Last week, I reported on the apparent suicide of a correctional officer and member of the community found dead at a local motel. Less than a week earlier, another man, an inmate at the same correctional facility had also allegedly taken his own life.
I used the words “apparent” and “allegedly” because while the cause may seem obvious, it’s up to official authorities who investigate these tragedies to make the final determination as to cause of death.
Many local readers replied to the Facebook posting of the most recent story offering prayers and condolences to the family, coworkers and friends of the victim. A few took me to task for revealing details of it being an apparent suicide, and that he was found at a local motel, that such details should be “kept private.”
To which I say, in this instance, absolutely not.
Silence is dangerous.
Especially when it comes to mental health issues.
I dealt with depression at various points in my life, since I was a kid. There have been plenty of times where I felt isolated and alone. The oddball. The weird one. I was fortunate to find therapists and counselors who helped me with my struggles. Who listened and suggested avenues of treatment. As a result, I got better. I’m still a work in progress, mind you and I still have good days and bad days, but I have learned to reach out when I need help.
Sometimes, treatment can involve medication or talk therapy, and other times it can be as simple as a shared experience like joining a book club or quilting bee. Or finding others who share your “weird” interests and hobbies, which may well turn out to not be all that weird or strange, after all.
For too long in our society, there has been all kinds of stigma, i.e. negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and health conditions, leading to those struggling with it to feel shame and prevent them from getting help. To fight that kind of thinking, a community needs education, to challenge societal norms and stereotypes, and promote open conversations.
The best thing is always to bring out that so-called secret shame into the light, to find out it’s not shameful at all. We’re all like lifetime subscriptions to People Magazine. We all got issues.
A few days after I first arrived in Devils Lake, my first big assignment was covering the Lake Region Mental Health Summit at Lake Region State College in mid-October. It focused on building mental health awareness and community resilience across the area, bringing together professionals, parents, educators, first responders and community members to attend presentations, and workshops led by experts in the field of mental health.
Organizers knew that the priority was suicide prevention, to make resources available to the community so that people are aware of the signs. While the turnout on the second day of the summit was smaller than expected, organizers wanted to learn from the experience to figure out how to improve it for this year. I hope there will be a second annual Lake Region Mental Health Summit at LRSC for me to cover in the fall.
As I write this on Friday, Feb. 6, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. My colleague Louise has agreed to join me in a drive to Grand Forks so we can visit several bookstores, including, joy of joys, a comic book shop.
What can I say? It puts a smile on my face and in my heart. I hope you all find your joy, wherever or whatever it is, to keep you smiling and hopeful as well. You are not alone.
And if you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is available at the website of ND THRIVES, dedicated to rural and tribal youth suicide prevention at ndthrives.com. People in need can also visit the North Dakota Suicide Prevention Coalition at ndspc.org, the Lake Region Suicide Prevention Coalition at their Facebook page, facebook.com/lakeregionspc or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
