Finding hope instrumental in suicide prevention

ALBANY — Suicide is recognized as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Mental health resources are available, and dedicated, to helping recognize the warning signs of suicide and finding healthier ways to cope.

Dana Glass, chief clinical officer for Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services, said some of the suicide risk factors include severe and persistent mental illness, family history or substance abuse.

“All of those things play into what (puts) someone at risk,” she said.

A concerned party may be afraid to ask questions about the issue. Someone considering suicide may say they feel like they are a burden, or even have made previous attempts, Glass said.

“What we encourage clinicians to do is to ask the questions,” she said.

Glass said a risk assessment and safety plan ought to be put in place for someone who could potentially be at risk. This could also include someone suffering from a physical illness or coping with the death of a loved one.

They may have severe mood swings, stay in bed or give away their possessions before actually taking their life.

“Some don’t have a major trigger; some have depression that gets severe and is not treated,” Glass said.

As with primary health care, mental health care can be limited in rural areas due to a lack of access.

“If you don’t have any help in your county, you can’t get to an office,” Glass said.

Mental health has another commonality with primary care in that preventive care is the best kind of intervention. If a person is already to the point where they are unable to get out of the bed, it may be harder to help them.

“The (safety) plan (should be) in place before it reaches that point of crisis,” Glass said.

Nationally, Glass said, there does appear to be an increase in suicide. Local law enforcement reports indicate a number of attempts or successful suicides in recent months. Financial circumstances, and opioid use, are typically cited among the likely causes.

Substance abuse problems in particular have caused an increased demand for mental health care, she said.

“Addiction tends to lead down a path of hopelessness,” she said.

Mental health professionals’ goal is to help people understand that they are not alone, and that coping skills can be either positive or negative. The negative ones, such as substance abuse, only work as a temporary fix.

“I do think there is a lot of stigma related to mental health,” Glass said. “We are hiring former clients, so (current clients) can see it is a process to grow and change and be successful.

“Some people think the only way in the system is through the crisis center. We want to get them in before it gets (to a crisis situation).”

Group or individual therapy can go a long way in helping those in crisis. Glass said a combination of medication and therapy can be helpful, but that therapy alone can make a difference.

“People carry guilt and shame that is not really theirs,” she said. “(Therapy can address) not just what is wrong, but what is right with you. No matter how much is messed up, there is something right with you.

“Thinking (can be altered) because they are depressed. When they get the pieces together, they can realize it is not their fault. When we know better, we do better.”

One of the signs of a potential suicide risk is social withdrawal, and a risk may be less likely to be caught when that occurs. The key is to make sure to stay connected, because doing so tells the person that someone cares — and because a suicide can be stopped before it is committed.

If the pain is strong enough, thinking nobody cares may be a real issue.

“Something is not right when they (suddenly) withdraw,” Glass said.

Susan Hardie, behavioral health therapist at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, said bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder can sometimes lead to suicide, along with a history of childhood trauma, strained or abusive relationships, and other painful events.

In her 20 years in behavioral health, Hardie said she has not seen much difference in the trends related to suicide. She added that giving possessions away is not something she has seen, but that she has heard of that happening.

Rather, Hardie said, she has more often seen people overdosing on pills because they are desperate to get some rest.

“I have worked (with patients) after they have attempted,” she said. “They have said that they wanted to go to sleep. They were just tired.

“With mental illness, sleep is a problem.”

A therapist could be the one lifeline a person contemplating suicide has, and someone in distress may need help processing the pain they are experiencing and accepting the things they cannot change.

Some may show indications of suicide but have no intentions.

“We have to see (if there) is an intent,” Hardie said.

Mental health is not necessarily the only thing a therapist needs to look at. Spiritual health can play a role.

“Some have told me they have not committed suicide because of their faith,” Hardie said.

She added that encouraging exercise and healthy nutrition can help, which can fall by the wayside for a depressed individual. A person in this state needs a new way of thinking, and they may even be in denial about their state.

Hardie has also seen substance abuse play a significant role.

“We have to get the substance abuse stable first before they can work through the depression,” she said.

Doing things a person enjoys, Hardie said, can help with coping in a healthy way.

“I tell them to do what works for you,” she said.

Bullying and self-esteem are other factors in suicide. Hardie said a person can take several therapy sessions to open up about such issues. She also said people may not seek help in relieving their distress because they are afraid of being judged, but that finding an outlet can be an important part of recovery.

“Recovery is a forward motion,” she said. “We look for emotional movement and growth.”

The Georgia Department of Public Health Office of Health Indicators for Planning shows that suicides accounted for 50 deaths in the 14-county Southwest Public Health District in 2016, including 10 in Dougherty County — the highest in the district for that year.

In 2015, the district saw 37 deaths, including five in Dougherty. That year, Dougherty was tied with Worth County for the highest number of suicides.

The Georgia Crisis and Access Line can be reached by dialing 1-800-715-4225 or www.behavioralhealthlink.com. A suicide prevention hotline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255, and Aspire’s walk-in crisis and comfort center can be reached at (229) 430-1842.