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Discover the heartbeat of Juneau's cultural and community landscape with 'Capital Chat.' This series explores the vibrant world of the community, arts, and dynamic cultural and social events happening in Alaska's Capital City. Tune in to 'Capital Chat' for your essential guide to the pulse of our community, where every story is an adventure and every voice matters.
Joining me from nami is Charity Anderson Charity. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:So suicide prevention. We often focus on somebody who's already in crisis. What are what are the signs much earlier in the process that family members or or friends tend to miss?
Speaker 2:I think, it's really easy sometimes for people just to mask how they're feeling. You know, they'll put on a smile, pretend everything is fine. But in the background, maybe they are isolating a lot more. Maybe they aren't reaching out to friends as much as they are via text message, social media, whatever that may look like. Really any major changes in behavior.
Speaker 2:If somebody is sleeping a lot less or sleeping a lot more, if they are withholding food or eating too much, those could all be, warning signs that somebody might be struggling.
Speaker 1:So the the latest Alaska data is is especially concerning when it comes to young people, and those warning signs specifically is what you're talking about. Right?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. And, unfortunately, we are, we're seeing these signs in younger younger kids. So that is why we are doing presentations like the one on the seventeenth just to try to get community members more equipped on how to handle these situations when a youth is going to them and telling them that something is wrong.
Speaker 1:K. So that's that's the key. Not only do you have to look for the signs, but if a young person is brave enough, has the wherewithal to actually reach out in that moment, the person on, that's receiving that that that narrative, that comment, what's the re what should the reaction be?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think, the first reaction is to be scared. You know? If you if somebody comes to you and they are expressing that they are suicidal or they know somebody that is suicidal, that's a scary thing to hear. Right?
Speaker 2:Yeah. But I think just sitting with that person, letting them know that, you know, it it is common to feel these things. And, let's sit. Let's talk through it, and let's get some support.
Speaker 1:Growing up is not easy. And you mentioned something that just struck me there is is some of these feelings are very natural. Mhmm. And everybody at some point has has had some version of feelings, whether it's sadness or depression or whatever those those feelings happen to be. How how can you strengthen a young person or any person's actually resolve when it comes to, some of those feelings that can be overwhelming sometimes?
Speaker 2:Mhmm. I think, letting them know that, one, it's okay to feel that way. It is it's a common thing, as you said. You know, there are there are a lot of supports out there. And I think the more that, the adults in the lives of these youth talk about, you know, their own struggles or open up about things that they maybe have gone through in the past is really, really helpful.
Speaker 1:And so this event coming up on the seventeenth that, Floyd Dryden will get into specifically where that is. So what's the experience gonna be? It starts at five. Yes. So inspiring folks to to show up, whether they're a loved one or a parent or maybe listening to this and going, you know what?
Speaker 1:I feel those things. I want to go to that and experience what that might be. What do you want them to know about that event?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, the event on the seventeenth is geared towards parents, caregivers, really any trusted adults in the community. I would like to say if you interact with youth on any sort of basis, then, this event is for you. So, starting in just to give a little bit of a background on, why we started doing this presentation. We've been doing the signs of suicide presentation within the school district since, I think, 2011.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And, the whole messaging for that presentation is to act. And that means acknowledge that something is happening, show that person that you care, and then tell a trusted adult. So we wanted to make sure that the adults in our community were equipped with the tools, the resources, and just kinda some answers on if they are that adult that a youth does go to. What what do they do? What do they say?
Speaker 2:So we did try this last year. We rolled it out a couple of times. We did one specifically geared towards middle school parents, adults, and then one geared towards high school students, or high school parents, caregivers, and adults. And then this year, we decided to just do one as a whole community. You know, whether or not you are a parent, let's say you're a coach.
Speaker 2:You don't have any kids. You still interact with these kids a lot. So that's why I like to say parents, caregivers, and just any trusted adults. So the presentation will give a good overview on what we teach the students, and it kinda gives them, the language that we're also teaching the students so that if they are in a situation where youth comes to them worried about themselves or somebody else, then those adults have the the tools and the resources to respond correctly.
Speaker 1:And what can, what can employers and coworkers do?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think if, you know, you have a coworker or an employer who you know is, struggling, let that person know that you are a safe place to talk to. Mhmm. Sometimes people just need to know that they have somebody there.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And directly asking the question can be very uncomfortable. But if you are worried that somebody may be suicidal or thinking about having some suicidal ideation, just being blunt and asking the question, like, you suicidal? Have you been thinking about suicide? That's just gonna let that person know that you are a safe person that they could go and talk to if they ever do have feelings like that.
Speaker 1:That's that's really powerful and interesting about, verbalizing that you're a safe safe place to to to land because I would imagine that that's a way to, or or when you're fighting that voice in your head, you don't think that there's a safe harbor. You don't you don't feel like there's a a safe safe person. And and getting maybe over the fear of being able to say to that that statement to somebody, I think, is a very powerful thing to do for those of us that are in a position to be able to think, yeah. Something's just not right here. I need to I need to say something.
Speaker 1:Say something for yeah.
Speaker 2:Yep. Yeah. There used to be, the myth that, you know, if you ask somebody about suicide and they haven't been thinking about it, that it's gonna put the idea in their head. Mhmm. That's a myth.
Speaker 2:You know? It it really just lets that person know that you're that you're a safe space.
Speaker 1:Charity, what brought you to this work?
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. So before I got into, like, the mental health world, I was doing, working with individuals who had physical and intellectual disabilities. I struggled with mental illness throughout high school. My family has a long line of mental illnesses, lost people to suicide. I've had own struggles of my own with that.
Speaker 2:So I feel a big thing for me to feel good and to keep going is to give back to other people. I really love going into the schools and presenting. I graduated from JDHS, and a lot of the teachers that I had are still teaching. So it's really cool to go back into those classrooms. And Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like, I was I was one of you guys, you know, not that long ago, and I'm here now and talking with you guys. So, that's been pretty, pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Thank you for the great work of, nami and your work within it. Remind everybody where, and when the event is happening.
Speaker 2:Yes. So, this event is September, seventeenth, five to 06:30 at Floyd Dryden, and you'll want to go to the doors that are closest to the pickleball courts. The lovely later lovely ladies over there who run the navigators program, have willingly donated that space, so that will be great. We will also have a separate area for, kiddos to go and hang out with some youth activities. There'll be a trusted adult there to keep an eye on the children, and then we'll have some food provided too as as well.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, we really just wanna get this information to as many people as we can, and we appreciate anybody that shows up.
Speaker 1:Happy to do that for you. Thank you for the great work that you do in our community.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Thank you for having me.