SEXUAL abuse, bullying, a young person grappling with their sexual orientation — there are many factors that lead to someone taking their own life.
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But they all end in the same result, a grief-stricken family wondering what else they could have done.
Late on Saturday afternoon, families, friends and Lifeline volunteers walked to remember loved ones and acknowledge those affected by suicide.
They drifted from Noreuil Park to Gateway Island, lighting candles there as as the day faded.
Xavier High School teacher Kathryn Van Egmond was among the group.
She used to work in Bathurst Island, a community with the highest suicide rate in the world, but she has known young people in Albury who have also taken their own lives.
One of them was a 14-year-old boy who committed suicide because he didn’t feel comfortable being gay.
“A lot of people have suicidal thoughts but it doesn’t mean they’ve got to carry it through,” Ms Van Egmond said.
“If they get that little bit of support to begin with they might not get to the suicidal point.”
Ms Van Egmond reflected on the challenges faced by those left behind and said there was still a stigma about suicide being a “bad thing” that meant families found it difficult to get support.
“It’s because it’s seen as something so terribly wrong that’s happened, but really it’s not because it’s so prevalent in our society that people have so many problems that the only way out is to commit suicide,” she said.
Do you need help? Call Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis telephone line on 13 11 14.
