Every year on 10 September, World Suicide Prevention Day creates an opportunity to raise awareness, challenge stigma and encourage more open conversations about suicide and suicidal behaviour.

The theme for 2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, with the call to action “Start the Conversation.”

Changing the narrative means moving away from silence, shame and assumptions towards understanding, compassion and support.
For GAMIAN-Europe, that change also means making space for people with lived experience to be heard. This year, we invited three people to share, in their own words, what they wish others had understood when they were struggling.

Lena, Rebecca and Matt speak about experiences that were not always visible, the difficulties they faced in speaking openly, and the people and forms of support that helped them.

Their experiences are different. Each story is personal. Together, they remind us why listening matters and why starting a conversation can be an important first step.

Content note: This page includes personal experiences of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Please take care while watching. If you or someone you care about needs support, help is available in your country.

Lena reflects on living with anxiety and depression from a young age, the shame that made speaking about suicidal thoughts difficult, and the calm, non judgemental support that helped her feel safe.

Her story is also a reminder that we cannot always see what someone else is carrying.

Rebecca speaks about feeling like a burden, the distress that others could not always see, and how difficult it can be when someone’s experience is judged only from the outside.

She also reflects on the importance of having different forms of support around her, including trusted people and professional care.

Matt reflects on stigma, silence and the difficulty of speaking openly while carrying different parts of his experience privately.

He shares what it meant to feel understood, the importance of people continuing to check in, and why compassionate conversations can create connection.

About this campaign

What I Wish People Knew was developed by GAMIAN-Europe for World Suicide Prevention Day 2026 as part of our continued work to raise awareness of suicidality, challenge stigma and centre the perspectives of people with lived experience. We are deeply grateful to Lena, Rebecca and Matt for trusting us with their stories.

Explore our previous work on suicide prevention

Suicide prevention is an ongoing area of work for GAMIAN-Europe. Over recent years, we have worked with people with lived experience and partner organisations to explore different experiences of suicidality and develop practical resources for awareness, prevention and support.