CHRISTMAS CAN be a difficult emotional time
for many people, but the Vancouver Crisis Centre
says there is no increase in the number of calls or

suicide attempts it handles at this time of year.

By CARRIE MISHIMA

Gary Mavis, executive
director of the crisis centre,
which also looks after the
North Shore, admits that
Christmas can intensify feel-
ings of loss or loneliness, but
he feels these emotions are
counteracted by positive
aspects of the season.

For instance, because
Christmas brings families
and fmnends together, it can
remind people of the death of
loved ones.

But these same people are
often busier during
Christmas and have less time
to dwell on their emotions,
Mavis suggests.

‘*People who may not have
a lot of contacts the rest of
the year now find themselves
getting together with work-
mates for parties, doing more
than they would normally...
We don’t get an influx of
calls at Christmas,’’ he says.

As in previous” years,
Mavis expects the crisis cen-
tre’s average of 70 to 80 calls
a day to remain constant dur-
ing the holidays.

December's suicide
Statistics, in fact, often reveal
a lower number than the
average, he added. Within
Vancouver city and on the
North Shore, there are about
five reported suicides a
month.

“A lot of people expect
December to be a bad month
but maybe we don’t con-
centrate enough on the good
things that are happening,”’
Mavis said.

The crisis centre’s 120
trained telephone counsellors
do not experience any signifi-
cant change in either the
number of calls or in the
severity of calls at any time
during the year.

‘*People operate on their
own lifestyle clocks and it
doesn’t matter what time of
year it is. We have the same
types of calls every day of the
year. People’s concerns don’t

change with the seasons,’’
Mavis said.

If any trends are noticable
at all it is a slight increase in
the number of suicides in the
spring.

“It could be that people
reflect on their troubles after
the new year and may find it
difficult to start a mew year
again,”’ he speculated.

Mavis also quashed any
rumor that North Vancouver
has the highest suicide rate in
the Lower Mainland.

Mavis noted the provincial
suicide rate has stabilized
over the past few years and
adolescent suicides have even
decreased.

The crisis centre uses all
trained volunteers for its
over-the-phone counselling
service which operates 24

Seniors get $8,148

THE CEDARVIEW Resi-
dent’s Council Association,
North Vancouver, British
Columbia, has received a
grant of $8,184 under the
federal New Horizons

program.
The grant will be used to
Start various social and

recreational activities for the
benefit of the patients of the
newly constructed Long
Term Care facility.

Best Wishes
for the Holiday Season.

Festivities help
offset the blues

hours a day, seven days a
week.

These counsellors offer an
objective and sympathetic ear
for the person needing to talk
over problems. Counsellors
can also refer callers to other
services available in the
community.

Volunteers also man the
emergency visiting teams.
These one man - one woman
teams respond to. callers
needing face to face contact,

especially those considered
suicidal.

According to Mavis, the
centre, properly called the
Crisis Intervention and
Suicide Prevention Centre,
mainly deals with problems
such as low depression,
marital and family troubles,
alcohol abuse and loneliness.

TO 50-70 % OFF

A9 - Sanday, December 25, 1983 - North Shore News

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