07 Nov 2018 Hocking resident Katherine Houareau knows first hand that the lead up to Christmas isn’t a time of joy and happiness for everyone, especially those affected by thoughts of suicide. The 48 year old attempted suicide several times between the ages of 19 and 40, and found the Christmas period particularly stressful. Katherine’s struggles motivated her to become an ambassador for Lifeline WA’s Lights for Lifeline campaign, which aims to raise awareness of suicide prevention and spread the message that no one should feel alone this Christmas. “I understand what it’s like not to be motivated and dealing with changes in life that can be painful,” she said. “I had to make a lot of changes in my life, and self-care is really important to me now as I notice there is a sense of “rush and stress” to get things done at the end of the year by most people. “The main thing I do is make time for me. I enjoy getting a massage, reading a book, bike riding, walking the dog and focusing on healthy eating, sleeping and being mindful of my alcohol intake during the festive season.” Lifeline WA CEO Lorna MacGregor said the Lights for Lifeline campaign also aimed to raise money to fund the expansion of the WA crisis call centre. “Last year, more than 46,500 West Australians called Lifeline’s telephone crisis line,” she said. “Recent statistics released by the ABS show 409 West Australians died by suicide in 2017, and WA has the third highest suicide rate in the country. “This highlights the need for us to urgently train more volunteers to answer more calls.” Katherine said in previous years, she was one of the thousands of people who called Lifeline for help. “quote here about how calling Lifeline helped” As a Lights for Lifeline ambassador, Katherine will attend events and help decorate WA’s biggest Christmas tree, to be put up in Yagan Square in early November. You can donate to the Lights for Lifeline campaign: https://www.lifelinewa.org.au/Donations Back To News Stories