After Losing 8 Friends To Suicide, I Invited People To Lie Down In Lithuania To Show The Suicide Rate
A colleague of mine committed suicide. The reason was alcohol. A year later – a classmate. Two more colleagues also committed suicide, followed by another friend and then – an acquaintance. So far, I have lost 8 friends. Then stories started reaching me – someone’s mother, father, brother or a lover committed suicide.
I live in Lithuania, where people commit suicide three times more often than people in other European countries. Around 1,000 people a year, or almost 3 a day! However, the authorities haven’t made any effective decisions. We only have about 300 volunteers in three biggest cities, and the workload is so huge they can pick up only every fourth or fifth call. We’ve got only 2,8 million people. We seem to have a death wish.
What can I do? I am a known actor, so I invited people over Facebook, urging to donate to a suicide prevention hotline called “Jaunimo linija.” They can only pick up every 4th or 5th call, and these donations can help them pick up every 2nd or 3rd. I decided to do something big in the Cathedral square of our capital Vilnius as well. 1095 people were invited to lie down (statistically 3 people commit suicide every day) in the square. Around 500 came. Despite that, I believe the event reached it’s goal- the media keeps receiving articles by specialists and people are discussing the issue online. The event was spread to 12 000 people on Facebook.
More info: Youtube
As of today, I have lost 8 friends to suicide
Image credits: Karolis Janulis
I live In Lithuania where people commit suicide three times more often than people in other European countries
Image credits: Ieva Budzeikaitė
However, no urgent decisions from the authorities are made. We only have a few volunteers picking up only every fourth or fifth call
Image credits: Lukas Balandis
We’ve got only 2,8 million people. We seem to have a death wish
Image credits: Youtube
I’ve decided to do something about it and that’s how the event Ghost was born
Image credits: Vladimiras Ivanovas
I invited 1095 people to lie down in the Cathedral Squere of our capital city Vilnius for every suicide made in the last year
Image credits: Vladimiras Ivanovas
Sadly, only 500 came, but we still managed to get the attention we need
Image credits: Vladimiras Ivanovas
I have also invited people to donate to the suicide prevention hotline so our volunteers could pick up every call
Image credits: Justina Butkutė
Every life matters, so we need to do everything we can to save them
Image credits: Mindaugas Kulbis
You can watch the full event here:
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Brave, impressive and powerfull, hope you'll get neededattention and support from government. Good Luck!
It was nice to be a part of this. That feeling of unity is pretty rare these days.
There must be some ideas as to why the suicide rate is so high there. Is it because of a low standard of living or something?
Unemployment, alcoholism, poor mental heath resources, and more...
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I am a suicide survivor in South Africa; I say thank you for your caring.
wow, congrats for the effort. did you put up sort of an association?
wow. This is so emotional because I have lost one of my best friends to suicide and I believe that this is both sad and very good that some people actually care what some people do in their lives. I don't like that people are killing themselves over something so stupid as a love life or their friends being mean to them. Some others killing themselves over something like their best friend dying... I understand that. But i'm glad to see some people care.
i read that we are now supposed to say that they died of suicide instead of committing suicide because they were sick people, not criminals, and it shows more support for the grieving family
I would also rather be dead sometimes if i lived in a country that is constantly a victim. I would feel despair if no person in the world is interested in my language. No amount of friends learning a few phrases could compensate or help with my grief. I would also be very discouraged. It would not help me to say, please keep your language and culture alive! I would say, where were you when you were hanging out with the nazis? If we choose to commit suicide, mind your own business. So fukk off. I won't do it. I still like the world. Any day is good when i am here.
I lost my real grandpa to suicide and it hurts because i never got to meet him my dads side is all messed up my grandparents are actually my great aunt and uncle. and 15 years later i find out i had real grandparents where i only knew my grandma when i was 3 and my dad had nothing to do with her and that my grandpa hung himself in the basement of my great aunt and uncles house. It sucks and i know what its like to lose someone to such an awful thing that shouldn't even exist. I've actually wanted to kill myself i self harmed and this song and many other songs have helped me. I just wish there was a way to get my grandparents back....
well done! I hope you continue to raise awareness and bring people together. A positive strong community and good support services are the first steps in changing anything.
What are the underlying causes in Lithuania? Alcohol is just a symptom.
This is so deep and moving! Thank you for raising the awareness of this issue!
It is awesome. To show how much it happens is horrible but I love the display of people coming out to support suicide awareness.
I hope you get all the support you need to stop this wasteful happenings and people throwing away their lives. Good luck.
F**k off, 8 people killed themselves the country stops...War goes on and its Media hype like it was a movie... Those 8 probably died sick of your ignorance. "Oh look we can use it for the media, Hope another 8 die"
Brave, impressive and powerfull, hope you'll get neededattention and support from government. Good Luck!
It was nice to be a part of this. That feeling of unity is pretty rare these days.
There must be some ideas as to why the suicide rate is so high there. Is it because of a low standard of living or something?
Unemployment, alcoholism, poor mental heath resources, and more...
Load More Replies... I am a suicide survivor in South Africa; I say thank you for your caring.
wow, congrats for the effort. did you put up sort of an association?
wow. This is so emotional because I have lost one of my best friends to suicide and I believe that this is both sad and very good that some people actually care what some people do in their lives. I don't like that people are killing themselves over something so stupid as a love life or their friends being mean to them. Some others killing themselves over something like their best friend dying... I understand that. But i'm glad to see some people care.
i read that we are now supposed to say that they died of suicide instead of committing suicide because they were sick people, not criminals, and it shows more support for the grieving family
I would also rather be dead sometimes if i lived in a country that is constantly a victim. I would feel despair if no person in the world is interested in my language. No amount of friends learning a few phrases could compensate or help with my grief. I would also be very discouraged. It would not help me to say, please keep your language and culture alive! I would say, where were you when you were hanging out with the nazis? If we choose to commit suicide, mind your own business. So fukk off. I won't do it. I still like the world. Any day is good when i am here.
I lost my real grandpa to suicide and it hurts because i never got to meet him my dads side is all messed up my grandparents are actually my great aunt and uncle. and 15 years later i find out i had real grandparents where i only knew my grandma when i was 3 and my dad had nothing to do with her and that my grandpa hung himself in the basement of my great aunt and uncles house. It sucks and i know what its like to lose someone to such an awful thing that shouldn't even exist. I've actually wanted to kill myself i self harmed and this song and many other songs have helped me. I just wish there was a way to get my grandparents back....
well done! I hope you continue to raise awareness and bring people together. A positive strong community and good support services are the first steps in changing anything.
What are the underlying causes in Lithuania? Alcohol is just a symptom.
This is so deep and moving! Thank you for raising the awareness of this issue!
It is awesome. To show how much it happens is horrible but I love the display of people coming out to support suicide awareness.
I hope you get all the support you need to stop this wasteful happenings and people throwing away their lives. Good luck.
F**k off, 8 people killed themselves the country stops...War goes on and its Media hype like it was a movie... Those 8 probably died sick of your ignorance. "Oh look we can use it for the media, Hope another 8 die"
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