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The numbers are staggering.
Every eight hours, a Hoosier dies of a suicide, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In fact, more than twice as many people die by suicide in Indiana than by homicide.
Suicide is also the second leading cause of death in the state among 15-34 year olds; the fourth leading cause for ages 35-54; and the eighth main cause for ages 55-64.
In Cass County, 5 to 10 suicides are recorded each year. In Howard County, there is an average of 10 deaths per year per suicide. The County of Miami has an average of four per year
Since the suicides of renowned personalities like designer Kate Spade and author, television personality and personality Anthony Bourdain, one wonders why. Why do these very successful beloved people commit such an act?
What leads people to such desperation that they would take their own lives?
MENTAL HEALTH
In 2015, Indiana was ranked 45th in the country in a "The State of Mental Health in America" study by Mental Health America, down from 19th in 2011.
One of the main mental health problems that leads to suicide is depression.
"Have you ever been in a whole fog? Maybe you have a car at 5 or 15 feet in front of you and you can not see it? It might as well not be there because of your inability to see or feel it Brandi Christiansen, executive director of Mental Health American of North Central Indiana
"When you have depression, the chemicals in your brain, serotonin and dopamine, are exhausted. isolate yourself, which means that you will not be active, that you will not get sunlight, that you are socially isolated – there is no life line for you. you get out of it, "said Christiansen." "It's sort of a self-propelling phenomenon. The big word that comes with people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts is this "hopelessness" and inability to see beyond.
This feeling of complete despair often leads to suicidal thoughts
. In the Indiana Report, 44,193 lives were lost in the United States in 2015, which equates to 121.1 suicides per day, an increase of 15% since 2010.
However, many suicides or suicide attempts are not reported "Of the top 10 causes of death in Indiana, suicide is the only one that is increasing," said Kelsey Steuer of the American Suicide Prevention Foundation. "Cancer, diabetes and heart disease have all declined over the years and suicide is increasing – and it's the only one that can be avoided."
THE MOST VULNERABLE
In 2016, the # Indiana ranks tenth in suicidal ideation, that is, the number of youth who report thinking about suicide and developing a plan to do so, according to the report. of the state. The ideation rate has been reported at 19 percent – almost double the national average.
Nearly 30 percent of high school students in Indiana reported feeling sad or hopeless almost daily for two weeks or more, resulting in behavioral changes in the past 12 months, according to Kids Count data , an annual assessment of the welfare of children in the United States by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Nearly 10% of Hoosiers of school age reported having attempted suicide in the past 12 months [19659002] Several factors play a role in the mental health of a young person, one of them being brain development.
"Their prefrontal cortex has not yet been developed – it's your impulse control and the part According to Christiansen, a person's brain is not fully developed until 39, that it reaches the mid-twenties.
Another factor that affects mental health has been the brain of the man who brakes and makes rational decisions .The popularity of social media – something that has only become problematic over the past decade.Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media have allowed people to stay connected, but can also contribute to the esteem. Someone's negative self, continued Christiansen
"Social media creates cognitive dissonance," she said. "It has always been a problem for human beings to compare their interiors with those of others." outside of others, but never before have we have been bombarded with these pictures and representations of each other's lives, be it an exact description of their life. 19659002] WHO IS THE MOST RISKY?
According to the report on suicide in Indiana released in 2017, men accounted for nearly 80 percent of all suicides, and of these, 93.4 percent were white men. White men aged 45 to 54 had the highest suicide rate, followed by white men aged 65 and over.
Part of these statistics could be attributed to the alarming rate of veterans who died by suicide.
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, 136 veterans of Hoosier and 7,388 veterans across the country were killed in 2014.
As a former veteran, Christiansen knows what some of these men and women. She meets other veterans each week at Jackson Street Commons in Kokomo as part of a group program called Vet-to-Vet, which is open to all veterans, not just those who live at the institution. According to her, many of them have mental health problems ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression and substance abuse.
Yet Mental Health America and other organizations are more concerned about veterans who do not come to the group. programs like Vet-to-Vet.
"Obviously, the vets we really care about are the ones we can not even reach – those who come back from the war, they do not trust the institutions that sent them to war, they are not involved with the VA and they sit in the basement of their parents or in their own home, in the dark, isolating and abusing substances, "said Christiansen.
" This they are desperately trying to reach because they are the most vulnerable.We have not yet figured out how to do that, but we have a ton of people in our community who love veterinarians and appreciate their service and sacrifice. "
THOSE WHO HAD LEFT
Steuer, Indiana Regional Director of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was barely 11 years old when his father committed suicide.
She remembers trying to protect her younger brother, who was 9 years old at the time, from the suffering of such grief
by being silent, I was strong, did she say. "We talked about my father, but we did not talk about his death.I went all my childhood and during my last year of college until I met another survivor of the loss of suicide. "
13 years after the death of his father, Steuer even heard the words" suicide "and" prevention ". . She was sitting in a Starbucks when she heard the director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Indiana
"It was one of those moments in my life where my life changed forever "said Steuer. She then began volunteering for the organization before becoming regional director of the state.
Today, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the largest non-profit organization in the country dedicated to saving lives. To achieve this mission statement, the foundation funds scientific research, educates the public, and advocates for public policy on mental health and suicide prevention.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is also a great supporter of people who love dies by suicide. It is one of many ways to help survivors of losses by pairing them with people who have had similar experiences with the Survivor Outreach Program
"We trained volunteers who are survivors of losses. or not happened recently, "said Steuer." We help connect them to resources and we're just an ear to listen. "
As a volunteer in the Survivor Outreach Program, Steuer said she's learned how important it was to talk to people who share similar tragic experiences of losing
"We are talking about how I went through this grief – I do not think it disappears, but you can learn to wear it differently, especially when you meet other people like you "She says," I think it's important for us to communicate with people like us, because mental illness can we Depriving our loved ones even before they take their life – she removes them, she isolates them and makes them feel that they are a burden. Be a caregiver for someone who has a mental illness – it's difficult. "
Christiansen also loses u someone close to her. She recently learned that one of her naval comrades, a police officer, had died by suicide.
"I had no idea," she said. "I was not constantly communicating with him, but it hit me because it's one of our most vulnerable populations to suicide, veterans and police officers, because of PTSD. "
heartbreaking elements of the loss is the fact that the family chose to remain silent. Suicide is not something that should follow the old rule "out of sight, away from the heart" and talking about suicide is the only way to break that stigma of shame, she said.
"We can not do anything about the past, so whenever we live in the" should have, could, have, "we are just repeating that brain pattern and solidifying that guilt," Christiansen said. "What I've decided with the loss of my fellow and my friend, I am digging even more to honor his life because he's just an amazing person and I refuse to do seeming that it does not happen. " [19659002] SOME SOLUTIONS
Mental Health America of North Central Indiana focuses on early education and intervention, Christiansen said.
"We know a few things – we know we do not have enough mental health providers in Indiana or in the nation," she said. "We know that mental health disorders begin at the age of 8, with a median age of 11, and we know that the sooner you can intervene in these situations, the more likely you are to recover. completely." [19659002IncreasedtoteachparentsChristiansenadditionednonlucrativebutalsoworktoteach"FirstHealthinstrumental"LemoislastMentalHealthAmericaformed29CommunityLeadersCanadaSupportaCrisisSituationperson
We want everyone to be educated on mental health so that we can break down these walls, barriers and stigma so that people can stay in the community. light and get the same help that they would receive if they were diabetic or had a cardiological problem.
After witnessing the destruction of a suicide loss, Steuer also knows what needs to be done to prevent statistics from rising.
"We need more education, training, we need to have an honest and sincere conversation with each other and agree with the answers we receive," Steuer said. "I like to say that even the sweetest voices can be brave. You do not need to have a microphone or a sign in your hand to tell the difference, there are other ways to save lives.
Part of that solution is uncomfortable conversations with loved ones who might be fighting depression, Steuer continued. It's not easy to ask someone: "Do you have any thoughts about killing yourself?"
Many people are reluctant to ask this difficult question because they think it might put the idea in someone's head, Christiansen said. I have to ask the question without fear, do it straight and be ready to listen, "she said. "Be a friend and be the only one to ask the question."
Because only one question could save a life.
"I would rather have an embarrassing conversation rather than go to another funeral," says Steuer. ] FAST FACTS
Risk Factors for Suicide
• Family History of Suicide
• Family History of Child Abuse
• Attempted Suicide (s) ( s)
• Feelings of Despair
• Impulsive or Aggressive Tendencies
• Cultural and Religious Beliefs (eg, Belief that Suicide is a Noble Resolution of a Dilemma personnel)
• Local Outbreaks of Suicide
• Isolation, Feeling of Being Cut Off from Others
• Barriers to Access to Mental Health Treatments
• Loss (Relational, Social , professional or financial
• Illne physics
• Easy access to lethal methods
• Refusal to get help because of stigma associated with mental health and addiction disorders or to thoughts suicidal
Warning signs of suicide
• Visit, call or text people to say goodbye
• Look for ways to die, such as looking for methods or means on the Internet or trying to buy rifles, ropes, pills or knives
about death, suicide or thoughts or suicidal plans
• Writing about death, suicide or death when it comes out of the ordinary
• Sudden and extreme changes in mood or behavior (p. ex.
• Increase in Substance Abuse
• Excessive or Dangerous Risk-Taking
• Revenge for Real or Imaginary Victimization or Rejection
• Signs of Severe Depression or Lung Disease One of the following symptoms: insomnia or sleep too much; intense anxiety or panic attacks; irritability or agitation; anger or anger uncontrolled; withdrawal or isolation; lose interest in things; loss of ability to experience pleasure
• Expression of any of these thoughts or feelings: trapped or desperate to escape an intolerable situation; humiliation; to be a burden to others; uselessness; despair;
Do you suspect that you are suffering from depression or another mental health problem? Go to this link and take the test: screening.mentalhealthamerica.net/depression
GET HELP
Whether you need help, want to help a loved one or are a survivor, these organizations can help you:
National Lifeline for Suicide Prevention: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24 hours a day, seven days a week; suicidepreventionlifeline.org; afsp.org
Mental Health North-Central America of Indiana: 765-459-0309; www.mhahowardco.org
Howard Regional Health Community Inc.:19459006] 765-453-8555; crisis line, 888-204-6242
Help for Veterans: 800-273-8255 and press 1, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day , seven days a week
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