logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
26m 3s

Stopping suicide

Bbc World Service
About this episode

More than 400 people in Ireland took their own lives in 2022. In Limerick, helicopters are often heard flying above the city in search of missing people in the River Shannon.

But in response to this tragic situation, a group has sprung up to patrol the Shannon in the evenings to speak with people who are feeling desperate. Katie Flannery joins them on a Saturday night to see how they work and to hear their stories.

We also hear about a law that is under consideration in several US states, which would allow people with mental health problems to voluntarily put themselves on a do-not-sell list for firearms.

This programme contains discussion of suicide and suicide attempts. If you feel affected by this topic, you can speak to someone who can help. Go to befrienders.org to find a crisis phone line where you live.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Katie Flannery Producer: William Kremer Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Limerick Suicide Watch

Up next
Oct 7
The preschool in a retirement home
A unique community in Chester in northern England, brings multiple generations together to encourage learning and connection. We explore how young children in the onsite nursery benefit from the time, attention and vocabulary skills offered by the older adults. Meanwhile the reti ... Show More
23m 26s
Sep 30
Surgery in a backpack
In some places, the nearest safe operating room can be hours or even days away. We find out about a portable operating theatre called SurgiBox that fits in a backpack and inflates in minutes, creating a safe surgical environment for operations almost anywhere. We meet the co-foun ... Show More
23m 21s
Sep 23
Transforming life in cities
In one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Mumbai, a quiet transformation is underway. Govandi has long been associated with poverty and poor health outcomes. But with the help of a civic organisation, the community has built vibrant spaces with children and women in mind— libraries ... Show More
23m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Surviving Suicide
Content warning: this episode includes frank discussions about mental health and suicide.  If you or someone you know is undergoing a suicidal, mental health and/or substance use crisis, please call 988.  Counselors at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are available to help. Suicide ... Show More
26m 23s
Apr 2021
A cruel disease
Reporting on suicide is complicated. In trying to tell the story of someone who’s no longer here, which parts do you tell, which parts do you keep private? After a young woman dies by suicide, Reema sets out to understand why money was on her mind shortly before her death. Just a ... Show More
35m 27s
Apr 2023
Poison - Coming soon
Warning, this series contains discussions about suicide. A new three-part investigation begins on Stories of our times this Wednesday, 26 April.James Beal, Social Affairs Editor at The Times looks into the suicide of a 22-year-old British student and soon links it to a man in Can ... Show More
1m 54s
May 2023
Suicide
This episode contains discussions of suicide, which may be triggering for some listeners. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please seek help immediately by contacting a mental health professional, or calling or texting 988, the National Suicide ... Show More
17m 42s
May 2024
US suicides: Why are so many young people dying?
A record number of Americans are taking their own lives, and suicide is now the second-leading cause of death in the US for people under the age of 35. Why is this happening? How can you get help if you need it? And how is the US responding to what President Biden calls a ‘crisis ... Show More
24m 50s
May 2019
Breaking the Cycle of Suicide: James Longman & Dr. John Draper, PhD
James Longman is an ABC News Foreign Correspondent based in London. In his professional life, James has covered political strife, disasters, genocide and conflicts across the globe. He is fluent in French, Arabic and English and is a graduate from the School of Oriental and Afric ... Show More
53m 38s
Sep 2023
Over 100 deaths, lethal substances, and a global investigation
This week – Ontario police charged Kenneth Law, of Mississauga, with 12 counts of counselling or aiding suicide. That’s on top of the two counts he was charged with when he was first arrested in May. Law is accused of running several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite ... Show More
24m 26s
Apr 2023
Poison (Pt 2) - The man who sells death
Warning, this episode contains discussions about suicide. In the second of this three-part series we learn of a man called Kenneth Law who’s based in Canada. Law appears to be selling a substance to young, vulnerable, adults in the UK, some of whom are using it to take their own ... Show More
24m 27s
Feb 2021
Are You Feeling Suicidal?
Season 2 Finale! We started this season on a bridge but told you not to get caught up in the romantic notion of saviors and last minute interventions. Suicide isn’t about one moment in time. But if you or someone you love is suicidal, a single moment can be the difference between ... Show More
1h 1m
Jan 2024
Committed Suicide in Front of Family
Gillian delves into the complex emotions surrounding the loss of her brother to suicide. She bravely shares her personal journey, shedding light on the unique challenges and struggles that accompany this type of loss. By sharing these stories, we hope to break the silence surroun ... Show More
1h 7m