13 November 2020

I did the Zero Suicide training – 20 minutes and I’m non-clinical, but I didn’t expect to need it so soon.

On Friday 6 November at about 6:30am I came across a young woman on Waterloo Bridge – foot on the pedestal, hands on the rail and sobbing. A cyclist went by but I had to stop.

I came alongside her but not too close and asked what the matter was and how could I help her – would she tell me about it? Would she come to the Pret on the bridge corner for a coffee and I’d listen to what she wanted to her?  

I kept the talking going but stayed away from her – till she said, “I want to die” and I asked her about her family? Silence. “Where do you live?”; she said she was homeless but didn’t seem so to me (very clean, very well dressed, well wrapped up).

A bit more brightly I said, “let’s go for a coffee”  and she took her foot down but held more firmly to the rail.

I asked her to look behind her as there was a beautiful, brilliant red sunrise – and she did – she moved away from the barrier.

We very slowly left the bridge – I really wanted to get her away from the river - and looked to find somewhere open; I remembered a coffee shop near Covent Garden and we slowly went there; “there’s not usually many people on that bridge”, she said.

She still wasn’t saying much but complained about her leg hurting and I said, “let’s go to the hospital to have that looked at.”

I managed to hail a cab and we went to UCH A&E, where the receptionist and a nurse booked her in and said, “We’ll look after her, sir, you can go”.

I turned to the woman and said it would be alright. And that’s the moment it hit me hardest, just as I left, a wave of relief and tears in my eyes.

Lots of adrenaline on arriving at work certainly but I have to say the training works and I’m so glad I did it.

Anonymous.

 

Michelle Draper, Clinical Risk Manager and CNWL’s Suicide Prevention Lead, said, “This very moving account shows just how essential and valuable it is for everyone to undertake Zero Suicide Alliance Training. The member of staff who intervened to help this distressed woman is non-clinical but he had completed the online training and because of this had the confidence, skill and knowledge to intervene in such a compassionate way and ensure that she was safe and supported .  

Feeling hopeless and suicidal is one of the loneliest experiences someone can go through. Please complete Zero Alliance Training-you too could have a potentially life-saving conversation.”

Michele Draper, Clinical Safety Manager

Take the training: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/training