New Windermere support group to beat the …

By Lilly O’Gorman
A LOCAL welfare service has launched Casey-Cardinia’s first suicide support group in response to calls from the community and to remove the stigma attached to suicide.
Windermere’s support group for those affected by suicide is the first initiative launched by Windermere Child and Family Services as part of a wider project being developed in response to a spike in community concern about the incidences of suicide in the region.
Windermere psychologist and one of the facilitators of the new support group, Brad Desmond, said the aim was to provide support for bereaved families as well as eventually introducing prevention and intervention programs.
“It has grown out of community concern which has increased in the last six months or so in the region,” Mr Desmond said.
“People have been telling us that they want a group like this. This is our response to growing community concern and demand for support.”
Windermere social worker and project manager Bronwyn Owen has been working in suicide for about 10 years and said the social stigma attached to it had lasted far too long.
“I think this group is an opportunity for those that are bereaved, but the wider view is that we should also be talking more openly about suicide in the community,” Ms Owen said.
“There is a reluctance to talk about it, and families that have lived through someone suiciding have expressed to me that there is some shame attached to that.
“I think if we continuously don’t talk about it, that perpetuates the myth. I liken it to being diagnosed with cancer: we don’t whisper about that, we don’t lower our voices. What we need to do more of is talk about it more openly.”
The group meets for the second time tonight (Wednesday) and then every second Wednesday of the month from 6pm-7.30pm at Windermere’s Berwick Biala, 26 Parkhill Drive, Berwick.
Mr Desmond said the group provided a supportive, safe and understanding environment for people to talk about their grief. He said that, to Windermere’s knowledge, it was the only suicide specific support group in the entire Casey-Cardinia region.
Ms Owen said the response following the first meeting was very positive.
“People who attended the first meeting said that the only time since their child killed themselves that they felt relief, was when they spoke to someone else who had the same experience. It’s speaking with someone who really gets that pain.”
Berwick resident Rob Gunn approached Windermere last year about initiating a suicide support group after seeing the effects it was having on members of the community, including close friends.
Mr Gunn argued the support services available for those affected by suicide were disproportionate when compared to spending for support, prevention and awareness campaigns for things such as road trauma and smoking.
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics information there were 2132 suicide deaths registered in 2009, and it ranked as the 14th leading cause of all deaths. Living Is For Everyone (LIFE), a government funded suicide and self-harm prevention website, compared that figure with 1417 deaths by motor vehicle accidents in the same period.
“The odd part about this is there are several programs available that have real merit but no funding to truly promote their services,” Mr Gunn said.
“One of those is a program in our local area developed by Windermere.”
Windermere is currently seeking government funding in order to get the prevention and intervention stages of the program up and running in the coming year.
For information call Windermere Head Office on 9705 3200 and ask for Bronwyn Owen, Brad Desmond or counselling intake.
Anyone who needs help dealing with emotional or mental issues can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.