Our stories
Our Stories is a collection of personal accounts from Switchboard’s community, on the intersection of LGBTIQA+ identities and suicide.
Centred on lived and living experience, these stories touch upon living with and supporting loved ones through suicidality, dealing with suicide bereavement and the diverse paths towards seeking support. Our storytellers use prose, poetry and other forms of expression to explore this topic, and their stories are shared here uncensored and unedited, honouring the raw and real emotions that come with this experience.
Our Stories is regularly updated, so make sure to sign up to our newsletter here to get notified of a new one being uploaded. If you’d like to contribute your story, please get in touch at suicide.prevention@switchboard.org.au.
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A Lived Experience Story
When I was 16, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to 25. I couldn’t see myself surviving that long. I’m now 35, so I guess the last 10 years have been a bonus of sorts.
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A Rainbow of Party Hats
Reflections on a Christmas spent in hospital.
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Trauma is Abstract
Kia ora from Stevie.
Stevie wrote this poem in Aotearoa a couple of months after they had an extremely profound experience of acceptance and realisation of self-love. Ever since this moment they have been reflecting on the wider systems and environment that pushes us to reckon with existential exhaustion and suicide ideation.
This poem reflects their conceptualisation of trauma, and while it reads rather cynically, they think it also evokes hope derived from our unity within this struggle.
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To Those Who Speak
A poem written in response to hearing Our Advocacy Story.
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A Life That Was Lived Unselfishly
A piece that honours a lost loved one.
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A Message from Melitta
A message about loss, bereavement and finding community.
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Charlie's Poem
A poem about loss and survival.
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Heathclyff's Story
A story of connection and self-care after losing his partner.
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Kristin's Poem
A poem titled ‘Thoughts on the conservation of mass’.
An advocacy story
At a gathering of some Lived Experience Network members in 2024 a collective document was created that explores what advocacy in suicide prevention means to us. This collective document was created collaboratively by each of us adding a line or two.
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Raie's Story
A story that starts with Raie’s experience of growing up bisexual in a small town.
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Heather's Poem
A poem titled ‘The Fallen Doe’ for friend Shara who was lost to suicide.
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Ruah's Poem
A poem to Caz love Ruah.
There are still rough times but I'm an expert in my own survival now.
— Raie
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Anonymous Story
A story that explores a kind of trifecta of suicide experience: my own, caring for another and the loss of many dear queer friends to suicide as well as others from outside the community and people in my biofamily.
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E's story
“Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to ask.”
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K's Story
A story about working in suicide prevention, losing a partner to suicide and struggles of complex PTSD and suicide.
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T's Story
A story of surviving suicide, having to self-advocate for safe and appropriate care and continuing to fight.
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H's Poem
A poem titled ‘Euphoria’ written after participating in the Switchboard LEN delegation at the Roses in The Ocean Summit in 2023.
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Leone's Story
A story of the many ways suicide has touched their life.
In accessing support and care I have often had to step outside of my queer identity. I wasn’t closeted, but rather engaged with the world in separate ways. I didn’t integrate my identity. I normalised leaving parts of myself out.
— Anonymous
PODCAST
Let’s talk about suicide
Let’s talk about suicide podcast
Experiencing loss through suicide is a grief like no other. It can be difficult to find others who have similar experiences and are open to talking about their loss, especially other LGBTIQA+ people. You can hear Hamish Blunck, Joe Ball (Switchboard CEO) and Dr Louise Flynn (Support After Suicide) and other LGBTIQA+ people talk about loss through suicide on this podcast produced by JOY 94.9fm with Switchboard and Support After Suicide.