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Saturday, June 2, 2007 Coalition helps those in crisis and survivors"Working together to save lives..." This is the motto of the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition (NMSPC). Although founded in 2002 by a group of people striving to reduce the suicide rate in New Mexico, it was nearly a decade prior to formally organizing that many of them had already been working on suicide prevention. What the NMSPC is striving to do is dispel myths surrounding suicide, educate people as to warning signs to look for such as risk factors, and provide resources that can help those in crisis, as well as "post-vention" for those who've lost a loved one by suicide. Startling statistics in 2001 showed New Mexico ranked as the No. 1 in youth suicides, raising the question of why and what could be done to lower the rate. By 2005, New Mexico's ranking fell to No. 5 in the nation for suicides, and No. 4 for youth suicides, nearly twice the national average. "Suicide doesn't discriminate against age, race or sex," said Joe Maestas, a board member and volunteer with the NMSCP. "The bottom line is there are a bunch of suicides. I think if somebody talks about it, you need to pay attention and take it serious." Maestas has been working with the NMSCP for six months, and has been instrumental in coordinating meetings with different entities and state legislators to help get the message out that there are things that can be done to help people in crisis. "(Sen.) Michael Sanchez introduced a memorial to the senate making March 7 Suicide Prevention Awareness Day (this year)," Maestas said. "He made it a really important issue and explained how it impacted our community." Suzanne Udall, executive director of NMSPC, said Gov. Bill Richardson also took an interest in the coalition, making youth suicides one of his top priorities, and allocating funds for school-based health centers so more information and education can be distributed. "Creating awareness is critical," Udall said. "In a small town, a single suicide affects everyone. Almost everybody is a survivor. That's why we stress prevention." Udall went on to say that Richardson has allocated $520,000 a year since 2005 to help combat youth suicides, bringing much attention to New Mexico. "Most didn't know it was such a problem in our state," Udall said. When a person dies by suicide, Udall said, the effect is devastating, not only to those closest to them, but to the community as well. "It should not be a stigma to tell people that you are emotionally hurting," Udall said. "One of the things we say in our coalition (is) we like to use the words that someone died by suicide — not committed — because even that has such bad connotations," Udall said. "We all just have to have open dialogue." Risk Factors There are many things that can cause people to feel hopeless and contemplate dying by suicide, Udall said. Major losses in a person's life such as the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or a job, physical or mental illness, a history of trauma or abuse, impulsive tendencies or a family history of suicide can often lead to thoughts of suicide. Udall said that each and every person can be that caring adult that saves a life just by being aware and asking questions when you notice something out of the ordinary with family members, friends or co-workers. "It's going to take an army of concerned citizens to make a difference," Udall said. Warning Signs When a person is in crisis, Udall said, there is about a two-hour window, and if everyone can recognize warning signs, it may make a difference. "It's a myth that if you ask a person if they are contemplating suicide that they will then commit to it," Udall explained. "The bottom line is you ask, 'Are you thinking of hurting yourself?'" Udall went on to explain that most people have a "bag of tricks" or resources to draw from, but when a person gets to the point where there's nothing left in their bag to pull from, it's critical to be aware and be available to offer them help. Some of the warning signs to look for include:
Udall stressed that sometimes there are no warning signs and, as a coalition, they know that they will never be able to prevent all suicides. "Some people who (die by) suicide do so impulsively and without warning," she said. Help is available Udall said for anyone who is contemplating suicide, or has lost someone to suicide, help is out there. "Reach out," she said. "There are people wanting to help. Just tell somebody - anybody. That's really the message that we go into every community with." JOE MAESTAS worked with Sen. Michael Sanchez to bring suicide prevention awareness forward.
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