THIS
THIS YEAR
THIS YEAR HAS NOT BEEN EASY ON MANY OF US.. AND ITS TAKEN A TOLL ON PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO HELP--AND
IT STARTS WITH
AWARENESS.
SO KVUE'S TORI LARNED TOOK A
DEEP DIVE INTO HOW THE
PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED
AUSTINITES.
AUSTINITES.
"TORI
"TORI LARNED, KVUE NEWS: EXPERTS BELIEVE THIS YEAR IS AN IMPORTANT TIME TO PAY ATTENTION
TO HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING. IN
GENERAL, ACCORDING TO THE
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION, SUICIDE IS THE 10TH
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS IN THE
U.S.
IT'S HAPPENING HERE IN AUSTIN
TOO... SO I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT
NOT JUST THE DATA HERE IN
AUSTIN--BUT THE WHOLE PICTURE.
BUT FIRST--- IF YOU NEED HELP OR
KNOW SOMEBODY WHO DOES, DON'T BE
AFRAID TO REACH OUT. CALL THE
NATIONAL SUICIDE
PREVENTION LIFELINE AT 1-800-
273-8255.
FROM THE PANDEMIC AND RACIAL
PROTESTS TO THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION--
THIS YEAR HAD ITS FILL OF
STRESSFUL TRIGGERS.
AND ITS TAKING A TOLL ON ALL OF
US IN SOME WAY.
BUT FOR SOME, THAT TOLL HAS BEEN
HARDER TO BARE.
IN
IN FACT... THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION DID A STUDY THAT
FOUND IN LATE JUNE OF THIS YEAR,
11 PERCENT OF ADULTS IN THE U.S.
SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED SUICIDE
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
BUT DESPITE THE MENTAL HARDSHIPS
THIS YEAR ---AUSTIN HAD THE
FEWEST NUMBER OF SUICIDES SINCE
2016.
FROM APRIL TO AUGUST, AUSTIN
POLICE DEPARTMENT
RESPONDED TO 36 INCIDENTS WHERE
SOMEONE COMMITTED
SUICIDE, ACCORDING TO THEIR
RECORDS.
THAT'S ABOUT 50 PERCENT FEWER
SUICIDES COMPARED TO THE
SAME TIME FRAME LAST YEAR AND 44
PERCENT FEWER COMPARED TO 4
YEARS AGO.
BUT THE PAIN HASN'T GONE
AWAY...NOT FOR AMY GROSSO.
<"GROSSO:
<"GROSSO: LIKE THOSE LITTLE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT OFTEN IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO
LOOK
LOOK FOR,
LOOK FOR, WE DON'T SEE THEM." HER JOURNEY STARTED A LITTLE OVER 22 YEARS AGO
WHEN SHE WAS 19 YEARS OLD.
GROSSO: "MY MOM DIED BY
SUICIDE."
A LONG BUT EYE OPENING JOURNEY.
GROSSO: "FOR THE LONGEST TIME,
YOU'RE JUST YOU'RE SURVIVING,
RIGHT?
YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT
AND ONE STEP AT A TIME. AND THEN
AT
SOME POINT FOR ME, IT TURNED
FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING AND
REALIZING OF HOW CAN I MAKE
SENSE OF MY LIFE? "
NOW---AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE
CENTRAL TEXAS CHAPTER
OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR
SUICIDE
PREVENTION--SHE DEDICATES HER
LIFE TO BRINGING
AWARENESS TO SUICIDE---HOPIN G
NOBODY HAS TO GO THROUGH
WHAT HER FAMILY...HER MOM WENT
THROUGH.
GROSSO: "WE'RE OFTEN LEFT
WONDERING AND WE WAIT FOR IT TO
BE A CRISIS BEFORE WE
INTERVENE." KAREN RANUS, NAMI:
"SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR
US TO
RECOGNIZE IS THAT SOMEONE HAVING
THOUGHTS DOESN'T
NECESSARILY TRANSLATE TO THEM
ACTUALLY MAKING A SUICIDE
ATTEMPT."
THAT'S KAREN RANUS--EXECUTI VE
DIRECTOR FOR THE
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL
ILLNESS IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
SHE BELIEVES THE STATISTICS HERE
IN AUSTIN ARE PROMISING BUT
DON'T SHOW THE WHOLE PICTURE.
SHE SAYS--MORE OFTEN--PEOPLE
HAVE THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE BUT
DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH.
RANUS: "THAT SENSE OF
HOPELESSNESS AND DESPAIR. AND SO THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT
SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN" RANUS;
"CHRONIC ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION,
LEFT UNTREATED AND
UNADDRESSED, CAN BE A VERY
SERIOUS HEALTH CRISIS FOR
PEOPLE...."
BUT RANUS SAYS MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPORT IS UNDERFUNDED
AND THE ISSUE NEEDS MORE HELP.
IN SEPTEMBER, THE HUMAN HEALTH
AND SERVICES COMMISSION, OR
HHSC, AWARDED 45 MILLION
DOLLARS
DOLLARS TO GO TOWARD COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. IN OCTOBER--THRO UGH THE FEDERAL
CARES
ACT--GOVERNOR ABBOTT ALLOCATED
HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF STATE DOLLARS TO
SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY
AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. BOTH
THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE HHSC
ALSO
ALSO LAUNCHED 24/7 MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT LINES THIS YEAR. WHILE RANUS SAYS THESE STRIDES
ARE GOOD---THERE IS
STILL MUCH WORK TO DO.
RANUS: "WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE
200 PLUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE
OF
TEXAS THAT DIDN'T HAVE A SINGLE
PSYCHIATRIST. WE KNOW THAT
THERE'S A MENTAL HEALTH
WORKFORCE SHORTAGE. "
AS PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME
HOME--OUT OF HARMS WAY
OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC---RAN US
AND GROSSO SAY ITS
IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE CHECKS
IN WITH ONE ANOTHER.
RANUS: "HOW ARE YOU REALLY
DOING? I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU
DON'T SEEM YOURSELF LATELY. "
SIGNS INCUDE:
-LOW ENERGY AND FEELINGS
WITHDRAWN
WITHDRAWN -MOOD SWINGS -LACK OF SLEEP -ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
-TALK OF PAIN, BEING A BURDEN,
HOPELESSNESS
OR KILLING ONESELF.
GROSSO: "UNTIL WE AS A SOCIETY
REALIZE THE MENTAL HEALTH
AND SUICIDE IS AN IMPORTANT
TOPIC AND TOUCHES ALL OF US,
THAT'S
WHEN WE WILL SEE BIG
DIFFERENCES. "
SUICIDE MAY NOT IMPACT SOMEONE
IN YOUR DIRECT
CIRCLE---
BUT UNTIL AUSTIN--AND THE REST
OF THE NATION HITS
ZERO DEATHS BY SUICIDE--GROSS O
HOPES THE COMMUNITY
SEES WHAT ROLE EACH AND EVERY
PERSON PLAYS IN SAVING
A LIFE.
TORI LARNED KVUE NEWS.
REMEMBER--IF YOU NEED HELP OR
KNOW SOMEBODY WHO
DOES, CALL THE NATIONAL SUICIDE
PREVENTION
LIFELINE AT THE NUMBER ON YOUR
SCREEN---
YOU CAN ALSO CALL AUSTIN'S
SUPPORT LINE AT 888-855-7483.
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND
RESOURCES
ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION ON
KVUE.COM. BACK TO YOU.">