CURRENT PROJECTLEFT BEHIND
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Each year, 1 million people worldwide die by suicide -- more than in war, terrorist activities and homicides -- making it the tenth leading cause of death in the world.
At least 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric illness - such as depression or bipolar disorder.
Although most suicides are caused by mental health problems, mental health-care allocations often comprise less than 2 per cent of national health budgets.
Greater attention must be given to suicide prevention, such as increased funding for research, help lines and mental health facilities.
In many cases, it is a treatable, preventable tragedy.
ARTIST STATEMENT
In a small Australian town on June 12th 2001, my father took his own life, aged 60.
It was a decision I had no say in, but one which would alter me and the way I viewed the world forever.
In the years that followed I encountered many social stigmas and outdated taboos associated with suicide.
I felt completely alone, haunted by emotions common in suicide bereavement -- guilt, regret, anger, a sense of failure, shame, abandonment and utter confusion, hung in heavy layers over the expected feelings of grief and mourning.
Because I never spoke of what had happened, I prolonged my healing unnecessarily.
By sharing my story and those of my fellow survivors, it is my hope that others will learn from our experiences, speak up about their own, and seek comfort and support in the knowledge that they are not alone. We are many.
The silence, secrecy and stigma that surrounds suicide must end and if my work can help prevent a single suicide or help just one survivor avoid the many mistakes I made; it will give some meaning to a loss that ten years later, I still struggle to make sense of.
