IQALUIT
Every so often I am given the opportunity to participate, rather than simply observe and report. I recently had that opportunity in Iqaluit Jan. 18 and 19 when I was invited to take part in an ASIST workshop.

A class of six people in a suicide intervention workshop in Iqaluit Jan. 18 and 19 referred to a diagram called The River of Suicide. - photo courtesy of LivingWorks

ASIST is an acronym for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. Developed by LivingWorks in 1983, it was adapted for Nunavummiut by the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in 2009.

Here it is called Uqaqatigiiluk! or Talk About It! The program is based on the premise that any one of us can be taught to recognize signs of suicidal behaviour and taught the skills to talk with people who are thinking of killing themselves.

If I sound blunt with my language, that's because I learned during the two days that there really is no value in being vague when it comes to a suicide crisis situation.

After recognizing the behaviour or talk - called "invitations" - of a possibly suicidal person, the next step is to get on the same page. That means asking outright if the person is suicidal or thinking of killing themselves.

I can't even express how difficult I found this step, and I witnessed some of my classmates having the same difficulty.

"You mean you just say it, just like that?"

Yes. Yes, you do. And it becomes easier and less fearsome as you learn the followup steps and you are led through role-playing exercises. How to listen to why the person feels like dying. How to gently shine the light on reasons for living. How to help the person create a safety plan. For now. Because this is suicide first aid, not solving all the problems. This is about hooking the person up with the right resources to leave the darkness behind.

On the first morning of the workshop we were led through an exercise where we examined our own beliefs and attitudes. Although we were only six people, it really was stunning to witness such a wide range of mindsets about suicide. We also had the opportunity to talk about how each of us had experienced suicide in our lives.

We learned anyone, anyone at all, can become vulnerable to thoughts of suicide. As a graphic called the River of Suicide showed us, often, at the mouth of the river, many events together can lead any one of us to feel overwhelmed. The program calls this "contributaries." Or perhaps one big event triggers thoughts of suicide. In any case, it's different for everyone.

And as anyone can become vulnerable, so it is also a fact that anyone can help. While the Government of Nunavut has a duty to fund and administer the programs of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, to make them available to everyone, the value of these programs are only as good as each one of us taking part. It's unlikely the GN will be there to catch me or you in our dark time. But our friends and neighbours might. I might be there for you, you might be there for me.

I really did leave the course feeling empowered, empowered to help someone should I be called to. That's a good feeling because I have been in a few situations where I shrunk away out of fear of engaging. I had a lot of feelings of confusion and helplessness related to suicide. I feel stronger now, more capable.

I'm not one to tell people what to do these days, but I highly suggest taking the course when it is offered in your community. Better yet, I highly suggest you ask for the course to be delivered in your community. The instructors are very skilled at creating a safe and respectful space. The course is available in Inuktitut.

The more of us with these tools, combined with our own caring skills and compassion, the better off we will all be. We really are all in this life together.

Just one note: ASIST is not intended to be therapy, although it can feel a lot like a good therapy session. So if you feel like you need therapy, pursue that first.

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