Pay attention to your mental health

By Maureen M. Buckley, LMHC

Do you pay attention to your mental health? Wellness is how you think, what you eat and drink, your genetics, your attitude, your lifestyle.

Dr. Sean Bozorgzadeh of our Super Track Clinic spoke to the Point Roberts community about the importance of Vitamin D and how a deficiency can cause all sorts of health problems, including depression.

Depression and anxiety can lead to suicidal thoughts. Substance abuse can make it worse.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Almost 45,000 people die by suicide each year. For every completed suicide, 25 people attempt to end their lives.

People describe how they feel when they learn of a completed suicide. “It was a gut punch. I don’t understand why. He had everything to live for.” And loved ones live with this untimely death in a personal hell of grief and devastation. How do you recover from the death of your young daughter or son? Or your mother? Or your grandparent?

As you read this, you may be aware that you have suicidal thoughts. You say to yourself that your loved ones would be better off without you, or that you have become a burden, or that there is no hope. You wonder if you are a bad person because you failed a job or as a parent or your marriage.

The internal emotional state is that you are alone, that you have no reason to go on, that the world would be better off without you. If you add drug abuse and/or alcohol abuse into the mix, you increase the likelihood of having these thoughts and making an impulsive attempt to end your life.

If those words fit you then it is depression that is guiding your thoughts. The thinking patterns of depression become so normal that it is hard to tell that the thoughts are actually toxic. In other words, the sadness or self-destructive thinking is just the way it is and has been for a long time, so it feels normal. But it is not normal. What we now know is that those thoughts can be changed. Depression and anxiety can be treated and things can get better.

What should you do if you feel suicidal or if you know someone who is thinking about ending his or her life?

Counseling helps and the research says that the combination of therapy and medications can be very successful. If you are struggling, please contact your insurance company and ask for local providers that you can see through their system. The phone numbers are on the back of your insurance card. You might need to go to Bellingham or Blaine, especially if you are on Medicare or if your insurance does not have provider coverage in Point Roberts.

A passive approach to your mental health will not give you a positive outcome. Pay attention to what the experts say about what you eat and what you put into your body. Exercise so that you can release endorphins to create a positive feeling in your body. Don’t isolate. Go walk with the Wacky Walkers. Sign up for yoga with Desiree Kleeman at Madrona Yoga. Learn from Ted Talks. Play music that you love. Practice your religious beliefs.

A Safety Plan is critical. This is a collaborative effort to create an immediate support system. It is different from what used to be called a “no suicide contract.” This is created by the suffering person with the help of family, friends, and professionals to have a personalized response plan for the tough days.

Sometimes when you are depressed, it takes too much energy to make a call or to get to an appointment. This is when a loved one or trusted friend can offer to take you, to sit with you in the session or in the lobby, and then take you home.

Whatcom County has a 24-hour crisis line and they are friendly and helpful. Please call them. Whatcom County Crisis Line 800/584-3578

Mental Health Treatment Access Line 888/693-7200

Suicide research shows that the more you think about suicide the more likely you are to make an attempt. Sometimes life gives us more than what we think we can handle, but if you get help life can be livable and enjoyable again.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800/273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. Here’s what you can do when a loved one is severely depressed.

If you are using/abusing drugs or alcohol, please think twice about your personal risk factors and your friends and family. Unintentional or intentional overdoses have devastating effects on your loved ones. Addiction is described as cunning, powerful and baffling. We have members in our community who are in recovery and who would be happy to help. The 12-step world is there for you 24/7.

More resources:

-imhurting.org

-Text Start to 425/258-4357

There are some great apps that have been designed to help people of all ages, some are listed below. Download them. No doubt there are many others.

-MY3 can be downloaded at your app store. It originated in New York City and teaches people how to create a Safety Plan as well as other important resources. It will also connect you to 911.

-ReliefLink is developed by Emory University. It has a mood tracker, safety planning, emergency resources and much more.

-Youper - AI Mindfulness describes itself as an Emotional Health Assistant. This app gets great reviews and looks very useful.

-My Life My Voice Mood Journal is a part of a project sponsored by The Boys Town National Hotline. The toll-free number is available to kids, teens, and young adults anytime. Call 800/448-3000, you can start a text or chat as well.