Group offers alternative therapy to those with suicidal feelings

Many of us go through periods when we’re feeling down. It can be hard to know who to talk to about negative feelings, especially when you feel you can’t or shouldn’t talk about your struggles. Many institutionalized therapeutic groups don’t permit the discussion of topics such as self-harm or suicide, and some require a diagnosis before participation is even allowed. This is a rule with which many people who struggle with depression, suicidal feelings, or other such problems take issue, but a new group in Attleboro aims to address this controversial staple of conventional therapy groups.

North Attleboro’s Arielle Cohen has established a new kind of group for individuals in the community who harbor suicidal feelings. The group, called Alternatives to Suicide, or Alt-2-Su, is an alternative model to traditional therapy groups for those who have dealt with suicide.

“Unfortunately, stigma keeps us feeling isolated and silenced,” says Cohen about the expression of suicidal feelings or tendencies. “Alt-2-Su allows folks to explore their stories and learn from one another.”

Twenty-four-year old Cohen, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work from Boston College, first discovered Alt-2-Su at The Western Mass Recovery Learning Community (RLC) when she was living in Springfield, Mass.. The community’s mission statement was what first caught Cohen’s eye, and she became interested in learning more about it. Her workplace at the time was also partnered with RLC and provided workshops and training that she believed could be useful in her own work.

Cohen, who had struggled with her own experiences with depression and suicidal feelings when she was a teen, was not struggling at the time but says she found comfort in the groups provided by RLC.

“The Western Mass Recovery Learning Community gave me a safe place to share my experiences and learn from the wisdom of others. I loved attending these groups because I didn’t have to be broken to attend; I could go happy, sad, depressed or otherwise,” she explains.

“I’ve learned to be proactive and build supports in my life to help me stay well,” says Cohen. “I believe the Alternatives to Suicide model is something I would have benefited from when I was younger but also benefits me now.”

This people-driven community, according to RLC’s website, “creates conditions that support healing and growth for individuals and the community as a whole through learning opportunities, advocacy, peer-to-peer support and the development of regional and national networks.”

According to Cohen, the Alt-2-Su groups in western Massachusetts are much more established and have seen great success in providing comfort to those who have dealt with suicide. Massachusetts currently has the most programs, but Cohen says that at her training sessions for becoming an Alt-2-Su coordinator there were individuals from many different states. Through the group she has established in Attleboro, Cohen hopes to use her positive experiences in western Massachusetts to bring solace to people who have had experiences with suicide on this side of the state.

One of Alt-2-Su’s main differences from institutionalized spaces where, as Cohen explained to me, “you are required to have a problem or diagnosis of some sort” is that participants are encouraged to feel safe, unjudged, and to come whether or not they have a diagnosis or negative feeling. Accordingly, locations are selected with comfort in mind; in the case of the group Cohen started, this is in a lounge area on the top floor of a community building. The lounge has a homey feel, with slanted wooden ceilings and comfortable chairs and couches, and participants are invited to relax in an informal and supportive setting as they share their experiences with suicide.

“I believe we all experience suicidal feelings throughout our life,” says Cohen. “I know I’ll never act on my suicidal feelings, but I have them. Although I am not in a bad place, I still have suicidal feelings. Having a place to talk with people who don’t judge me and see suicide in a similar light really helps me work through my feelings.”

New participants are welcome. Currently, meetings take place on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 115 Commonwealth Ave. in Attleboro Falls.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/Alt2SuAttleboro

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelance writer who lives in Wrentham, Massachusetts.