Siobhán had never heard of Pieta House (1800 247 247) until someone happened to mention to her the free suicide prevention service that would end up saving her life. Now, she says, “I want Pieta House to be a watchword for people in suicidal distress.”
Siobhán – not her real name – suffered a breakdown last year. She and I have gone back and forth on telling you the reason for that breakdown. I felt you might empathise with her more if you knew. She felt strongly that it wasn’t relevant and, in the end, I think she’s right. What’s important is that a good and decent person found her life falling apart, and when she needed help the most, it was there.
For Siobhán, the worry is that it was only by coincidence that the name Pieta House was mentioned to her in a moment of crisis. Siobhán had never heard of Pieta House before, and she says it scares her that but for that brief mention, she might never have come across them.
Pieta House offers a free and immediate 24-hour telephone counselling service to anyone in danger of suicide, as well as personal in-house care. Siobhán immediately rang Pieta’s free 24-hour national helpline: 1800 247 247.
And from the moment she dialled until she exited their care a couple of months later, she found their help to be – literally – life-saving.
Pieta House offers face-to-face therapeutic counselling on a one-to-one basis to people in danger of committing suicide – for whatever reason – entirely free of charge. They also offer 24-hour support through their helpline and emergency appointments on short notice.
“Having someone to talk to in the middle of the night keeps you alive,” Siobhán says, “It actually keeps you alive.”
Pieta House began in Lucan, Co Dublin, in 2006, assisting people who are in suicidal distress and/or self-harming. Since then, it has helped over 30,000 people and now has thirteen centres across the country, employing approximately 270 therapists and administrators.
Siobhán likens her struggles with chronic depression to “wrestling a demon”.
The problem with demons, of course, is they can often seem stronger than people. They can get into your head and they can whisper and they can weasel and they can undermine until you don’t know where they end and you begin.
Demons can tell you that you are a terrible burden to all of the people you love. Demons can tell you that all of the people you love will be better-off if you are gone. Demons can tell you that the easiest path to peace is for you to stop being a burden to all of the people you love.
Demons can tell you that the pain will stop if you could only sleep. And when sleep is what you most desperately need, demons will weaponise sleep and turn it against you. Demons will whisper that sleeping pills mightn’t be strong enough.
The thing to remember is the demons want you dead. The thing to remember is the demons are lying. The thing to remember is the demons don’t care that all of the people you love would be devastated if you leave.
Siobhán is doing a lot better now, and receiving the general care and support she needs for her problems. But she says she would not have survived that breakdown without Pieta House. Sometimes in the night, she says, she didn’t feel able to talk to anyone and so texted their service instead.
“You just text HELP to 51444 and, within minutes, someone will text you back. You can just keep texting. At my worst, I just kept texting. I couldn’t bear to talk. It just helped to know someone was with you in the dark. It makes me cry to think of that person I was. So desperate and so alone. But they were always there. And without them I would be dead.
“If you agree, they’ll call you and talk to you. Just calm you down. Reassure you that the night will pass and the morning will come and that you can see someone for an emergency appointment in the centre. Just remind you of why it’s important to keep living.
“It’s like having someone to hug or hold your hand. I can’t think of it without crying because it really was a miracle that I found them. They are secular angels. It’s an incredible institution. They promise not to let you go until you’re okay. And they don’t. They are custodians of your life and your hope while you lose faith in both.”
Siobhán’s only concern is that her pathway to the service was somewhat haphazard and random. She didn’t hear about it from her GP. It was mentioned during a crisis telephone call. She is anxious therefore that Pieta’s services be advertised in the hope that other people’s pathway to it is clearer than her own. If you can’t go on and don’t know where to turn, Pieta will be there for you.
Pieta House’s Darkness Into Light fundraiser began in 2009, with 400 people walking in the Phoenix Park. Last year, over 180,000 people helped to promote suicide prevention and to help those in crisis to greet a better dawn. This year’s Darkness Into Light takes place on Saturday, May 12 and, with 180 venues in Ireland and worldwide, there’s an event near you. If you can’t take part, please be sure to sponsor someone who is.
One day, the life you help to save may well be a life very dear to you.
If you have been affected by this column, Pieta House has a free 24-hour national helpline offering assistance to anyone in suicidal crisis: 1800 247 247. Text HELP to 51444.
