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A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 10, 2019 Help and hope Choose to continue the sentence for Oregon’s I suicide crisis GUEST COMMENT T hat 825 Oregonians died in a single year by suicide is a sobering assessment of our collective ability to help those who feel trapped in their own despair. That it’s such a hidden statistic, however, is an embarrassing refl ection of our collective ignorance. Hundreds more people died by suicide in Ore- gon in 2017 than by traffi c crashes, fi rearms or infec- tious disease. The sui- cide rate in Oregon is well above the national aver- age, as it has been for the past three decades. Yet this undeniable public health issue has lacked the pub- lic attention and sustained outcry that it desperately needs. Some of that stems from the stigma that per- sists around mental ill- ness and suicide, shut- ting off conversation or even acknowledgment that a suicide has occurred. Some may stem from the fear of encouraging “copy- cat” behavior. Regard- less of the motivation, however, our families, schools, communities and media organizations have too often chosen the easy way out by simply keep- ing silent. Meanwhile, the suicide rate in Oregon and the United States has con- tinued to climb. Clearly, silence hasn’t worked. This week, news organizations around the state are collaborat- ing to bring attention to the problem of suicide, report on populations at highest risk and share resources on how to pre- vent it. While the “Break- ing the Silence” project won’t necessarily provide answers, it aims to start a statewide effort to con- front it. Using responsi- ble reporting practices that examine, not sensational- ize, suicide, these stories can provide the common understanding, motivation, tools and questions that can help the community mobilize against this pub- lic health threat. The data show just how widespread a problem this is. Oregon’s suicide rate is 14th highest in the coun- try, and suicide is the sec- ond leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 34, according to the Oregon Health Authority. One- fi fth of those who kill themselves are veterans. More than half the deaths are caused by fi rearms. While those statistics may seem daunting, they can also provide possible avenues where leaders can make a difference. Such data, in the aggre- gate, can help build sup- port for increased fund- ing for veterans’ health services or provide tan- gible prevention options, such as the 2017 law that allows family members and police offi cers to peti- tion a court to take away fi rearms from someone at risk for suicide or causing harm to others. We also need to recog- nize that Oregon’s youth are struggling. Nearly 9 percent of eighth-graders self-reported having tried to kill themselves one or more times in the previ- ous year and nearly double that percentage considered it, according to Oregon Health Authority data. That children just enter- ing their teen years would even think of suicide as an option should be its own open-and-shut case for more counseling, support and training in schools. And health offi cials can lead by providing guid- ance for families, schools, health departments, phy- sicians and nonprofi ts on how to talk about suicide both as a general pub- lic health issue and on an individual basis. This is not an insur- mountable problem. Resources already exist and show that crisis coun- seling lines and other outreach efforts make a difference. Even friends and fam- ily members can take steps to help a loved one who is struggling by asking a series of questions about whether they have wished they were dead, thought about killing themselves or made any plans toward killing themselves. But it requires the willingness to have those uncomfortable conversations in the fi rst place. The effects of suicide reach far beyond the indi- vidual. The injury is borne by families, friends, com- munities and the public at large. It’s long past time to start treating it that way. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by “Breaking the Silence” is a statewide media collaboration aimed at putting a spotlight on the public health crisis of death by suicide in Oregon and offering our readers, lis- teners and viewers resources to help if they – or those they know – are in crisis. Learn more at breakingthesilenceor.com. used to consider the semicolon the unwanted child of punc- tuation. It is usually misused or mistakenly typed on the key- board if you forgot to hold shift while pressing for the colon button. In writing, semi- colons are used when the author could have used a period but chooses to connect clauses Ericka for a longer, more Wells interesting sen- tence. But now, the semicolon has become greater than a simple punctuation mark. The semicolon changed for me when I saw a picture of it in a friend’s room. I asked her what it stood for, and she replied, “It’s when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose to continue instead.” I fell silent, working out the reasoning behind her words. She then told me her story starting with her middle school friend. They would draw semi- colons on their wrists with eye- liner (so it wouldn’t smudge off) as a reminder of hope for their life’s hardships. She suffers from ADHD which causes her to have anxiety; she has also experienced depression. I realized then that it related to survival and hope. That same day, I drew myself a pic- ture of a semicolon and hung it on my wall. Her story and the simple drawing of that semico- lon changed my entire view of the unwanted child of punctuation; I was left with a yearning to learn more. I discovered that there is a movement called Project Semico- lon. Amy Bleuel started this non- profi t organization after she lost her father to suicide. Since 2013, this movement has helped over 5.2 million people. They follow the quote my friend shared with me: “A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end and survive another day. The semicolon has taken on many different meanings. For some, it’s in remembrance of a loved one; for others, it is a sym- bol of hope, optimism, support, and/or survival. It symbolizes strength, where people can rise from their ashes like a phoenix and become stronger and beautiful once again. For me, I see hope and inspi- ration to achieve my dreams and goals. Every time I look at the semicolon on my wall, I feel inspired to keep pushing through the day and have confi dence that everything will work out in the end. But more importantly, I know that the semicolon is more than punctuation. Ericka Wells is a student at Hermiston High School and an aspiring author writing her own book series. GUEST COMMENT Through profound grief, I chose life By Sheila Hamilton To the Blue Mountain Eagle I n the days after my late hus- band’s suicide, when I struggled to breathe properly or imagine a path forward for myself and my 9-year-old daughter, I began post- ing yellow sticky notes in places I couldn’t avoid. On my bathroom cabinet. While brushing my teeth, bleary-eyed and sobbing, I’d read my scribble: “Look to the living, love them and hold on” — clinical psycholo- gist Kay Redfi eld Jamison. I’d reach for coffee beans in the morning, overwhelmed by a to-do list that no one wants. Cas- ket or cremation? Call the IRS. Cancel his phone line. The note on the canister reminded me to rise above: “What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” — poet Mary Oliver. Sitting down to fi nally write the eulogy for the man with the elec- tric blue eyes, the thinker who excused himself at parties and set- tled in a corner chair with a book. “There is a solemn choice in life. Life and death; light and dark- ness; truth and lies are set before us. At every instant, the cry comes for us to choose one or the other and the choice of one involves the putting away of the other. And we must choose. That is one of the certainties of life.” — writer Stop- ford A. Brooke. Eventually, the sticky notes dried up. The questions and sug- gestions fell into the sink or on the fl oor, gathering with the dust and chaos suicide leaves for others. But the choice inherent in those mes- sages stuck with me. Life or death. With suicide, media coverage almost always focuses on sensa- tional acts committed by a celeb- rity, rock musician or movie star. Meanwhile, for every com- pleted suicide, there are 25 people who attempt suicide and survive, according to the Centers for Dis- Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Richard Hanners, rick@bmeagle.com Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Makenna Adair, offi ce@bmeagle.com Offi ce Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, offi ce@bmeagle.com ease Control and Prevention. The vast majority of these sur- vivors go on to accept help and fi nd meaning. The media should pay less attention to the details of the suicide, and provide more resources for help. Coverage should include the wisdom of people who have been severely depressed or suicidal and recov- ered. These are stories of trans- formation, and they speak to a renewed appreciation of being alive. My late husband loved his work as a designer and builder. He loved books so much they spilled over bookcases and bedsides. He made fi res on rainy Sunday morn- ings and practiced wrapping our infant daughter like a burrito, his big hands going through the motion again and again. As if with this child, this living refl ection, he was fi nally going to get something right. But he likely had been suffer- ing from depression and anxiety most of his life. Instead of ask- ing for help, he pushed his dark thoughts and suffering to a place of shame and denial. He refused to be seen as suffering from a brain illness. After two suicide attempts, he was fi nally diagnosed with bipo- lar disorder. I’m still not certain that was the right diagnosis. A bet- ter diagnosis is that he gave up on living. In the weeks before his sui- cide, he was hospitalized in a win- dowless room that looked a lot like “One Flew Over the Cuck- oo’s Nest.” Nurses worked behind thick bulletproof glass. A doctor he rarely saw prescribed as many as 13 drugs. Counselors advised him to quit his job and forever change his life to accommodate his men- tal illness. We sat each night on stiff couches as other patients shuffl ed around. When he asked for some- thing to do, the nurses offered him crayons. He described his ordeal 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you, and the sen- tence is your life.” Project Semi- colon’s website holds valuable articles and resources for anyone experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, and/or other mental diseases, and seeks to help with every struggle. From this movement, tattoos of semicolons have spread like wildfi re. These tattoos come in all different forms, from simple to extravagant pieces of art; there is no limit to the creativity. Many tattoos I’ve seen are with words like “cont;nue,” or “warr;or,” or “surv;ve.” But the most impact- ful tattoo I’ve seen is a heart- beat that goes fl at, but at the end, there is a semicolon, and the heart- beat returns to normal. It shows that they tried to end their (life) sentence and start another one (death), but they decided to fi ght Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Online: BlueMountainEagle.com Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Phone: 541-575-0710 like a person whose imagination had been wiped clean. My hope simply didn’t help. “We’ll get through this,” I offered, panic stricken. “One day at a time.” I didn’t realize the mind of suicidal ideation is a circular track with no on or off ramps. His hands moved listlessly. His eyes were fl at. Imagine if we’d met with other people who suffer from sui- cidal ideation, but who keep their careers and their children. Imagine if we’d been offered hope instead of a dim view of the future. This isn’t the obligation of the press, but if we truly want to change the growing suicide rate, our sto- ries, our narrative of suicide must change. A couple of years ago, I spoke at a high school in Washington where there had been a cluster of suicides. The school’s position was no memorials, no mention of the loss of several classmates. But, when I asked the students if they were aware of the tragedies, every hand went up. They didn’t need more details of the deaths. They needed more details about where to get help. And how to live with anxiety and depression. Choosing life doesn’t mean liv- ing without pain and suffering. That’s all part of the deal. But my husband’s choice to move away from his pain toward the unknown paradoxically changed me for the better. Through profound grief, I dis- covered gratitude. Through vulner- ability, I’ve found strength. Suffer- ing isn’t brave, but it’s part of the agreement we make in return for being human. I climbed out of the cave of grief and moved toward love and what I can count on. This breath. This moment. Life. Hamilton is a Portland author and past radio personality who now hosts a weekly podcast at BeyondWellWithSheila Hamilton.com. Copyright © 2019 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews