The Impact Zone
You don’t often hear the words impact zone when it comes to suicide, but that’s what it feels like the shockwaves that spread out far beyond the person we’ve lost. Suicide doesn’t end with one life. It rolls out across families, mates, neighbours, workplaces, and in many cases, whole towns. Working in rural and impacted communities, I’ve seen this ripple effect up close grief, guilt, silence, shame, but also moments where speaking up starts to heal.
Australia Right Now
In 2023, 3,214 Australians died by suicide, that’s about nine people every single day. Three-quarters of those were men, but the reality is suicide is not just a men’s issue. Women, young people, older Australians every group is touched. And when one person dies, it’s not just their gender that matters, it’s the community that feels the loss.
Research tells us that up to 135 people are deeply affected by each suicide. Do the maths, and you’re looking at nearly half a million Australians in 2023 alone who were pulled into the impact zone.
The burden is heavier in rural and farming communities. Suicide rates in remote and very remote Australia are double those in our cities. Among farmers, the rate has been recorded as 60–90% higher than non farmers. Behind those figures are real people blokes who couldn’t see a way through drought, floods, financial stress, family breakdown, or just the crushing weight of isolation. But it’s not just men it’s wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, workmates, and mates who are left carrying the load.
My Own Story
This isn’t just statistics for me. Years ago, when I lost the farm, I fell into my own darkness. My identity, my purpose, my pride it all felt stripped away. I wasn’t just battling financial stress, I was battling myself. I wore the mask that so many of us put on pretending I was fine, when inside I was crumbling.
Back then, I didn’t feel like I could talk about it. I thought reaching out would make me look weak. That silence almost broke me. And it’s that silence that I see again and again in the communities I now work with.
Sharing my story, as raw and uncomfortable as it is at times, has shown me the power of honesty. When I stand in front of a room full of farmers or tradies or community members and admit I’ve been there, you can feel the air shift. People lean in. They see they’re not the only ones. That’s where healing starts.
What the Impact Zone Looks Like
When suicide strikes a community, I’ve seen:
Parents carrying the guilt of “what signs did I miss?”
Kids and teenagers confused and angry, trying to make sense of it.
Partners left to rebuild their lives while holding the weight of grief.
Workplaces where everyone’s productivity falls, but no one knows how to talk about why.
Whole towns walking around the subject like it’s too shameful to name.
The impact zone doesn’t discriminate it cuts through families, schools, businesses, and sporting clubs. Suicide is not just a men’s problem, it’s a community problem. And that means the solutions have to be community ones too.
Breaking the Stigma
If we want to shrink the impact zone, we have to do more than quote numbers. We have to change culture.
Sharing lived experience: Telling our stories, not to preach but to connect, gives others permission to speak.
Safe spaces: Whether it’s a farm shed, a footy club, or a community hall creating places where people can drop the mask.
Practical education: Teaching communities what warning signs look like, what to say, and where to point someone for help.
Taking services to the people: It’s not enough to expect a farmer to walk into a city office. Outreach, on-farm visits, support at field days and shows that’s what makes the difference.
Normalising conversations: We talk about the weather, we talk about footy we need to make talking about mental health just as normal.
A Call to Action
The impact zone of suicide is massive. But it doesn’t have to be defined by silence and shame. I’ve lived the struggle, and I’ve seen what happens when we open up: people connect, communities rally, hope creeps back in.
To those who are hurting: you don’t have to carry it on your own. To those around them: you don’t have to fix it just listen, stand alongside, and let them know they’re not alone. To our leaders: invest in mental health services where they’re needed most in the bush, in small towns, in the very places where the silence is loudest.
Talking about suicide won’t cause more of it. But staying silent just might. Suicide is not only a men’s issue, it’s a whole community issue and that means the whole community has a role in breaking the silence. Let’s shrink the impact zone, one honest conversation at a time.