TRIGGER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT SUICIDAL IDEATION
The theme for this year’s R U OK Day is are you really OK? The pandemic is causing millions of Aussies to feel an unprecedented amount of stress and our mental health is being impacted.
R U OK Day reminds us to check in to see how people are really going. It reminds us that it is important to connect with those around you and start meaningful conversations especially if you see someone who may be struggling.
The genesis of R U OK Day
R U OK Day was founded by the late Gavin Larkin in 2010. Larkin’s call to action began almost a decade after his own father’s suicide. At the time he was struggling with his own mental health issues, despite seeming to have it all – successful career, beautiful wife, great family…
“I should have been feeling on top of the world and I felt empty, I felt black, and it really scared me and I started to worry that I might do what my father did,” he told Australian Story.
Soon after, the idea for R U OK Day was born and Larkin used his connections to enlist a slew of celebrities to champion his cause. Shortly after launching R U OK? Larkin received a cancer diagnosis but didn’t let that dampen his enthusiasm for the cause.
Why we should ask R U OK?
“The message of R U OK? Day is ‘stop a little problem from turning into a big one because that’s your best chance of avoiding the ultimate disaster.” Larkin told Australian Story just weeks before his death in 2011.
Indeed, Larkin believed a conversation could save a life. It’s a message that has resounded strongly with the community at large. In the decade since Larkin’s legacy has grown beyond his imagination. R U OK day is now a national day of action for suicide prevention.
Katherine Newton CEO R U OK Day says this year’s call to action is that there is more to say after are you ok?
“It’s understandable and normal to not feel so confident if someone tells you that they’re not okay but if you learn that there’s more to say after are you okay, you can keep the conversation going, because a conversation really could change a life,”
Newton says you don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend or a great listener.
Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:
- Ask R U OK?
- Listen
- Encourage action
- Check in
R U OK Day makes us recognise life’s ups and downs can happen to anyone, So chances are someone you know might be struggling. Your genuine support can make a difference whatever they are facing, big or small.
Newton says don’t wait ‘til someone is visibly distressed to check in. Make it a habit to have meaningful conversations, and you could change a life.
Find out more about R U OK Day including resources for ho to have difficult conversations here
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