Pieta House Christmas message to the public

Pieta House Christmas message 2015 calls on people to look out for each other during and most importantly after the Christmas period.

Suicide and self-harm charity, Pieta House has called on people to be mindful of each other as they make the sometimes difficult transition from Christmas, into the month of January and the New Year. This message comes, as the charity reports a massive increase in calls for its services in January every year.

“Christmas is a very happy time for most when friends and families get together and people are in good form” said Cindy O’Connor, Chief Clinical Officer of Pieta House.   “At this time of year people make that extra effort to be kinder to each other and we receive fewer calls for our services during this period. However, once January arrives and Christmas is over we see a dramatic increase in calls and people looking for support. This year, we’re asking people to continue to be mindful of one another and to reach out to those who may be struggling”, she said.

Pieta house suicide and self harm prevention

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Pieta House has helped over 5,000 people this year alone in its nine locations across Ireland. Since the charity opened its doors back in 2006, it has helped close to 18,000 people in total.

Pieta House is a suicide and self-harm crisis centre founded in Lucan, Co. Dublin in 2006. With nine centres throughout Ireland, Pieta House provides a professional one-to-one therapeutic service for those who are experiencing suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm. A doctor’s referral or a psychiatric report is not required and the service is completely free of charge.

The charitable organisation has organised numerous fundraisers for those in need in recent years. One of the most successful fundraisers to date is the annual Pieta House Darkness into Light. Darkness Into Light is a unique, early morning experience which begins in darkness at 4.15am as thousands of people walk or run a 5km route while dawn is breaking. The early dawn represents hope and is symbolic of the work of Pieta House, bringing people from darkness back into the light.

The 2015 Pieta House Christmas message urges the public to look out for friends and family into the New Year.

For more information on the charity click here

Check out some more of Pieta House’s wonderful work here

Look back on the 2015 Darkness into Light event here