Giving Suicide a Language

I avoided acknowledging my grief and, as a result, didn’t verbalise my experiences of suicide bereavement until my forties. More importantly, I hadn’t found anyone who could positively relate to my experiences within my own cultural community.

My Churchill Fellowship in 2023 set me on a path to change that, taking me to India, where I met with academics in Northern Punjab and Delhi, as well as with suicide preventionists in Bengaluru, South India. I also conducted research online by connecting with community organisations in Vancouver, Canada.

The progressive feelings of ideation that arise within diaspora communities in the UK remain deeply problematic. Consequently, I searched for interventions being used in regions of India where suicide-related deaths are particularly high, and explored issues including immigration, education, gender inequality, faith, and public health as contributing factors to suicide.

Since publishing my Fellowship report in February 2024, I’ve connected with a growing network of suicide preventionists at the Connect Hut in India – home to some of the best therapists and trainers in this field. I’ve also completed QPRI Gatekeeper and Instructor Training, which has given me the skills I was seeking to support future preventative work.

In summer 2024, I was interviewed by UK professional astrologer Steve Judd. We reflected on my research journey and discussed ancestral timelines, life markers, and global philosophies, considering how these concepts intersect with trauma and suicide. Emerging themes in my report highlight the importance of a holistic approach in understanding the experiences of marginalised communities and recognising generational trauma.

More recently, I was invited to deliver a suicide awareness workshop for five groups of Year 10 students at the school where I’ve worked for several years. I believed the themes from my research would resonate with the diverse group of students in attendance. The positives were clear – my words reached young people who had very limited knowledge of basic suicide-related terminology like ‘ideation’ and ‘rumination’. We approached the topic using familiar classroom tools – such as mind maps, bullet points, and partner work – to help make space for discussion and ease the discomfort around such a difficult subject.

Before undertaking my Fellowship, I too found it difficult to acknowledge suicide-related terminology. As such, delivering the workshop left me with mixed feelings as I reflected on whether life-saving, health-focused language is still missing from conversations between adults and adolescents today. Initially, few students raised their hands when asked to define certain terms. However, by the end of the session, some progress was made. Together, we started to build awareness around self-care and the onset of feelings around ideation.

Building on my research, my focus is now on delivering further awareness sessions in education, expanding to access to holistic therapies, and working in partnership with like-minded organisations. As a holistic therapist and educator, I believe that supporting people during inevitable high-stress periods of their life can help them navigate emotionally challenging times – and that with the right language, we can all relate to each other a little better.

Find out more about Anoo’s work at www.anoobhalay.com.