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Severance said with Flor-
ence’s high suicide rate, she
saw a need for this in western
Lane County.
“As long as there is a need,
we’ll be here,” she said.
Severance is also a licensed
clinical social worker.
“People have talked about
how incredibly helpful it is
for them to connect with oth-
er families who have suffered
this type of loss. … This is a
very different type of loss,” she
said, adding that group mem-
bers have talked about the in-
credibly positive result they’re
getting from just having that
connection with other families
who have also lost a loved one
to suicide.
“It’s wonderful to see how
warmly these families embrace
each other,” said Severance
Stigmas plague the topic of
suicide from those suffering
to individuals who have lost
a loved one to suicide. Sev-
erance said this is something
they spend time talking about
in the group.
“We talk a lot about that
stigma, the shame, the blame
that comes along with having
lost someone to suicide in your
family. There’s a real feeling
of isolation because for most
people, it’s a very taboo sub-
ject,” Severance said. “People
don’t know how to approach
the subject, so the family sur-
vivors find people sometimes
avoiding them. So, we talk a lot
about that in group and try to
find ways to address these and
other issues.”
Severance said they also dis-
cuss other aspects of suicide in
the group, such as the reasons
why family and friends might
not have known their loved
one was suffering.
“Clues we have in hindsight
are usually only available to us
after the fact,” she said. “And
yet people blame themselves
for not being able to predict
their loved one’s behavior.
Some people choose to suffer
in silence. They don’t allow
anyone to know they are in
tremendous pain. We cannot
always know what another is
feeling.
“When people get to a point
of acting on suicidal thoughts,
they have blinders on. The in-
dividual doesn’t see that their
behavior will be hurting any-
one else, In fact, if you talk
with a suicidal person, they
oftentimes tell you ‘My family
will be better off without me.’
They’re thinking at that point
is so distorted that they see
suicide as their only way out
of whatever is overwhelming
them; whether it is depression,
financial issues, custody bat-
tles or whatever.”
Severance said, in gener-
al, the main thing to look for
when someone might be suf-
fering from suicidal thoughts
is a change in behavior. So,
whether they’re usually out-
going and suddenly they’re
very withdrawn, or if they’re
normally very quiet and now
they are very loud and bois-
terous. Sometimes people will
be angrier or more verbal than
usual.
Ultimately, there is no par-
ticular behavior to look for;
rather, family members should
watch for any drastic change
in behavior, according to Sev-
erance.
“You just want to be open to
talking with them, just letting
them know you’re noticing
some changes. You’re worried
about them, you love them,
and you’re there to talk. And
give them every opportunity
to talk,” Severance said. “You
have to keep letting them
know you’re there. Keep trying
to talk with them, because they
may not be able to talk the first
15 times that you approach
them — but the 16th time, that
window might be open for the
kind of communication neces-
sary to get them some help.”
The main thing to empha-
size to someone suffering is
that they are not alone. Sever-
ance said to, “Let them know
you are there for them, they
are loved, and you will be there
for them through their pain.”
Severance also recommends
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ART ALLIANCE
Florence Regional Arts Alliance
120 Maple Street
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-999-0859
AUTOMOTIVE
Hoberg’s Complete Auto Repair
345 Hwy. 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-2413
Petersen Auto Detailing
Florence, Oregon, 97439
541-999-6078
CHAMBER
CHARITABLE GIVING
Salvation Army - Western Lane County
PO Box 1041
Florence Or 97439
1-800-481-3280
CHURCH
Cross Road Assembly of God
1380 10th St
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-3533
Florence Church of Christ
1833 Tamarack St.
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-3133
DENTURIST
Denture Services
524 Laurel Street
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-6054
ESTATE SALES
Cindy Wobbe Estate Sales
498 Hwy. 101
Florence OR 97439
541-999-0126
www.CindyWobbeEstates.com
EVENT CENTER
Florence Events Center
715 Quince Street
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-1994
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
290 Hwy 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-3128
www.florencechamber.com
offering to go with the person
to seek help, to start them on a
path to healing.
“We need to open up the
conversation and not have it be
so taboo. Let those who are in
pain know that you are willing
to listen and validate that their
feelings are real,” said Sever-
ance, who added that fighting
the stigma around depression,
suicide and mental health in
general is the first step.
“In my counseling work, I
would often hear people say,
‘I’m not depressed. I don’t
need meds. I don’t need coun-
seling.’ I would say to them ‘If
you have diabetes, would you
say no to insulin?’ Your head
and your body — it’s all one,”
Severance said. “Why is illness
above the neck considered
taboo but below the neck is
acceptable? We really need to
be more open to the fact that
mental health issues are no
different than physical health
issues and need to be treated
and addressed just the same.
There is no difference.”
For more information on
the Suicide Survivor Support
group in Florence, contact
Severance at 916-802-9705 or
visit the Monday meetings.
“Anyone who has lost some-
one to suicide is more than
welcome to attend group,” said
Severance. “The families here
are very warm and welcom-
ing.”
Lane County offers multiple
resources for those suffering
from depression and suicidal
thoughts, as well as resources
for those who have lost a loved
one to suicide.
Hourglass Community Cri-
sis Center is a 24-hour crisis
drop-in center serving adults
in Lane County. If an adult is
experiencing a mental health
crisis, they can receive imme-
diate care and services. Lo-
cated at 71 Centennial Loop,
Suite A, Eugene, OR.
The National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI) also of-
fers many support groups for
those suffering from suicidal
thoughts and a family support
group for those who have lost
someone to suicide. These take
place in Eugene at 2411 Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. It
can also be accessed by visit-
ing suicidepreventionlifeline.
org. The lifeline for Spanish
speakers, Nacional de Pre-
vención del Suicidio, is 1-888-
628-9454. The lifeline for deaf
and hard of hearing people is
1-800-799-4889.
Edward Jones-Andy Baber, AAMS
Financial Advisor
1010 Highway 101
541-997-8755
Oregon Pacific Bank
1355 Highway 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-7121
www.opbc.com
FUNERAL CHAPEL
Burns’s Riverside Chapel
2765 Kingwood St.
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-3416
Dunes Memorial Chapel
2300 Frontage Road
Reedsport, Oregon 97467
541-271-2822
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
County Transfer & Recycling
85040 Hwy. 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-8233
HEATING/SHEET METAL
Florence Heating & Sheet Metal
1645 Kingwood St
541-997-2422
Local
Businesses
HUMANE SOCIETY
Oregon Coast Humane Society
541-997-4277
Shelter
2840 Rhododendron Dr.
Thrift Store
1193 Bay St.
INSURANCE
Abel Insurance Agency
875 Hwy 101
Florence, OR 97439
541-997-3466
www.abelinsuranceagency.com
NEWSPAPERS
Siuslaw News
148 Maple Street
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-3441
www.thesiuslawnews.com
PEST CONTROL
Swanson’s Pest Management
1550 15th St #14
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-4027
PET GROOMING/BOARDING
Aloha Pet Grooming
1751 12th Street
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-2726
REAL ESTATE
Coldwell Banker Coast Real Estate
Lynnette Wikstrom, Broker
100 Hwy 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-999-0786
West Coast Real Estate Services, Inc.
1870 Hwy. 126, Suite A
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-SOLD (7653)
www.shoppelocal.biz
REC. VEHICLES SERV. & REPAIR
Florence RV & Automotive Specialists
4390 Hwy 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-8287
www.FlorenceRV.com
RESTAURANT
1285 Restobar
1285 Bay St, Florence, Oregon 97439
(541) 902-8338
RETIREMENT LIVING
The Shorewood
1451 Spruce St.
Florence, Oregon 97439
(541) 997-8202
shorewoodsl.com
SEAFOOD
Krab Kettle
270 Hwy 101
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-997-8996
SEPTIC SERVICE
Wally’s Septic Tank Pumping Inc.
541-997-8885
TIRES
Les Schwab Tire Center
4325 Highway 101
Florence, Oregon, 97439
(541) 997-7178