When It Is Darkest

Why People Die by Suicide and What We Can Do to Prevent It

By: Rory O'Connor

Narrated by: Rory O'Connor

When It Is Darkest draws on Rory O'Connor's years of experience in suicide prevention, mental health and psychology and takes a comprehensive look into the reasons behind suicide and how to support someone who is suicidal themselves.

Suicide is baffling and devastating in equal measures, and it can affect any one of us - one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Yet despite the scale of the devastation, for family members and friends, suicide is still poorly understood.

Drawing on decades of work in the field of suicide prevention and research, and having been bereaved by suicide twice, Professor O'Connor is here to help. This audiobook will untangle the complex reasons behind suicide and dispel any unhelpful myths. For those trying to help someone vulnerable, it will provide indispensable advice on communication, stressing the importance of listening to fears and anxieties without judgment. And for those who are struggling to get through the tragedy of suicide, it will help you find strength in the darkest of places.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Rory O’Connor (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Prof O'Connor gives us a rare and truly affecting gift.... If you want to truly get to the heart of 'the big S question', read this incredible book. I wept and I learnt." (Professor Tanya Byron, clinical psychologist, author and broadcaster)

"An essential read. Honest and unflinching, but always thoughtful and compassionate, Rory O'Connor brings light to a subject that has for too long been in the shadows." (Dr Niall Boyce, editor of Lancet Psychiatry)

"I read [it] in a single sitting. What makes it so compelling is its unique combination of research, clinical, and deeply personal perspectives on one of the great societal challenges of our time. Rory's enthusiasm to make things better and his utter dedication to suicide prevention shines through." (Professor Nav Kapur, professor of psychiatry and population health, University of Manchester, UK)

A Masterpiece

As both an attempt survivor and loss survivor, I have read countless books about this difficult subject. By far, this is the most accurate, thoroughly researched, and well written book. For myself, it was therapeutic to hear the author describe much of how I felt, things I had no words to articulate, reasons behind what drove my almost constant thoughts of ending my despair and hopelessness, as well as what lead up to my attempt. In 2018 I lost my only sibling to suicide. In 2020 my cousin died by suicide. Being estranged from family, my daughter and I had to grieve alone. The chapters dealing with the aftermath of a loss helped me sort out the grief which I had not yet processed. The narration is both fantastic and comforting. I highly recommend this book

Not quite what I expected

I did not know that the book will be about so many studies and policies focused on legislation in Scotland. If I knew, I would not have bought it, but the author is compassionate and caring. I loved the last chapter. Sometimes I cried. I am suicidal myself, so the book was triggering at times. The narrator's accent is heavy, sometimes it was hard for me to understand him.