To the editor:
On Sept. 23, 2017 Bainbridge Island is hosting the Kitsap Out of the Darkness Walk to Fight Suicide. And we need Bainbridge Island to get involved!
As a mother of five children who have all grown up on the Island I have experienced the ins and outs of parenting over many years, and through lots of personalities. I think we have played every sport there is, participated in music and theatre activities and been to schools on and off Island. And as we round out the summer, who can argue with the fact that we live in a great place! And in a great community!
Over the years we have also had a number of friends who have suffered through some big-time illnesses and horrible accidents. And when that happens we are really there for each other. The page goes up online and by the end of the day, people are collecting money, making meals and coordinating driving.
Mental health and suicide however, we are not so comfortable with — not unlike the rest of society. However I think we can do more to confront these difficult parts of our lives and find ways to lend support to our community. If someone in your family, or you are dealing with mental health issues, chances are there is a lot of embarrassment, and secrecy. The last thing we feel we can do is turn to our friends and ask for support.
But here’s the thing. Over these many years, I don’t know any family that hasn’t been touched by this. ADD, Aspergers, anorexia, bulimia, cutting, OCD, Depression, schizophrenia, to name a few of the conditions that surround us. And if your family member isn’t having a problem, they are likely worrying about a friend who is.
Who do we talk to? Who do we tell? What do we do?
In the past few years, my family has been touched by the loss of several friends and family members. I recall the first person I knew who died by suicide was a young teenage neighbor where I grew up — who everyone loved, and he was everyone’s great friend, and nobody knew he was troubled at all. It was a secret he held very closely.
Everyone I have talked to since beginning working on this project has a similar story. The Healthy Youth Survey for Kitsap County for 2016 said that one-in-four 10th-grade girls, and one-in-six 10th-grade boys in Kitsap County, considered suicide in the past year; while one-in-11 eighth-graders and one-in-nine 10th-graders actually attempted suicide.
This is a pervasive, and one might say common problem. But we are just not aware of the fact that it is going on all around us, because we don’t talk about it. And we don’t know how to reach out to get or give help.
We may not be able to control a lot of things in life, but what we can do is talk to one another.
If you are a parent of a young child get informed and start a conversation when they are young so when they are a little older you will be ready. Talk to your teens and family members so they know they are not alone and that we are all in this together. There is help out there. Suicide and suffering from mental health issues are solvable problems, which we need to really focus our efforts on as a community, as a state and as a country.
But the first step is right here on Sept. 23 with the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk to Fight Suicide!
So, register at www.afsp.org/kitsap and come out to walk and/or fundraise. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention funds research, and lobbying to help get the medical help to where it needs to be.
Most importantly, come out to start the conversation and find out what resources are here in Kitsap. Open up and let’s start talking.
LISA BOHONOS
Bainbridge Island
