Christmas can be the happiest time of year for many, but for Iowans suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it can be one of the most challenging.
In this second of a two-part series on suicide, we will move from a discussion on the suicidal individual and ways to seek help for them to those who have survived the suicide of a loved one. Dr. Amy Canuso, a Psychiatrist at St. Anthony Regional Hospital, says she cannot stress to those individuals enough, this is not their fault.
Suicide, she says, is often like someone drowning and you throw them a rope…but they don’t take it. Because they don’t take a hold of that lifeline and access a mechanism of survival, it is not your fault. You did not make that choice. And as is the case in many circumstances, if you didn’t even know a person was drowning, you never had the opportunity to throw that rope. Understanding this is extremely difficult for anyone, but especially for children.
Canuso says there are many different paths to suicidal thoughts. Very few people have the psychotic delusions or hallucinations that lead to suicide. There are those going through what is called organic depression, a disease so fraught with chronic pain some feel they just can’t go on. People in those two categories can be helped with medication. Then there are those facing what they see as overwhelming stress financial, family drama, drug and alcohol problems, systemic racism or socio-economic challenges who see no way out.
But there are others who give no sign they are considering suicide. They will not reach out for help and they will silently go about carrying out their plans. Canuso says these are usually very high-functioning people who are suffering and nobody knows it. They make up about 10 percent of suicides as those that have no psychiatric diagnosis, have never been seen by a provider and have never reached out for help. Canuso says that if you believe anyone is even c
712 Women on a Mission donates to Behavioral Health Unit at St Anthony carrollspaper.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from carrollspaper.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
At the end of November, a local group made a generous donation to the St. Anthony Regional Hospital (SARH) Behavioral Health Unit. The 712 Women on a Mission charitable organization presented a check for $4,500 on Monday for use in supporting patient activities and needs, such as videos, books, playing cards, clothing, gas cards and more. The primary mission of the behavioral health unit is the provision of comprehensive acute psychiatric care to the community, according to SARH Psychiatrist, Dr. Amy Canuso. “We very much appreciate the generous donation made by the 712 Women on a Mission,” she says. “The funds will provide essential learning tools for patients to use while in the hospital. Patients can take these items home, so to continue practicing the new coping mechanisms and cognitive behavioral techniques that they learned while they were hospitalized.” Canuso adds that recreational resources are important as laughter is good for mental health and these help foster