
pain and recovery in solitude, social stigma and loneliness”.
The proceeds generated from Day Break will help support our call volunteers attending ASIST (Applied Suicide
Intervention Skills Training). This two day workshop meets professional training requirements by helping
participants recognize risk and learn how to intervene to help prevent the immediate risk of suicide.
According to Canadian Mental Health Association Suicide Statistics from 2006, suicide is the second leading
cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10-24 and someone in the world completes suicide every
40 seconds.
The comprehensive scope of the Distress Centre’s service makes it an important "first point of contact" to
other, more specialized programs. A call to the distress line may prevent stress from escalating to a more
severe and costly level for some of these callers. In this way, it can be said that the Distress Centre provides
both a preventative support service and a safety net for those in immediate crisis.
Callers from London & Middlesex who are worried, scared, sad, overwhelmed or in crisis are calling the
distress lines in record numbers this year – in 2009 the Distress Centre has answered more calls than in any
year during its 42 year history; 16,000 calls were responded to; of those calls 488 were suicide related
(prevention, intervention or post-vention).
London and District Distress Centre
The London and District Distress Centre is a community-based agency that provides individuals in need with
short-term empathetic listening and confidential telephone support, operated 24 hours a day by highly trained
and caring volunteers. For more information visit www.londondistresscentre.com
Distress Line 519-667-6711 Senior's HelpLine 519-667-6600
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For more information contact:
Bobbi-Jo Gardiner
London & District Distress Centre
E: bobbijo@londondistresscentre.com
T: 519-667-6585
Community Events
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