Research on suicide work I brought in

Researching The impacts of suicide for a script to be put in place

Movement

What we are trying to do with this movement is creat movement that shows it's hero. Throughout our scenes there will be randomly points of different scenes we will be adding this in. This will be then clear to the audience what we are trying to do. 

They will start to realise the character is now hero and it's with inn all the mind. We will start to see that hero is having a effect on everyone . 

Each different picture is a symbol of the 5 stages of grief . 

1. Denial . This is the first stage of the stages of grief. 

Anger 

Bargaining 

Depression 

Acceptance 

Information regarding suicide and the facts-- will give this as a hand out to the group for then news report

Can railway suicides be cut?

By Tom Geoghegan  BBC News Magazine Any suicide is tragic, but the 200 a year that happen on the railways are particularly shocking. The first national strategy in dealing with them hopes to cut the number by a fifth. But can people who want to end their own lives in this way really be helped? It was morning rush-hour, so the platform was busy and Penny was one of many people waiting for the Edinburgh train. As the Intercity 125 drew into the station, she jumped in front of it. "It's strange, but it was as if I went into it," she says, recalling those moments 14 years ago. "It all went black and I remember waking up underneath it. "It was dark and I thought 'Is this it? Am I dead?' Then I heard a Tannoy and some voices, and I could feel diesel dripping on my face. ARE YOU AFFECTED BY THIS? Samaritans provides emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or thoughts of suicide Its number is 08457 90 90 90 "I don't remember anything else, I had passed out and I came round in hospital. But when I did, there was no relief. I thought: 'I can't even do that right.'" Penny had escaped major injury, apart from five stitches on the back of her head, because she had fallen entirely beneath the train. Her state of mind that day was divorced from reality, she says. She had a husband she loved, whom she had said goodbye to in the normal way. But work-related stress and the loss of her grandmother had induced her third mental breakdown in 10 years. "I can see the train coming, clear as day," she says, thinking back to the day she tried to take her life. "But how I got there I don't know. It's almost like I was in a trance. "I already thought I was dead and I thought I wanted to see my gran. Even talking about it now, I'm thinking it sounds odd." 'No way back' Unlike other ways that people choose to end their own life, railway suicides endanger and traumatise other people, notably train drivers and railway staff. But to condemn it as "selfish", as some do, annoys Penny, who asked for her real name not to be used. HOW WILL THE £5M BE SPENT? Training for rail and train company staff in identifying and intervention Call-out service whereby staff from 202 Samaritans branches nationwide are ready to attend stations in emergencies National communications campaigns increasing awareness of Samaritans' services Working with the media to ensure responsible reporting, reducing the likelihood of copycat suicides "They just don't understand. You don't wake up one morning and say: 'Today, I'm going to do that' They are ill. People who choose this method, it's not a cry for help, they've reached the absolute bottom. "Part of me somewhere thought that it's a sure-fire method. Usually there's no coming back." For the rail industry, suicides are a commercial headache. Network Rail has to compensate train operating companies for delays and it estimates that suicides cost it £15m a year in this respect. In partnership with the Samaritans, it has invested £5m in the country's first national programme in trying to address it. The money will be spent on a number of measures, including training railway staff in how to spot people on platforms who may be contemplating suicide and how to talk to them. There will also be guidance to the media about reporting incidents in a way that does not prompt copy-cat attempts. For instance, giving too much information about a victim can lead others to identify with him or her. "There are about 200 suicides per year on the railways," says Rachel Kirby-Rider of the Samaritans. "But in terms of the cost and emotional impact, it's much higher for suicides on the railways than other forms of suicide, because of the effect on witnesses. All suicides are tragic but some train drivers never go back to work afterwards. 'SUICIDAL IMPULSES USUALLY LAST 30 MINUTES' Feelings of wanting to kill oneself can come in waves and usually last half-an-hour, often triggered by alcohol These thoughts are not necessarily permanent, and may never return So reducing opportunity in that half-hour - because the law prevents a person buying enough pills, for instance - is key to saving lives Source: Stephen Palmer, author of Suicide: Strategies and Interventions for Reduction and Prevention "Many people come across suicides on the railway and get very frustrated because they can't get to their meeting because the train is delayed, but there's a lack of understanding why the person has taken their own life." More research is needed into why people would choose this method above others, say Ms Kirby-Rider, but the common profile is middle-aged men who are unemployed or struggling financially, she says. And there are more incidents in areas of social deprivation. She believes that if people thinking about throwing themselves under a train can get to the Samaritans - maybe referred by a vigilant member of rail staff or because a poster on a platform tells them that help is available - then their chances of recovery are greatly increased. Reducing opportunities for people to take their own life can dissuade them from doing so, she says. Specific measures in prisons and psychiatric services have helped to bring the national suicide rate down, although it increased last year, perhaps due to the economic difficulties. Limiting the number of aspirins available in a packet to 16, in 1998, led to a fall in fatal overdoses by a fifth in the following year.  The daredevil and violent element of railway suicide may appeal to people who feel desperate about their life, because it conjures up an illusion of control and self assertion  Emmy van Deurzen Psychotherapist And according to one study, there was a fall in suicide by car exhaust asphyxiation in all age and gender groups, a trend most marked after 1993, when catalytic converters reduced the toxicity of exhaust fumes. "This shows that measures can be taken," says Ms Kirby-Rider. "What we are planning won't eradicate railway suicides but we are hoping for a 20% reduction in five years." So why do some people choose to end their life in this way? Railway suicide is a violent method of choice, especially for younger men, who falsely believe that it is a fast, painless, foolproof way to end one's life, says psychotherapist and counselling psychologist Prof Emmy van Deurzen. "They often get this wrong idea from media reports or fiction and there is higher incidence of railway suicides after a case has been publicised or fictionalised. "There is a 10% survival rate of these attempts, which though low, is still considerable, especially since it usually leads to severe and incapacitating injuries." There is very little research on the motivations and states of mind of those who have not succeeded or those who have contemplated killing themselves in this way, she says. "The daredevil and violent element of railway suicide may appeal to people who feel desperate about their life, because it conjures up an illusion of control and self assertion. "Even the idea of having an impact on rail transport and the routines of others may be somewhat appealing and may involve a fantasy of revenge on society. "Those who have contemplated killing themselves in this way mention awareness of the potential long-term damage to others as a factor in stopping them." This suggests we need better research, both on people's motivations for choosing this method of suicide and on the reasons for which they ultimately abandon the idea, she says. This would help us providing better support to these people and to prevent more of these catastrophic suicides. HOW PRISON SUICIDES FELL A suicide prevention strategy was published in 2007 In the following two years, suicides fell by a third Staff were trained in spotting warning signs and understanding at-risk prisoners About 1,500 prisoners are subject to enhanced care Source: Prison Service Penny's experience shows that people who have hit rock bottom can still fully recover, and she thinks the best way to tackle the problem would be to chip away at the stigma of mental illness, so people would be more likely to seek help. After being pulled out from under the train, she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and spent two months in hospital for her mental illness. She never returned to her old workplace and the birth of her first child three years later was a major step on the road to recovery. This happy, confident woman bears no resemblance to the figure on the railway platform all those years ago. "Now I've turned my life around and have two great kids and a happy marriage. I'm horrified now, thinking about it, because I loved my husband and my parents." A selection of your comments appears below. I was a train driver many years ago and was unfortunately driving a train when a woman holding an infant stood on the track in front of me while travelling at very high speed. I will never forget that awful day, the things I saw and the feeling of helplessness in the seconds before impact. The impact on my life were dramatic with a day not passing when I reliving what happened. Counselling can never alter what happened John, York I contemplated suicide two years ago, lost my good job, family life was tough with an unwell relative and things just seemed tough and there was no way out. At Glasgow Queen Street, my train home pulled in, and the temptation to jump in front of it was high, but I didn't. I knew it would be a quick end but at the same time I knew I was too young to die so thought the better of it. Today I realise more then ever that was the right thing to do, I have good friends, good family and a job that I like. So don't do it, things can always get better. Steve Taylor, Scotland Having held a train guard who broke down in tears in my arms after someone threw themselves in front of the train he was working on and also comforted a student who came home to find a house-mate had hanged himself, I do hope that anyone contemplating taking their own life does not do so... anywhere. Other people will always be affected by what appears to be the ultimate selfishness of putting your own unhappiness before anything else. Seek help: it's there from the Samaritans even if you have no friends or feel you cannot turn to them. Stay alive - tomorrow will be better. Megan, Cheshire UK Limiting the ways in which a person can take their own life so that the statistics look better is not tackling the problem. All this does is force people to take more risky options when attempting to kill themselves. Recently I read an interview with the founder of Dignitas. I agreed with his argument that if a person cannot be swayed from suicide (which he always attempts in every case) then it's got to be better that they're allowed to perform the action in a safe, controlled environment with expert guidance than be forced to perform a DIY death, with all the risks of horrific injury that come with it. This approach would also save the authorities millions of pounds in emergency response and after-care. Mark Corrigan, Peterborough Working within the railway industry I have been unfortunate enough to witness the aftermath of such events. There has been various studies into the reasons why rail is chosen by suicidal people. I particularly picked up on the assumption that it is an off-the-cuff decision as trains approach and that people consider their lives whilst travelling alone. This fits very well with the 30 minute suicidal "wave" mentioned in this article. I applaud Network Rail for highlighting the whole issue of suicide on the railways. If the campaign gives skills to rail staff to note the sometimes subtle signs that an individual is contemplating such an act and saves a life, not just that life is saved but the trauma to many witnessess and response personnel is avoided too. Richard Gray, London As a commuter and financial worker in the City, my opinion is that work-related stress is to blame. Most city workers are feeling depressed more often than not, including myself, and it's just a matter of time until the bubble bursts. Most workers, after an incredibly stressful day, waiting on the platform for the train home can be the first break they had after a 8-12-16 hrs day of work; the first time they get the chance to breath and think how unhappy their job/life is. Then they decide they can't take it anymore.. Change the commuting from trains to...helicopters, and the most would just jump off the helicopter.. Constantin, City of London Sorry, but it IS selfish. I feel everyone has the right to choose the manner and time of their own death. But there are ways that don't destroy a complete stranger's life. The effect on the driver is utterly devastating. Let alone the poor folk who have to pick the bits up - literally in the case of a fast moving train. It isn't clean, it isn't necessarily quick, and it clearly doesn't always work. Help needs to be available for anyone considering suicide. And it would wonderful if none happened. But if it comes to it - it can't be right to destroy other people in the process. Sandy Fox, Derby, UK During a period of depression it was ultimately the realisation that every time I was on a train platform I had an overwhelming urge to jump that led me to seek help. Essentially many people are presented with this opportunity to commit suicide on a daily basis and I imagine that as a result it can be far more impulsive than many other ways of taking your own life. James, Bath The people who think suicide is selfish have obviously never been suicidal. Yes, you don't see how it would effect people like the train driver or the people might be late to meetings. The vast majority of people who were suicidal (including myself) don't do it just because they are selfish and want to inflict pain and inconvenience on others. They do it because they honestly feel that everyone would be better off if they were to die. So please tell me how that is selfish? Steve, Birmingham People do messy things to each other all the time - violently attack others, sexually abuse kids, rape women, ruin lives with fraud and financial greed. No one begs them to stop because of the trauma to onlookers. Just as we respect their right to enjoy life to the full, I think people should have the right to die if that's what they want without the moralists complaining. And if aspirins come in miniature packs and high rise bridges are bristling with barbed wire, then no surprise people choose radical, ugly means to precipitate their end. Of course it's selfish! But then who isn't? Lindy, London Being suicidal is a mental illness. It is not a rational thought process. You do not evaluate your options in a normal and rational way. As Penny said in the article, "Even talking about it now, I'm thinking it sounds odd." To use a label of selfish for a mental illness is not right. You wouldn't label someone with a physical illness who involuntarily causes distress of difficulty to others as selfish. There is such a terrible lack of understanding about what mental illness is; this is what needs to change. A poster in a railway station is not very likely to stop someone committing suicide, but if their friends and family were better educated and could look out for signs, their intervention is more likely to be significant. Marie Smith, UK As with all acts of selfishness we are talking about degrees. It is OK to be selfish about a box of chocolates, but selfishness to a degree that traumatises other members of the public, family and friends is not OK. I wish every success to the campaign that can help those desperate people to seek that light at the end of the dark tunnel of despair. Keith Brown I lost someone very dear, an 18-year-old girl, to this method of suicide in late November. I cannot begin to explain the pain that I was shot through with when I was told. Indeed, I simply collapsed to the floor in complete hysterics - immediate and shocking in itself - and I am not a person who could be called weak or unable to cope with trauma. But imagining the end of this poor and dear girl haunts me still, probably always will, and I can tell you that she was the sweetest, kindest, most warm and loving young person you could ever meet. Her short life had been tragic, she had been sexually abused by her father and her mother had emotionally abandoned her. I wish with all my heart that she had told me what she was considering of course (we had only been in contact the day before and she seemed incredibly "together"), but how anyone can call her selfish in the way that she killed herself astounds me frankly. Of course I feel for the driver and those that saw her end, but she wished them no harm. She was as desperate and lonely as it's possible to be - clearly - and whilst I will grieve her loss for the rest of my life, I hold no ill will against her. Just love and a deep regret that I could not help her more than I had tried to. Lisa Worth, North Wales I was 15 feet from a young lady who jumped in front of a train I was waiting for just over a year ago at my local train station. The sight of this is still haunts me and it panics me every time i see a train arriving to the point i have to sit down and cover my eyes. The girl survived but I have no sympathy for her. Her 'easy way out' has scarred me for life, never mind what it did to the other people there that night. Dave, Kendal, Cumbria I'm sorry Penny is annoyed that some think jumping in front of a train is a selfish act. As a railway signalman I had to attend two coroner's courts and justify my actions regarding deaths recorded as suicides - both before I was 21. I also saw some sights I won't even attempt to describe here, suffice to say I won't ever forget them. I've also suffered depression and acknowledge that rational thought goes out of the window when suffering mental illness. So anything that can be done to cut suicides on the railway is good in my book, but forgive me if I think first of the railwaymen and women in this regard. Chris T, Manchester Of course suicide is selfish. It doesn't matter if a person thinks of the consequences and does it, or if they just don't think of the consequences at all. My father and brother committed suicide, and I found them both a few days after the fact. I've forgiven them, but now no matter how depressed I get (and I have been terribly depressed as a suicide surivor), there is no way I could ever consider such a thing. There is no way I would inflict the lifetime's worth of unanswered questions and 'what ifs' on the family I have left or my friends, not to mention the trauma on the emergency services who would have to attend the scene. My heart goes out to you John, in York. Nina, Sheffield

CLAUDIO SCENE FOR SUICIDE

Done to death by slanderous tongues
Was the Hero that here lies:
Death, in guerdon of her wrongs,
Gives her fame which never dies.
So the life that died with shame
Lives in death with glorious fame.
Hang thou there upon the tomb,
Praising her when I am dumb.
Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.
SONG.
Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slew thy virgin knight;
For the which, with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go.
Midnight, assist our moan;
Help us to sigh and groan,
Heavily, heavily:
Graves, yawn and yield your dead,
Till death be uttered,
Heavily, heavily.


What we are wanting to create for the last scene is where we go back to the text and speak the language of shakespear. So we are relating back to the text . Once we have this we can break it down into little pieces building up to wear claudio will die instead of hero. 

The song that they sing we could whisper that over the scene and as it gets louder and louder we are all heros and we start to say it aggressively building up for CLAUDIO TO JUMP AND KILL HIMSELF. It's like Hero is pushing him towards killing himself.  With the whipsers we can get louder or slower and start to add breath into it. We could also have people saying things over each other.

URSULA = BINGO LADY

THE BINGO LADY / URSULA . 

My character will be based on URSULA a bit evil and a bit crazy. A really strong personality and gets her own way about everything.  She is very smart and knows what she is doing  . But my character will more be a woman very into the spirit world and has alot of power.  My character is a little bit crazy and is not all there about things.  She is very mean and wants to control everything and wants to know everything.  She wants people to worship her. 

Time table of rehearsal we did for the week. / Ideas for my scene

Monday-    Where i had been off ill last week i had alot to catch up on. But while i was at home i managed to plan all my scene and what i wanted to direct in that scene and what i wanted to create. By planning all of this i managed to come in on Monday and go over what i wanted to create in my scene. 


SCENE1 - Suicide opening scene

What i wanted to  create was a really intense scene with no talking so we could capture the audience straight away and hook them in. I wanted them to be confused with what is happening or what is going on.  There is no talking through out the piece until i found a poem that we put together for beth to say. (HERO). 

Order of how the scene goes: 

• SET SCENE IN TRAIN STATION (WAITING FOR A TRAIN COMING DOWN THE STAIRS)   MAYBE CHAIRS PLACED or STANDING ( LOCATION WILL BE IN THE RECEPTION ON THE STAIRS TO THE LIBRARY).
• George and beth will enter from the top set of stairs rushing down. George enters first on the last step mad and in a rush and looks at his watch. Then we see beth enter worried and scared grabbing his shoulder but George pushes her off and they carry to the last step.
• They then pause and george faces the audience but beth will either be sat on a box or standing holding onto her bag tightly. (BAG IS A KEY IMAGE CARRIED THROUGH OUT THE PIECE) 
• Then beth will make three hand journeys up and down her shoulder and round her neck using a breath. They get faster each time really showing this scene is building up to something.
• George will push beth away each time removing her hand from her. Then on the last bit george will grab her wist and pull her down. 
• Beth will turn to the side not looking at the audience and make her way down the stairs. 
• Each step she takes she will do our MOVEMENT PLAN. Which the movement plan we are doing this throughout the piece. It was what we created when we had the time with alex. Little movements relating to the 5 stages of greif. Different symbols or movements relate to a key word creating a image.
• Beth takes each step doing a movement not looking at the audience and a poem will be said pre-recorded and the scene will match with that.
• Then beth will grab onto the last post and will glance at the audience then lets go with one arm then drops down the stairs to show she has died. We will throw red cloth. George will freeze standing up reaching for her with a pause and a breath and will be holding the bag.
• PART 2 OF SCENE ONE- Newreporters will then enter from the main enterance to take the audience off the scene and it will just be a lady with a microphone walking past with people walking round with posters of the suicide.  Will either get students from year bellow. 
• THEN WILL GO INTO THE SCENE AFTER THAT.

ANOTHER IDEA OF WHAT I AM WANTING TO ADD TO THE PIECE;   Maybe instead of there been a newsreader we could choose some of the year below students to be in the audience then they break off at the side and each do the movement piece while doing it they all say a piece about details the suicide  

TUESDAY-

We went over Amy directing scene the canteen where everyone meets and you get a sense of what everyone is like and what character is what. This is where we also get introduce to what sort of relationship Beatrice and bendedick have.  Also we see  Claudio is a bit crazy and a spell will start to be said.  To show that HERO DOES RANDOMLY effect people and go into there minds and messes with there minds too. She controls this hotel. 

We have a script that Amy wrote we went over the script and the key words of what we will be saying and how we will be entertaining.I really need to work on what my character is like and how to get that across to the audience. We also set the scene that it is a hotel that they are in.  

WEDS = Focusing  ON BETHS DIRECTING SCENE BEDROOM 

This is where we see a different side to HERO and she is controlling and wanting to get Claudio back but he is wanting to get away from her. We see how controlling she  is and this is a multi played role of different HEROS will put paint onto CLAUDIO on every part of his body trying to get him back. The scene will start with Claudio on the bed and each hero will be on the bed and does a dancing part and then gets up and the other HERO will come and put different colour paint onto his body.  Then once they get off the bed they will do the movement piece and wait until amy is back and we will come back onto the bed and will each for CLAUDIO and pull off the strings off of him . AND Claudio will then insult HERO and one by one they will remove there self off the bed and do the movement again. Then when we jump onto other his body and using breathing and then will be pushed off by George and fall to the floor.  Need to make this more sharper on the movements and knowing what we do.  This would be in the blackout pods. 

Thursday=   GOING OVER GEORGES BEDROOM SCENE 1 DEPRESSION SCENE

George has worked out a monologue to say while beth as hero will be acting to the words he will be saying . We have QUE lines for when she needs to react of what they say. This will be placed in the blackout pods and we are going to divide the doors into three different sections so its like different things going on and its spilt. There will be  bed in the other room.  How we are going to enter the audience is we will lead them in the other heros we will draw the curtains back and then move forward so the audience will have to move back  and then sit down and wait for the piece to start. Beth will be looking around in the room and will react off george. This bit needs to be sad and a heart moment where we see HERO ASHAMED of what she has done and she just wants him back .  We need to work on this scene a bit more of when this scene ends and how we will let the audience out. 

Friday= BINGO SCENE.

I need to be plotted into this scene of where to enter and exit of the scene. We have a dance that we do for the bingo scene and the music and then a crazy bingo lady enters which will be me. We need to plot me in and we need to work on how we are going to place the audience in the hub. This will be in the hub. When we have more clear ideas of how we want the scene to be we will write up more information.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT TIME : 

1. Make sure we block and plot each scene/ What we want to show to the audience or how we want to make the audience feel. 
2. Need to over transitions and plan how we will move each audience to each scene. And make sure we know when the scene ends.