Support your friends this Buddy Up Month

Clay’s farm isn’t doing well, and he says he hasn’t been able to finish his daily jobs. He’s not going to the coffee shop or texting friends anymore. If you have a friend like Clay, step up and offer your support.

Clay is the agriculture persona for Buddy Up, a men’s suicide prevention communication campaign. Led by the Centre for Suicide Prevention, this campaign provides an opportunity to learn about men’s suicide, including risk factors (and protective factors), warning signs, and prevention.

Here’s how you can help someone like Clay:

• Pay attention – Watch for signs that your buddy may not be doing well.
• Start a conversation – In a comfortable setting, mention what you’ve noticed.
• Keep it going – Ask questions and listen to what your buddy says.
• Stick to your role – Encourage your buddy to reach out to others, call Canada Suicide Prevention Service together, or phone 911. And after the talk, check in often. 

June is Buddy Up Month, an initiative to promote authentic conversations among men and their buddies and raise awareness for the issue of men and suicide.

For more information on Buddy Up, and how you can help raise awareness around men’s suicide and how it is preventable, head to buddyup.ca.

If you know someone who is thinking about suicide, or if you’re thinking about suicide, call your local crisis line. In Canada, call 1-833-456-4566.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.