Walk'n'Talk, one step at a time towards preventing suicide

March 14, 2024

March 10 saw a smallish group of people get together at the Edith Recreation Ground for a regular Walk'n'Talk for Life meeting to talk about suicide prevention. In case you think that suicide isn't much of a problem, the number of people who take their lives in Australia each year is about three times the road toll but we never stop hearing about driving safely.

The speaker on the day was Amanda Cass who told everyone about her attempts to get similar groups up and running in Bathurst and Blayney under the name Mental Health Mate. The idea matches the word "mate" - get people together to at least talk about things in a friendly environment. She is only getting small groups at the moment, but it was pointed out that after the first Lifeline "Out of the Shadows" walk in Penrith everyone, walkers and organisers, occupied only a single table at the nearby rowing club for lunch but within a very few years more than 100 people were turning up. Things take time to build.

Amanda Cass

Part of the discussion was the almost invisible treatment options for mental health in the general health system. It's not just the public hospital system that's failing - it was recently announced that two mental health hospitals operated by Wesley Mission will be closing shortly, reducing the number of available beds by 70.

In case you think that things have been improving over the years, one of the group participants mentioned serious problems with getting adolescent mental health treatment in 2004. On the very day that this meeting was held, March 10, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a story with the headline "Children in adult wards, 27-hour emergency waits: the mental health crisis in NSW" which indicates that if anything things are worse now than they were two decades ago.

There's not much that we as individuals can do about the health system except complain long and loud to politicians. Groups like Walk'n'Talk provide a grassroots level of support, where anyone can feel free to discuss their problems in a friendly and unthreatening place. Knowing that other people might be in the same situation can provide hope.

Just a few of the people at the meeting

The next Walk'nTalk in Oberon will be at the Oberon Common on Saturday, April 13, at 11:30am.

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If you or someone you know might be at risk from suicide these links could be useful.

• Lifeline Australia
• Kids Helpline
• MensLine Australia
• Suicide Call Back Service
• Beyond Blue
• Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling
• Qlife - anonymous and free LGBTI peer support  - (3PM-Midnight every day)
• The National Indigenous Postvention Service - After Suicide Support 24/7
• Brother to brother 24-hour crisis line

In an emergency, Dial 000

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