Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2019)
Signs SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES Continued from Page 13 • Lines for Life, 800-273-8255, or text 273Talk to 839863 • Community Counseling Solu- tions, 541-575-1466 • David Romprey Oregon Warm Line, 1-800-698-2392 • Military Helpline, 888-457- 4838, or text MIL1 to 839863 • Oregon Youth Line, 1-877- 968-8491, text to 839863 or email youthL@linesforlife.org • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK • Spanish Language National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-888-628-9454 • Crisis Text Line, 741741 • Alcohol and Drug Helpline, 800-923-4357, or text Recov- eryNow to 839863 • Suicide Prevention Resource Center, sprc.org • SafeOregon reporting line, 844-472-3367, or email tip@ safeoregon.com. Experts have found some patterns in suicide numbers. Suicide attempts, for exam- ple, tend to peak on Mondays and fall away through the rest of the week. More than a third of suicide victims told oth- ers of their intentions, while another third left a note. About 20 percent had a history of sui- cide attempts. Nearly a quar- ter were believed to have con- sumed alcohol in the hours before their deaths. About one-third of sui- cide victims in Oregon from 2003 to 2012 had experienced a crisis within the prior two weeks, including problems with an intimate partner, phys- ical health, family stress, other relationships, lost jobs or prob- lems at work, financial diffi- culties and criminal charges or other legal difficulties. Suicide statistics also help professionals understand cir- cumstances behind suicide ideation, attempts and suc- cessful completions. Dave Dalton and Emily Moser, counselors for Lines For Life, advise people to look for the positive. Even in their dark- est hours, people contemplat- ing suicide can be reminded of bright spots in their past, even small ones, Dalton said. Ninety percent of peo- ple who have attempted sui- cide end up dying later in life of something else entirely, Moser said. Talking to people about their suicidal thoughts will not make the situation worse, Dalton said — a third of the people who call Lines for Life are calling for other people. The time span from recog- nizing warning signs to a sui- cide attempt can be very short, Dalton said. Signs include loss of a job, spouse or close friends. A person contemplat- ing suicide might talk about unbearable physical or psy- chological pain or severe anguish. Some have already been diagnosed for depression or have alcohol or drug abuse problems. SIGNS TO WATCH FOR • Can’t enjoy anything • Anxiety or panic • Insomnia • Hopelessness or despair • Homicidal ideation • Psychotic disorder or com- mand hallucinations • Personality disorder • Mood disorder • Post-traumatic stress disorder • Substance use, abuse or withdrawal • Impulsivity, aggression or anti-social • Ongoing medical illness, including chronic pain • Recent or anticipated loss of relationship, finances, health or home • Loss of support or increasing isolation • Perceived burden on others • Legal issues or incarceration • Local suicide cluster or expo- sure to one through media • Access to lethal means, including firearms New online health tool provides mental self-care resources By Chris Olwine For the Blue Mountain Eagle The digital revolution has allowed people with physical ailments to learn more about their condi- tions by visiting web- sites, such as WebMD, for the past 10 years. As more people seek health care infor- mation and options online, the develop- ers of myStrength saw an opportunity to bring self-care resources to the behavioral health community. This online platform invites users to set up an account and begin navi- gating topics and tools of self-care immediately. A personal myStrength account is a private and secure way to access hundreds of guided activities and tools to manage stress, boost your mood and feel inspired to take on the day. Tools include mood trackers, guided pro- grams targeting anxiety, depression, sleep distur- bance, stress and sub- stance use, articles and expertly created videos. Thanks to the efforts of Eastern Oregon’s own Greater Oregon Behav- ioral Health and their provider network, this online service is offered to Eastern Oregon Coor- dinated Care Organiza- tion members and the greater Grant County community. “It’s easy to set up an account and took me less than 5 minutes,” a recent user told Chris Olwine, the Certified Community Behavioral Health Cen- ter program manager for Community Counseling Solutions in John Day. Any adult with a smartphone, mobile device or computer can use the program, with the restriction that partici- pants must be 13 or older. Michelle Deming, a counselor at Commu- nity Counseling Solu- tions said, “Any time we can get more resources to the people we serve, the better.” This resource isn’t just for people accessing behavioral health care or seeing the doctor. The licenses are also made available to the general public through a separate access code. These personal accounts are confidential, secure and only viewable by the individual who set up the account. To learn more about this online resource, visit gobhi.org/mem- bers/wellness. This page hosts an introduction to myStrength as well as directions. EOCCO members and Grant County resi- dents will simply need to enter an access code, which they can obtain by contacting Community Counseling Solutions, 541-575-1466, or Grant County Health Depart- ment, 541-575-0429, at 528 E. Main St., Suite E, John Day. Chris Olwine is a licensed clinical social worker and the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center program manager for Community Counseling Solutions in John Day. BLUEMOUNTAINEAGLE.COM / 15
