The Isanti County community gathered together March 2 to discuss mental illness and ways to prevent suicide at the Let’s Talk About It forum.
Dr. Dan Reidenberg, executive director of the Suicide Awareness Voice of Education organization, presented suicide prevention information and discussed suicide experiences with a group of adult and teen panelists during a presentation held at Cambridge-Isanti High School.
Reidenberg has discussed his research on mental illness across the country on national television, radio and talk shows. He has worked in inpatient and outpatient care with patients with persistent mental illness, chemical dependency and personality disorders.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicide is the second leading cause of death in people ages 10-34, following accidental injury. Last year, over 40,000 Americans died of suicide.
“We have a public health crisis, no doubt, but it may be different than the media portrays it,” Reidenberg said, who explained that suicide is often glorified in the media and online, especially to younger demographics.
According to the World Health Organization, every 40 seconds someone dies of suicide worldwide. There were 686 suicides in Minnesota in 2014, which is lower than the national average.
“We have to take care of our brains just as much as anything else,” the doctor said, who argued that mental health and physical health are equally important.
Reidenberg discussed the fact that suicide rates don’t change when life circumstances do; whether there is a war and recession or substantial economic growth, people still take their own lives at the same rate.
“It’s not about wanting to die, it’s about wanting to escape the pain,” he said.
Depression is just one cause of suicide. Many mental illnesses can contribute to suicide, including borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia.
Throughout his research, Reidenberg has found that suicide is always multifaceted; there is never one thing that causes someone to take their life. More importantly, asking someone if they’re contemplating suicide will not put the idea in their head and cause them to do it.
Reidenberg gave four steps to take when dealing with a suicidal person. First, it is always important to ask direct questions with a fatality element. For example, it is more productive to ask “Are you considering taking your life?” rather than “Do you feel OK?”
Second, know the resources that are available to help, such as medical centers, hotlines and trusted adults.
Third, provide support for the person. Never leave someone alone who may hurt themselves. Last, raise awareness on the subject.
A panel of four youth discussed mental health with Reidenberg at the forum. Three struggled with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental illnesses themselves and one experienced his mother’s struggle with it. First, Reidenberg wanted to know if their peers discuss mental health openly.
“It’s uncomfortable. It’s not normal, so people don’t want to talk about it,” said panelist Katie. “You almost always feel like you’re in pain and you can’t explain it.”
When they’re in need of help, the panelists revealed they do not go to their peers but to adults, teachers and therapists. Reidenberg argued that for this reason, adults in the community need to be understanding and accepting and not attribute the behavior of adolescents as just being “moody” or “crabby.”
Kelsey, a youth panelist, said she sought help at just 13 years old for suicidal thoughts out of fear for herself.
“It was the toughest thing I’ve ever gone though in my entire life,” she said.
In fourth grade, youth panelist Kyle came home to his mother acting out of the ordinary. She was trying to hurt herself. Kyle discussed how he feels that it is easy for family members to enable unhealthy behavior and mental illness in family members because it’s hard to admit and recognize something is wrong.
Reidenberg also questioned an adult panel of five, who discussed ways that the community can help with this ongoing problem.
The panel included community health professionals, law enforcement and spiritual leaders from the community.
A big factor that contributes to reluctance to seek help for mental health is the stigma that comes with it, Reidenberg said. Often, individuals are placed on a 72-hour hold when seeking help for suicidal thoughts, which can be intimidating.
If someone has a broken leg, the injury is easily seen and recognized. But when someone has a mental illness, it is often hidden and can cause shame for individuals and families, said Cambridge Medical Center child and adolescent psychologist Mary Sa, Psy.D., LP.
“I personally want to take every single threat seriously,” Sa said. “We’re all going to work as hard as we can to get your child help.”
Sa discussed how when a patient has a headache, most people know what that means and how to treat it. With mental illness, not everyone knows how to react to the symptoms or what to say to help. This unfamiliarity with mental illness can cause alienation, where individuals hide away and pretend there is nothing wrong.
“Don’t ever think it can’t happen to you,” said Skip Strandberg, who lost his son to suicide in July 2013.
Isanti County Chief Deputy Lisa Lovering said law enforcement is available 24/7 for those who are in need of help and don’t know who to call. She urged parents to be responsible and active in their children’s lives to prevent tragedies from happening.
“You’re the parent, be the parent,” Lovering said. “You need to be there and guide them. Be the person to step up.”
The youth panel mirrored this; oftentimes it was their own parents who “caught” them trying to hurt themselves or take their lives. When asked what parents should do, they all responded that parents should be active and always supportive in their children’s lives. One panelist said that parents should even be nosey if they feel something isn’t right.
