Last week, a remarkable video emerged of legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi talking someone off a ledge in Nashville. In the three and a half minute video with no sound, a heart-wrenching scene unfolds as Mr. Jovi and his production assistant calmly approach a woman on the verge of jumping, speak and listen to her, and then help her back over the railing. Once back on solid ground, the New Jersey icon hugs her and they continue speaking as they leave the bridge together, his arm still around her shoulder.
The incident happened to take place on September 10, which is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s the call-to-action day within Yellow September, a month-long global initiative for suicide awareness and prevention.
Getting the help
“During Yellow September, we put the light on this problem and also on just mental well being in general,” says Gunnhildur Ólafsdóttir, team manager (fagstjóri) at Píeta Samtökin, Iceland’s leading organisation dedicated to suicide prevention. They provide support and treatment for those struggling with thoughts of suicide and self-harm, as well as services for people who have lost loved ones to suicide or may be at risk.
Gunnhildur is a psychologist who has been involved with Píeta since its beginning in 2018 and specialises in dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), the primary treatment method offered at Píeta. She is in charge of organising therapy services offered to people with suicidal ideation, as well as the support groups for grieving relatives and friends.
“When you have these problems and you’re ready to open up about them, you really need to get help as soon as possible,” says Gunnhildur. “That’s why we really emphasise that people should not wait. When people call us and want to come to get help, we try to book them with a therapist as soon as possible so people don’t have to wait for weeks or months.”
Too many suicides
Píeta has a 24-hour helpline where people can call if they are struggling and request their services, but if one is already hanging off the ledge, they will most likely be advised to go to the psychiatric emergency department at Landspitali (Geðdeild) or to call the main emergency number 112.
Over the past ten years, Iceland has had an average of 39 recorded suicides per year, ranging between 27-49 each year. While the number may sound low to an average Jon from New Jersey, it’s still far too many for Píeta to live with.
“We have to still keep going, because there are still too many suicides,” says Gunnhildur. “Our main message is that there’s always hope and we will try to find some hope together. I’m not saying it’s easy, of course, but we see that if we try, we can do it together.”
While they spend the majority of September on a dedicated campaign to raise awareness, Píeta wants to be known as a haven where people can shed their shame and experience compassion and kindness at any time of the year. Gunnhildur does concede that due to Píeta’s current resources, they are not able to provide interpreters to non-Icelandic or fluent English speaking people, and they are working towards improving their foreign language services.
“We want to offer this warm environment that people can come to without judgement and feel welcome,” says Gunnhildur. “Our ideology is hope, care and respect, and compassion.”
That is just what made the video of actual superhero Bon Jovi’s suicide intervention so gripping and beautiful — no judgement, no big sudden moves, no drama. Just a calm, caring, compassionate person showing someone that it’s their life and it’s now or never.
If you or someone you know has been dealing with suicidal ideation, or you have lost someone to suicide, you can contact Píeta Samtökin for counselling at 552-2218. You can also call the Red Cross Helpline at 1717. If you are in immediate danger, please call 112.
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