Meeting with South Australian politicians Erin & Jenni

On Friday I met up with my local MP, the newly-elected Jenni Mitton member for Mawson, and the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention, Erin Thompson.

I was joined by my fellow Aldinga Whisperer Team member Robyn and we spent around an hour discussing the GLASS EMPTY &The Whisperer Team initiatives.

It was well received and hopefully it can receive some funding to save lives, reduce stigma around speaking up about experiencing suicide distress and bring community together to support people when they're struggling.

At it's heart, it's a people-centric movement that reminds us of the inherent goodness within us all. One that relaxes any judgement when someone indicates they're struggling and bravely steps forward to ask "are you ok?" And if the answer is "no", it's then "are you thinking of suicide".

From there they can be heard, a problem shared can potentially be a problem halved, and they can start seeking and getting the support they need, knowing it's ok, to not be ok.

Helping someone speak up when they're in distress can be life saving.

Between 2020 and 2022, 1 in 6 Australians suffered with suicidal thoughts. The suicide rates rose from, on average, 8 to 9 a day and they remain there, and suicide continues to be the biggest taker of life for men aged 15 to 65 in Australia.

An Australian study presented in 2021 found, on average, 26.9% of those who had completed suicide, had alcohol in their system.

Perhaps, the need to be "deviating from the norm" for progress, as Frank Zappa put it, is a return to strengthening the community.

Perhaps we've become so disconnected by mobile phones and social media, that community and connecting in with it, is becoming a forgotten art...

By having GLASS EMPTY coasters in a local pub, club, cafe, bar or brewery, and a Whisperer Team to support the staff having the conversations and also the patrons who are in distress, we can actively return to community connection and compassion for those doing it tough.

Because, who knows, maybe you might need this type of support too one day?