Suicide: a growing concern in the construction industry and with our Members.

ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER FOR MEMBERS AND OUR FAMILIES CLICK HERE

Brothers and Sisters, there is an alarming trend in our industry. The construction industry has a significantly high suicide rate and it needs to be addressed. Mental wellness needs to be assessed. Look out for one and other out there and know the signs of depression.

You can play a key role in helping a person who is depressed:

Be a good listener and avoid making any judgments.
Encourage your brother or Sister to get other help as well, and assist them in finding it.
Offer to go with them to appointments.
Stay in regular contact; let them know you’re there for them.
Make plans together to do something fun.
Stay alert for warning signs of suicidal behaviour. If there is an immediate risk, get them to a hospital emergency department, or call 911 right away.

Don’t forget to look after yourself. Make sure to make time for yourself and your own wellness needs – physical, emotional, social – and seek extra support for yourself when you need it.

Warning signs

Since the risk of suicide is strongly related to depression, they share a number of warning signs:

talking about feelings of hopelessness or no future
talking about feelings of helplessness, of being trapped with no way out
talking about feelings of being a burden to others
having trouble concentrating and issues at school or work
frequent complaints of physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches
eating or sleeping much more or much less than usual
withdrawing from usual activities and relationships with friends and family
engaging in risky, reckless or self-destructive behaviours like drug use or cutting
acting anxious or angry, experiencing extreme mood swings
talking about “going away,” giving away possessions to others
talking about death, suicide or wanting to die
threatening to hurt or kill oneself
actively researching ways to die.

There may or may not be warning signs that a person is going to attempt suicide.
But if there are any signals, you need to take them seriously.

Through our plan provider, we are proud to offer the Online Mental Health Resource Centre. The link below has videos to help you get set up with a mental health professional. These sessions can be done from the comfort of your living room to the privacy of your car. They are available to you, when convenient for you! And it works, members have been sending us positive feedback on the program and how it has helped.

Please, if you know any of our Brothers and Sisters, or their Families that may benefit from this program, share the link below with them. Who knows it could save their life, or maybe yours. We can’t just ignore it and hope it goes away.