PAPYRUS Winter 2012

prevention of young suicidePAPYRUS

CEO Report

Many young suicides can be prevented. This is a fundamental belief of our charity. Drawing on the rich breadthof experience within our membership, weknow that there is much that can belearned from and put in place to makefuture tragedies fewer in number. Such isthe importance of our campaign work and,in turn, your support and participation.

Thank you for all you do to makePAPYRUS known in your communities. You can be our most effectiveambassadors: we need friends and members who will speak to others aboutthe charity, helping us reach more youngpeople who have thoughts of suicide andthose who are concerned about them.

In this newsletter you will, I hope, get aflavour of what we do and why we do it.You will also find it helpful to become partof our growing number of active online supporters. The internet is often used for illbut we know how powerful it can be forsharing good news too. Our social mediaoutlets are increasingly the place where weinteract not only with people who supportus but also with those who seek our adviceand help.

I offer a particular word of thanks tothose who come forward from time to timeto share with PAPYRUS their own story ofhaving survived previous episodes ofsuicidal thinking or behaviours.Young people who have been or remain

Tel: 01925 572 444Fax: 01925 240 502email: [email protected]: www.papyrus-uk.org

Contact details

For support, practical advice andinformation concerning suicide prevention call the PAPYRUS helpline:

Welcome to the newsletter ofthe national charity PAPYRUS.

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide67 Bewsey StreetWarrington Cheshire WA2 7JQ.

Patrons:Rt Hon David Hanson MP, Rt Hon David Heathcoat-Amory, Simon Hughes MP.Honorary Advisor:Professor Mark Williams – University ofOxford.

PAPYRUSprevention of young suicide

This newsletter is availableonline at www.papyrus-uk.org/NL/48Back copies of previous newslettersare also on the website.

Please note, the views expressed in thisnewsletter do not necessarily reflect those ofthe editorial team or of PAPYRUS as anorganisation. Any information contained inthis newsletter is intended for guidance onlyand is not a substitute for professionaladvice. No responsibility for loss occasionedas a result of any person acting or refrainingfrom acting because of what is written in thenewsletter can be accepted by the publisher,authors or the PAPYRUS Trustees.

Registered Charity Number 1070896. A Company Limited By GuaranteeNumber 3555482.

COVER:Team Robbie – see page 13.

2 PAPYRUS WINTER 2012

We are ALWAYS looking for people to get involved withPAPYRUS so if there's somethingyou'd like to do to help, pleasecontact PAPYRUS [email protected] or on 01925 572 444.

Winter 2012 no.48

Dear Friends and Members of PAPYRUS

Since the last newsletter, our team has continued to venture into a number of schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK providing workshopsand presentations to young people on thetopic of suicide prevention awareness. Someof those we’ve visited include CarmelCollege, St Helens for a Student HealthDay, Colchester Royal GrammarSchool Lower Sixth students and over 240young people at Preston Manor HighSchool in Wembley; as well as a group of MSc Integrative Psychotherapy students from Birmingham Universityon how to work with suicidal clients andNursing Students from GlyndwrUniversity in Wrexham.

! The team has also provided training to arange of services who work with youngpeople including Notre Dame College,

Leeds to over 200 staff members regardingthe work of PAPYRUS and suicide prevention awareness; MiddlesexUniversity Counselling Department training day on how to work with suicidalclients. A training day at SycamoreCounselling Service in Chelmsford onsuicide awareness and suicidal clients;Bridgewater High School, Warringtonsenior tutors and pastoral staff on the workof PAPYRUS and suicide prevention. Wewere also invited to speak at the Survivorsof Bereavement by Suicide Londonbranch’s conference on the work ofPAPYRUS.

! The team has had a stall at a number ofevents, raising awareness of suicide as wellas the profile of PAPYRUS including MINDStockport’s Family Fun Day in September,Warrington Collegiate’s Fresher’s Fair,

Out&aboutPAPYRUS IN THE COMMUNITY

PAPYRUS on CampusWe were at Warrington Collegiate tomeet Army veteran Phil Packer and students supporting his project walking2012 miles for Youth in 2012. Phil’saspiration is to build a Centre ofInspirational Excellence for Young PeopleFacing Adversity through his BritishInspiration Trust.

“This was a great opportunity to hold an informal ‘open forum’ with thestudents, who were keenly interested andpleased to learn that a national charitysupporting young people was based intheir own town,” said Alice Newton,from our suicide prevention team. Phil Packer Warrington Collegiate.

HOPELineUK0800 068 41 41Or text or email us:

SMS: 07786 209697e-mail: [email protected]

ContentsAspergers and suicide.

Confidentiality – why we need to know.

PAPYRUS trains SOBS.

School report – a sixth formers point of view.

Frequently asked questions.

A survivors story.

Research update.

Fundraising to save lives

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PAPYRUS WINTER 2012 3

We recently recruited new advisors to our Suicide Prevention Team. DavidFoy, a qualified Social Worker, has experience of working in a variety of mentalhealth settings. David also spent time training within a refugee charity and hasfirst hand experience of working within an Assertive Outreach team. David iskeen that the experience he has will add to the depth of knowledge already inthe 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 aswell as working closely with people with eating disorders. Both David andNatalie have previous experience of working with suicidal clients and this sharedknowledge is a welcome addition to the team.

suicidal give us particular insights into the personal challenges of coping with life, seeking help, and finding reasons for livingeach new day. Some of the contributors to this newsletter remind us powerfully that, forsome young people, suicidal thoughts areongoing and present a daily battle.

Finally, do let us know what else you’d liketo see in this newsletter. You can Tweet us@papyrus_tweets or [email protected] or phone us on01925 572444. We love to hear from you!

Best wishes

GED FLYNNChief Executive

It was great to see so many of you at the PAPYRUS Conference in Bristol in June2012. The feedback we received was very positive. Speakers Cindy O’Connorfrom Pieta House in Dublin spoke not only about services to young people butgave 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 ManchesterUniversity. Members were pleased to see young people from Kent talking abouttheir project to engage schools in young suicide awareness.

Conference Report 2012

Our next Conferencewill be on Saturday29 June 2013 inManchester. Moredetails on our website soon.

DiaryDATE

Appointments

Anne Thorn lives in Cornwall, having earlier this year relocatedfrom Chingford, East London seeking a more fulfilling work/life balance. She brings considerable IT experience and is also studyingcounselling. Having lost her only son Toby in 2010, Anne is pleased to have the opportunity to share her personal experience to raiseawareness and help reduce the stigma that surrounds suicide today.

We welcome two new Trustees to the Board.

Don Hart lives in Somerset. After many years working in musiceducation he is now a church leader. Following the suicide of theiryoungest son Dave last year, Don and his wife have been keen toraise both funds and awareness of the charity’s work. Don is committed to working with PAPYRUS to prevent other familiesenduring the experience of losing a young person through suicide.

New Suicide Prevention Advisors

Newman College, Birmingham Fresher’s Fair.We were also invited to have a stall at the nationalconference for Survivors of Bereavementby 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 PolicyDevelopment hosted by Mental HealthResearch Network Cymru in Cardiff inSeptember and more recently attended the launchof Talking Taboos research on Young People andSelf Harm at Westminster. Members of the teamalso attended the Hereford CRUSE event in July tohelp raise awareness of the work we do. Our teamhas also represented PAPYRUS on various nationalradio stations since the last newsletter.

! We have continued to attend meetings of theWelsh Assembly Government Suicide PreventionAdvisory Group as well as several suicide preventionstrategy meetings across Wales. We have alsoattended a number of sessions of the All PartyParliamentary Group (Suicide Prevention) in thePalace of Westminster and continued to representour members on the UK Government’s NationalAdvisory Group on Suicide Prevention.

Alice, raising awareness at Blackpool & Fylde college.


Despite self harming and his dealingswith mental health, he had had noformal diagnosis though he hadbeen treated for depression. It seemsthat a lot of able and gifted studentsmay have undiagnosed Aspergers asit can be suppressed at schoolbecause of family support, routineand regular sleep patterns.

As he grew from a child to anadult, it became increasingly evidentthat he would sit and watch childishgames but not actually join in –often preferring the company ofadults. He was happy to observe but unsure of the social rules. As he grew older, James researchedAspergers and felt as though heticked all the boxes and was devastated to find there was no cure.

James hated secondary schooland university. These environmentsare not always beneficial to someonewith Aspergers, particularly thosewho are undiagnosed. It can be toomuch to expect someone to copewith socialising in crowded, noisyhalls; shop, eat and cook in front ofpeople they have only just met; aswell as sort out individual timetables,

site maps and ensure enough sleepto stay awake during lectures. Manystudents struggle with this personalmanagement. For those who may beon the autistic spectrum, issues withsocial functioning can make it evenmore challenging.

Over-stimulation

The signs for Aspergers at anearly age can be varied and some-times development appears to benormal. As a child, they may bedrawn to machines, washingmachines revolving – any spinningobject or switching light switches onand off incessantly. They may hatecompetitive sports and playtimewhere they may be happier walkingaround the edge of the playgroundrather than joining in with randomunstructured play and conversations.Sometimes there may be rapid repetitive movements like rockingback and forth or hand flappingnear the eyes which is to help copewith over-stimulation and sensoryissues. 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 growthey may dislike wearing newclothes and changes in routine. Asthey become older, some find eyecontact uncomfortable and struggleto make small talk and yet, can seemto talk at length about subjects thatinterest them, sometimes missingsocial cues.

Many young students are notwilling to flag up that they may need help, preferring not to haveattention drawn to them. They aregenerally surrounded by other people who make socialising lookeasy. The study, Responses andPrevention in Student Suicide(http://www.rapss.org.uk/pdf/summary_pdf.pdf), commissioned byPAPYRUS, found that ‘many of thestudents were concerned about thestigma associated with use of mentalhealth services and some wereunwilling to use university or NHSsupport services’.

On top of new surroundings,they face pressure to make friends,go out drinking, jump into the freshers’ activities and manage tasksthat parents have usually taken careof. Universities and colleges owe aduty of care to their students. Itwould be refreshing to have all lecturers and staff trained in recognising Aspergers so that helpand awareness of potential pitfallscan be given.

Preventing suicidein young peoplewith undiagnosedAspergers

Between the ideaand the realityBetween the motionand the actFalls the ShadowT. S. Eliot

My nephew James was 24 when he took his life. He had neverkissed a girl. He struggled with friendships, jokes and sarcasmand had been failed by the mental health system. Eight monthsbefore he died, a family friend who was a child psychologistsuggested James had a hidden disability called ‘Aspergers’.

Many young suicides are preventable if agencies work effectively together.

A PAPYRUS Member writes


“Our youngest son, Dave, tookhis own life last November atthe age of 17. He had seemed tohis friends to be the ‘life andsoul of the party’. He hadn’t displayed the ‘classic’ symptomsof depression – he was doingwell at college, was planning totake up an apprenticeship, hewas intelligent with a vibrantsense of humour and someoneothers confided in.

In April 2012 we received a letter fromthe Coroner offering a ‘read-only’inquest. He had reviewed the reportsand had concluded that Dave hadtaken his own life. We initially acceptedthe offer, but elected to see the variousreports. It was then that we realisedthere had been numerous errors in procedures by GPs and Mental HealthServices and also discovered that theGPs had been aware that Dave hadalready attempted suicide.

When Dave was 16 he went to see a GP. Dave was feeling unhappyabout school, having been bullied and following the breakup with his girlfriend. What we didn’t know wasthat Dave had told the doctor that hehad already attempted suicide.

The response to his GP’s ‘urgentreferral’ to CAMHS took more thanthree weeks to arrive asking Dave tomake an appointment. He never did.No attempt was made to contact Daveby telephone and we were unaware ofhis state of mind. Yet, this importantinformation was out there.

Eighteen months later, Dave wentto a different GP. Again, what we didn’t know was that he had told theGP that he had attempted suicide justfive days before.

In another three weeks Dave wasdead. Had we known about the recent attempt we could have donesomething, but we were parenting inthe dark. We discovered a few monthslater that Dave had been online,searching for ‘how to commit suicideeasily and efficiently’. We are pleasedthat PAPYRUS is active in this area ofconcern.

Changes will be made

Dave’s inquest was successful inaddressing the issues and the Coronerused his powers under Rule 43 of the2009 Coroners and Justice Act to drawattention to some of the failings in thesystem.

A Serious Untoward Incident Reportand Somerset’s Child Death ReviewPanel resulted in similar findings. It isencouraging to know that changes willbe made to help save other young lives.

The main question remains: ‘Canconfidential information everbe justifiably withheld frompeople who can help whenthere is clear risk of death?’Keeping such information ‘confidential’can feel like a denial of our parentalright to safeguard the child and canfeel like asking us to parent with bothhands tied behind our backs.

As parents, we believe that younglives are being lost as a result of thefear of breaking confidentiality withinthe NHS. General Medical CouncilGuidelines for working with YoungPeople are very clear – it is vital tobreak confidentiality when there is risk of death, even if the patient is notin agreement. We want to highlightthat these guidelines are not alwaysimplemented. Surely our young people deserve better.”

There are clearly timeswhen mental healthservice practitioners, in dealing with a person at risk of suicide, may need to inform the familyabout aspects of risk to help keep the patient safe.

Preventing Suicide in England, A Cross-Government OutcomesStrategy to Save Lives, Department of Health 2012, section 4, 19

PAPYRUS Members Don and Lynne Hart suggest lessons to be learned in medical confidentiality.

Ed: After Dave died his family releaseda song he had written when he was 16with his friend Jake called ‘Home’ toraise money for PAPYRUS. It is stillavailable on Amazonmp3 and itunes.

Over 50 national organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors in England have signed up to take actionso that fewer lives are lost to suicide and people bereaved or affected by a suicide receive the right support. PAPYRUS hasbeen part of this from its outset and aims to ensure that young suicide prevention is part of this collective endeavour. The Callto Action complements the UK Government’s Strategy for England. Check out our website for updates.

Call to Action

Parentingin the dark

“

”


Suicide Bereavement Support and Suicide Prevention

– two sides of the samecoin?

MediaIn thenewsIt has been a busy summerin the press office workingwith journalists covering a variety of news storiesand feature programmes,as well as production companies forward planning future broadcastdocumentaries.

We have been approached for guidance, comment and casestudies on subjects that haveincluded underground and rail suicide; mental health services;automatic prescription of antidepressant drugs toteenagers; pro-suicide internetsites; self-harm; mental healthstigma; distressed young peopledetained in police cells without committing an offence; young suicide survivors; increasing use of barbiturates and gas; andincreasing numbers of suicidereferrals from GPs receiving verylittle follow through.

Several media picked up onour response to the new SuicidePrevention Strategy for Englandannounced in September and wehave supported fundraisers withstatements for their local press.

As a result Chairman StephenHabgood, CEO Ged Flynn andAlexis Elliott and Alice Newtonfrom our suicide prevention teamhave all appeared either in printor on air. So too have some of our members and fundraising supporters, which is enormouslyhelpful.

It is not always easy to speakabout personal experience of suicide, but we desperately needmore support from spokespeopleto help us raise awareness,through the media, of ourhelpline and suicide preventionwork.

If you feel able to explore thisfurther, please call Rosemary Vauxin our press office (direct line 020 8943 5343) for an initial non-obligatory chat.

Some of our members have also been involved in the charity, Survivors ofBereavement by Suicide (also known asSOBS) and speak highly of the benefits oftheir 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 tosave young lives in the years ahead. AtPAPYRUS, our trustees have been working to forge ever closer links withSOBS, recognising that many of ourrespective members share some common goals.

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 veryimportant to us that people are able to receive supporttoo in dealing with their loss. It is often said that suicide post-vention (supportive activities which follow a suicide) and suicide prevention (activitieswhich aim to reduce the likelihood of a suicide) areoften ‘two sides of the same coin’.

"The group'sexperienceswere reallyhandled sensitively andwe all learnedso much fromthe training.Thank you."

"I feel much better prepared."

In October, some of the SOBS trustees andsome of their groupleaders attended ourApplied SuicideIntervention SkillsTraining (ASIST). Here's what someof the participantsfrom SOBS had tosay about thePAPYRUS training:

In February 1982 Alice Middleton’sbrother took his own life. Later, in1990, surprised to find little supportfor those bereaved by suicide, shewished to start a group where people could have empathetic, compassionate support in confidenceand so set up Survivors ofBereavement by Suicide in 1991. Alicesaid, “It is important that survivorsfeel safe to be themselves. I sawgroup work as a safe environment, aplace of healing and hope.”

One of the charity’s trustees, AnneCulley, writes:

“Today, there are over 40 groups aroundthe country. They are not social or counsellinggroups but groups where people (over theage of 16), who have suffered a loss throughsuicide can get support from one another.They meet for two hours once a month andpeople can talk about whatever they want,related to their loss. Those who come the firsttime talk about their experience and theirimmediate concern. Gradually they move onto different things, like the inquest, what to

How SOBS started ...


If YOU need to talk about suicidal feelings,contact HOPELineUK on 0800 068 41 41or text on 07786 209697 or [email protected]

School Report –

Today our sixth form had a mental healthawareness day. We had a

load of speakers come in and chat tous – better than normal lessons!

Someone spoke about bereavement,someone about sex and relationships … andsomeone about young suicide and how tohelp stop it. When the lady told us she wasgoing to talk to us about suicide, I wasn’tsurprised. I mean, I know there are kids myage who have problems. It makes sense totalk about it.

The lady showed us some statistics. Ithought it would affect women more andcouldn’t believe that three times more malesthan females take their own lives! I haven’tfelt suicidal personally – maybe I’m one ofthe lucky ones?

It’s good to know what kinds of thingscould cause someone to have suicidalthoughts, although scary to think that itcould 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 bebecause someone has depression and maynot even know.

I hope I can deal with stuff in life, ’causewe’re all gonna have to go through bigevents in life aren’t we? At least I know I cantalk to HOPELineUK if I need help. As wellas my doctor – she told us we don’t have togo with an adult and I had no idea aboutthat! I think I’d be a bit nervous going on my own but it’s worth knowing that if I everneed to. We also talked about not beingafraid to talk about suicidal feelings with parents or people we can trust.

I’m really glad PAPYRUS came to talk tous. Now I know what to look out for if oneof my mates seems down. I’m not afraid toask about suicide and if theyneed help, I can give themHOPELineUK’s number andhelp them speak to a teacher ortheir mum or dad.

Throughthe eyes of a 17year old …

“Our staff train SOBS staff.

"Excellent – should be used by every company, school and college."

"Now I feel like I have better skills to

hopefully save someone's life."

"I really found this training helpful and it

gave me a new confidence to assist people

who may be having thoughts of suicide."

"I can't believe how much we got through in two days."

”

tell their children, problems with their children orother family members, whether they should movehouse and how they will manage financially. Thosewho have moved on are able to help those whoare just beginning their journey.”

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide also has atelephone helpline open 9am – 9pm, 0844 5616855 and an email [email protected]

If you want to know more about Survivors of Bereavementby Suicide or need their support, please visit their websiteat http://www.uk-sobs.org.uk/

All the charity’s groups are led by people who have lostsomeone through suicide as are their telephone helpline andemail service.

Please contact PAPYRUS on 01925 572444 if you want to participatein ASIST or have us train your colleagues where you work. Here, weshare a little more about Survivors and how you can get in touchwith this bereavement support charity (see article below).

Phone: HOPELineUK 0800 068 4141

SMS: 07786 209697

e-mail: [email protected]

PAPYRUSprevention of young suicide

Around 1,400 young people in the UK underthe 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.


FAQs about SuicidePreventionA few days ago I walked in onmy friend self-harming. I didn’tknow what to say at first I wasso shocked. When I asked himwhy he was doing it, I didn’tneed to say anything else. Hecouldn’t stop talking, everythingjust came tumbling out abouthis parents arguing and possiblygetting divorced and what withuniversity coming up, he’s worried about leaving them ontheir own together. He thinks itwill be his fault if it all ends. I’m glad he talked to me but I’m terrified he’s going to hurthimself, what should I do?

Firstly, it’s important to recognisewhat you have already done. You stayed and gave your friendsomeone to talk to. By allowingyour friend the space to open up tosomeone, you would have alreadyhelped release the pain he was feeling inside. Reassure your friendhe did the right thing by talking toyou and to encourage him to do soagain whenever he feels the urge toself-harm. He will need a lot of reassurance that his parents’ problems are not down to him andthat he can still be there for both ofthem, should anything happen.Although not always linked, lookout for signs of suicidal ideation –such as your friend suggesting notwanting to be here anymore. If youthink he may be suicidal, don’t beafraid to ask him. You can alwayscall our helpline HOPELineUK0800 068 4141 for more advice,as well as directing your friend here.

I’ve been feeling really downrecently. I keep crying for noreason over the smallest ofthings 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 peoplearound you who don’t understandwhy you’re feeling so low. There area number of different things youcan 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 tospeak to people who are goingthrough something similar. Lots ofareas have support groups fordepression/anxiety. Take a look atthe Depression Alliance website, ora mental health forum may listsomething in your local area. If yougive us a call, HOPELineUK 0800068 4141, we can help find something for you. In the mean-time, try to have a routine that getsyou up in the morning and createsome goals for yourself to helpkeep you focussed on somethingeach day.

I am a teacher and I have a student at school who I’m concerned about. He used to bevery outgoing, friendly witheveryone, even the teachers.I’ve noticed in the past fewweeks that he has become more withdrawn, his grades areactually better, but he doesn’tseem his usual self. No cheekycomments anymore or spendingtime with his friends, I noticedhim in the canteen having lunchby himself one day reading abook, which is very unusual.Should I be worried?

You’re right to be concerned as,despite his positive development inhis studies, his behaviour has clearlychanged and it’s important to identify why. It is great that perhapshe is focussing on his work morethan before, but it is concerningthat he’s not spending time with hisfriends or what he used to do. It’simportant to have a conversationwith him. Identify the positives of his achievements in work, but also mention the change in behaviour and ask why thatmight be. He may not choose to tell you anything right now, but by asking, you’re showing himthat you’re there should he want to talk another time. It may be that he’s fallen out with friends, orhad a change of heart aboutupcoming exams, but the fact thatsomething has changed needs to be addressed.

PAPYRUSTRAININGOur team can offer various types of input to organisations which support young people.

Interactive Suicide AwarenessInformation Sessions for youngpeople 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 ofparents/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 InterventionSkills 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 yourefforts to prevent young suicide, please contact [email protected] orcall us on 01925 572444


My battle with mental healthstarted just before my teenageyears. I was bullied for havingdifferent interests to my peers.This alienated me at school and I became withdrawn and self-absorbed. During secondary school, I was bulliedto a greater degree for being‘different’. I already felt a hugedegree of self-resentment, sothe bullying, which was bothphysical and mental, added tothis distorted self-perception Ihad. The experiences of schoolmade me feel worthless, ugly,trapped and helpless.

I battled depression for many yearsbut was not diagnosed for a longtime. As a teenager, I regularly self-harmed as a way to escape myfeelings. At college, I began to experience problems with anxiety. Thisdeveloped into very severe anxietyattacks, where I would self-harm, cryfor long periods and destroy anythingwithin my radius.

I began to consider suicide and Iwould think about what life would be like if I was not here. I somehow

managed to make it to University. Thisfresh start was overwhelming. As theidea that I could achieve somethingbecame too much, I began to feel asthough I was always going to fail andI became even more anxious.

One step in overcoming the battlewas announcing to friends and family my plans to undergo genderreassignment. I had kept this to myselffor years. I felt as though I wastrapped in the wrong body, but due tomy military background and bullyingat school, I never thought I couldcome out. The gender reassignmentgave me the hope to feel like I hadfound my true self, and that there wasno one to bully, or stop me. I had afull mental health recovery in June thisyear, and I am now in my final year atUniversity. The future is looking bright.I found creative outlets to vent personal feelings, and found escapethrough music and poetry. I alsobegan regularly exercising as a way to release pent up and repressed feelings. Another way that helped wastalking to my friends, and slowly butsurely, the gender transition was thelast piece of the puzzle I needed tofinally beat my battle.

I understand that not everyonereading my story who may have hadsimilar experiences would want tohave gender reassignment, but I havethis message; never give up on yourhopes and dreams. You are neveralone with your problems, and therewill always be someone willing to listen, be it a friend, a family member,a professional, a helpline, a schoolcounsellor, no matter who it is. If youfeel negative about yourself in anyway, or you are experiencing bullyingand/or similar problems, speak to

A young person’s experience and suicide prevention message

“I had kept this tomyself for years.“

When the body hurts life can be a painAt some point in our lives, we will all endure a physicalillness. It may affect us for a day, a week, a month or evenyears. You may rememberbeing physically ill, perhapsyou were bedridden, unable toget up and do your day-to-daychores, work, or spend time with friends. Do youremember how it affected youemotionally? In our past edi-tions we have mentioned howclosely our emotional andphysical health are entwined,and how you can lift yourmood by being active.However, it is also importantto be aware of how physicalillness can lower our mood.

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. Wemay have to rely on other people in life to do tasks for us – if we have other people in our lives. We worry about notbeing able to continue with tasks and taking care of others because we don’t have the energy. Being ill can makepeople feel depressed, useless, or/and frustrated. Someone could be in constantpain, or perhaps not, but quarantined and feel extremely bored due to a lack of stimulation.

However being ill makes you feel, italways 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 thesefeelings 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 affectour emotional health. We may not realisethat we are not be coping with it as wellas we could be. It is ok to ask for help. It isimportant to let someone know we maynot be feeling as positive about things aswe used to.

Research

review


someone. Do not suffer in silence. Nobodydeserves to feel negative about who theyare. I suffered in silence for years. I wentthrough hell and back to become the person I am today, and although I amproud of who I am now, I feel if I had spoken up about my problems in myyounger years, it could have saved meyears of suffering. Please speak up if youfeel suicidal, depressed, or anxious or justneed somebody to listen to you. There willalways be somebody there to listen toyour voice.

MT Williams

Towards a positive

future

When the body hurts life can be a painWhen 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 treatthe physical illness, but also the emotional impactthat 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.

Happiness – Is it all in the genes?

Researchers from the University of South Florida, the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institutehave 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 downthe ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters typically targeted by anti-depressants. The low expression form of the MAOA gene leads to a higher level of theseneurotransmitters in the brain, which then boost mood.

The researchers found that women with the low-expression form ofMAOA were significantly happier than women without this low-expressiontype 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 andlifestyle factors.

Henian Chen, Daniel S. Pine, Monique Ernst, Elena Gorodetsky, StephanieKasen, 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.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy over thephone 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 PsychologicalTherapies (IAPT) services (which aims to increase the availability of psychologicaltherapies) compared Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) delivered over thephone versus face-to-face. This study found that CBT delivered over the phonewas 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 PropensityMethods. PLoS ONE 7(9), Available online.

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), toexamine the benefits of internet-based mental health promotion, with the aimof reducing the rate of suicide amongst young people aged 14 to 24. Theproject is launched in response to the European Pact on Mental Health andWell 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 toyoung people. This builds on previous research which has shown that internetbased information is effective for educating adolescents on health matters.

The study will involve 300 randomly selected 15-year-old pupils from anumber of randomly selected state schools across the region and the fieldwork will run until June 2013.

For more information about the project please visithttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/project_to_tackle_teenage_suicides.html


! Great Sports …

Amy, Andre, Chelsea, Chris, Chrissie, Jack, JP, Leah,Nick, Nikki and Paul, colleagues at Tesco Mobileclimbed Mount Snowdon dressed as Disney characters inmemory of Mike Hammond.

“A challenging day but hugely rewarding. Wewanted to do it for this amazing cause.”

! David Crum,Chris Fulton,DuncanMacNeill,Alistair McLeodand DavidMontgomerywalked the 54 mileGreat CaledonianChallenge.

! Caitlin Cockroft ran theCardiff Half Marathon in memory of Nat Merriman.Richard Gorrett (pictured right)was also in the running forthis event in memory of hisbrother Dan. “Family and friends will rememberthe true Dan we all know and thegood times spent with him.”

! More than 150 runners(and walkers) of all ages tookto the countryside for the 5kcross country Josh HanksMemorial Run, followedby burgers and entertainment from youngmusicians including brotherJake Hanks and Josh’sfriends.

Family, friends, pupils andstaff from his school wererunning with Josh in mind.

! Shane Horkan, Mark Ashworth and CarlAppleyard – ran 140 miles from Bridlington toBlackpool in memory of Shane’s brother Chris.

“After going through what myself, familyand friends went through and still are going

through, I want to make as many peopleaware of the support, service and good

work PAPYRUS is doing on a daily basis.”

“Despite rain and Highland midges we were pleased to complete theevent as a team and to support PAPYRUS helping young peoplewhen they need it most.”

Fundraising...

! Nathan Boddey ran, swam and cycled the2012 Virgin Active London Triathlon in memoryof Dave Hart.

! Former Trustee Sam Greaves with friendsSamantha and Tamarisk Morris,Charlotte van Der Noot, SandrineFecheyr Lippins and Kyla Reid ran theBritish 10k.

! Jay de los Muertos in Gran Canariawalked over a mile on broken glass because he‘wanted to raise greater awareness’.

! Lee Dobson ran the Liverpool HalfMarathon.

! Lorraine Hale, with stepson Will andfriend Debbie Beling ran the BUPA GreatSouth Run in memory of Lorraine’s sonRobbie.

! Sally Hill and friends Graeme, Michelleand Bill undertook the Three Peaks Challengein memory of Alara.

! Zoe Lucas and Marisa Silba thought ofSteve Way every step of the Big Fun RunLondon 5K as they ran in his memory.

! Katie MacIntyre performed a bungeejump from the Tees Transporter Bridge inMiddlesbrough in memory of her best friendJess.

! Jennie McKercher cycled from London toParis so that ‘young people know there is someone out there’.


! Over 100 family and friends tookpart in Walk with an Angel, organised by Tony Harrison in

memory of his daughter Vicky. They walked 130 miles fromWitton Park Blackburn to Blackpool Tower.

! Damian Ryan (This Gun’sfor Higher) climbed Cotopaxi,the highest volcano in SouthAmerica because

“sometimes life canfeel like an uphillstruggle!”Climbing Cotopaxi will take my breath away, but I will breathe again on my next step.”

! Growing StrongWe welcome to our team in Warrington AanikaDhillon (left), PAPYRUS Fundraising CampaignManager, and Laura Green, PAPYRUSMembership & Fundraising Assistant. Aanikaleads on our income generation plans while Lauraensures that our members and supporters arekept updated with information and resources tohelp us to #saveyounglives

Team Runningfor Robbie isgrowing, withbigger plansfor 2013.

! Sisters Rhea and RoxanneTimmins have recruited 12 friends tolaunch Team Running for Robbie in mem-ory of their brother Robbie. Variousmembers have run the East Coast Classic10k, Great North Run and MablethorpeHalf Marathon – with more scheduled.

! Linda Matthews andfriends Tory Smith, ToniLewis, Su Seymour,Marianne Lording andTrudi Lawrence took part inHOPEWalk2012 inPortsmouth in memory ofLinda’s brother John Carter.

Team spiriton thePortsmouthHOPEWalk2012.

Go, go, go...

“Our friend PaulGaddas lovednothing morethan setting himself physicalchallenges,which is whywe’re taking on the ThreePeaks.”

! David Wallis led agroup of friends taking onthe National Three PeaksChallenge in memory of theirold school friend PaulGaddas. With treacherousweather preventing themscaling Scafell Pike theyvaliantly climbed Snowdontwice.

! Family and friends of RosieWhitaker ran the BrightonBrooks 10k run along theseafront to raise more moneyfor Rosie’s Memorial Fund.

! Kelsie Willis scaled BenNevis in five hours in memory ofKerr Farmer, whose familychose PAPYRUS.

! Chris Shepherd ran theManchester 10k in memory ofEmma Curley. Also takingpart in this event were BenLancaster, who took time outfrom his fundraising cake bakingand Gwen Thirsk ‘becausePAPYRUS does great work’.

! Tom Moran walked 250kmfrom West Limerick to Dublin tosupport PAPYRUS and PietaHouse in Ireland.

“We are notgoing to letour supportstop here,”says TonyHarrison.

! Clare Hesketh ran the Liverpool Marathon and NewcastleMarathon (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.”


Fundraising...

! Young FundraiserRecognised

When 16 year old JakeHanks lost his olderbrother Josh to suicide,he organised a numberof fundraising activitiesto raise money forPAPYRUS. His achieve-ment has now beencelebrated at WestMercia Police’s annualYoung Good Citizenof the Year award ceremony that honours thosewhose acts of generosity anddisplays of community spirithave made a difference toother people’s lives.

A spokesperson for the Awards said that following the death of his brother “Jake demonstrated a positive attitude towards allaspects 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 worthyaward winner.”

Good luck to all of you

training for or planning

a future fundraising

event to support PAPYRUS. Do contact

our fundraising team

[email protected] for ideas,

publicity support, shirts

and collection boxes.

Jake with Penelope Lewis, HighSheriff of Shropshire.

Picture credit: with kind permission ofBromsgrove Advertiser.

! Family and friends of Ann

Curley flocked to the latest

events organised in memory of

her daughter Emma. A Funday

was followed by a Golf day

organised by Ann’s brother,

John.

! The family and friendsof music-loving DJ BillyPicken celebrated his lifeby organising Freak! OneMore Time for Billy atClub Phoenix, Chester.Billy had started theFreak! club nights withsome friends in 2003.

Fun, Fashion and Festivals …! Common Goals the not-for-profit project set up by JackHyde and Nathan Blaker works with bands to raise moneyand awareness for charities. In a recent project Exeter’s ‘The CutUps’ band designed a t-shirt to raise money for PAPYRUS.

The Cut Ups hope to raise awareness on a forthcoming UK tour.

! Clare Pike organised aSkatoons gig at theNorthampton Picturedrome inmemory of NatashaWarnes from Northamptom,whose father is a drummer inthe band.

! Walk 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 setup Walk with an Angel in memory of his daughter Vicky, visited the store to receive a chequeon behalf of PAPYRUS.

Both ASDA and Waitrose run schemes where customers vote for their favourite localcauses. Although PAPYRUS is a national charity, your local store may consider your nomination for a PAPYRUS fundraising project. Ask for details in store.

For all our events,please see our websitefor details of how youcan join in: www.papyrus-uk.org


Are you planning an event? If you

would like it advertised in our website

Future Events section to help gather

support, let us know at

[email protected]! Teenage survivor inspiresthrough song

“You know those dark days?The ones you think you willnever escape from? Theones you feel like ending itall to get to a better place?Well I do too.”

These are the words of19 year old suicide survivorRichard Howarth, aManchester teenager who attempted suicide twice lastyear when finding it a struggle at his new college andlosing ‘the only girl I had loved’.

Richard now believes it was the luckiest thing thaton each occasion he was found and nurtured throughthose extremely dark times by two of his very closefriends, among others. “My family really didn’t under-stand why I had tried to take my own life, found it hardto deal with, but they too stood by me 100 percent.”

Richard is now supporting PAPYRUS to raise awareness – and hopefully funds for PAPYRUS. Underhis singing name Xprki (Sparky), he has co-written andteamed up with popular R&B singer Steelo 1 and topproducers 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 singersand producers: a dream come true,” saidRichard. “All I want now is the single to sellwell so we can put a stop to the useless waste of life and talent that is lostthrough young people taking their ownlives.”

Blind since the age of 10, Richard is now lookingforward to next April when he will hopefully begin afull time music course at London’s Institute ofContemporary Music Performance. We wish him well.

‘Take it Away’ is onsale from iTunes,Spotify, Amazon,eMusic and Rapsody. Allproceeds are beingdonated to PAPYRUS –please support it!

! Showtime!

Jacqueline Reid and her Hero Next Door supporters held another glamorousBurlesque Evening in Aberdeen.

Fundraising...

Please don’t forget Gift Aid … simply by Gift

Aiding your fundraising you are raising an additional

25p per £1.

Above top:Jacqueline andPanda Reid onstage with compère BaronBartholomewBlack.

! Christmas Stocking FillerThe Hero Next Door Burlesque 2013 calendar, with photos from some of theiramazing shows during the year, is now available and can be purchased atwww.justgiving.com/HeroNextDoorCalender2013 – all in aid of PAPYRUS.

! Joyce Hammond organised

MikeFest, a day of fun for children and

grown-ups in her home town Runcorn in

memory of her son Mike.

! 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.

She needs US...

...we need YOU

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.

When PAPYRUS Trustees discuss what the charity needs to do, we look to the experiences of ourmembers to help us. If you want to help young people to live with hope, you can give our worksome special meaning. Family, friends and professionals, please join PAPYRUS now.

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Registered Charity 1070896.

PAPYRUS Winter 2012

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