Maureen O'Malley - September 29, 2005
Missoula County Suicide Prevention Network
Suicide Prevention
When I was in high school a girl from my small farming community jumped from the top of the water tower and died. I have never forgotten that story and doubt that I ever will. I wonder and worry about what remarks I may have made to her or what looks my group gave her that may have added to her pain. I suspect many of you have been touched in similar ways by the suicide of someone you knew or loved.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in this country and the most preventable. Besides the tragic loss of loved ones, suicide deaths imprint an indelible mark on those friends and family left behind to make sense of the senseless. No other death leaves as many unanswered questions and so much guilt, shame, and fear. Consequently, the ongoing pain keeps people isolated in their grief.
There are myths about suicide which survive from one generation to the next. In their discomfort, people believe that talking with a person about suicidal thoughts may cause them to follow through with their plans, when in fact; being able to share their most frightening thoughts can actually relieve their anxiety. On the other hand, talking does not guarantee that an attempt will not be made. People hold to the idea that once someone decides to die by suicide there is nothing that can be done to stop them when in fact, the majority of people could be saved if someone near them knew how to intervene. People who die at their own hand do not want to die so much as they want the terrible pain to end and they do not know any other way to make that happen. The act, the final ‘doing’ of suicide is impulsive. Even though it has perhaps been planned for days or weeks, it still happens in a moment and a mind can be changed in a moment.
Preventing suicide is not the responsibility of only trained professionals. In most places in Montana, there is a shortage of trained professionals. Stopping suicide is a community responsibility. Everyone in a community has an obligation to reach out to each other in support and concern, to share knowledge and resources and to gather around when there is need. Montanans know how to react when someone is physically ill. Rides are offered, cards are sent, and casseroles are baked. Yet when the situation is one of mental illness, even briefly, social paralysis sets in and people are left to cope (or not) on their own. It will be a wonderful day when both physical and mental illnesses are viewed not as shortcomings but as maladies and when everyone has the confidence and information to ‘do the right thing’ as a friend or neighbor.
Montana has the third highest rate of suicide in the United States. Although this is a long-standing statistic it is not one we should be content to live with and finally people across this state are acting to make change. The Missoula City-County Health Department houses the Suicide Prevention Network – a group of concerned citizens and professionals who have organized trainings, events, and awareness campaigns. Most recently the Health Department was involved in the writing of a federal grant which will fund an extensive three year statewide project to decrease the numbers of youth suicides in Montana. While there are no absolute answers, there is confidence that working together as communities we can make a difference.
October 2 through 7 is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week in Missoula County as well as National Mental Health week. The first event will be a Memorial and Awareness walk on Sunday afternoon to remember loved ones and to support friends, neighbors, and strangers in their grief. In the following days there will be free trainings on how to identify suicide symptoms and information provided on a variety of related topics both at public sessions and in the media. Thursday, October 6th is National Depression screening Day and free, confidential, and anonymous mental health screenings will be offered on campus for the UM community, at St. Patrick Hospital, and at Montana Neurobehavioral Specialists for the general public. If you are worried about yourself or someone you care about, participate in the activities of this week. More information is available by calling 258-3881 or 258-4775.
Think of someone you have lost and how often you thought you would have done anything in your power to give them comfort or to keep them with you a little longer. You have the power now. Get educated, get informed, and get involved.
My name is Maureen O’Malley, and I am the Coordinator for the Missoula County Suicide Prevention Network.
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