Suicide is Nothing to be Ashamed Of

by Pat Gallinagh, Range Suicide Prevention Council

This is National Suicide Prevention Week in Ironwood and our Range Suicide Prevention
Council along with our local Survivors of Suicide group are using this opportunity to
join the American Association of Suicidology 's Awareness Campaign that suicide is a
national health problem which claimed over 32,000 lives last year and that number
maybe be grossly underestimated. Suicide is an under reported form of death. Many so-
called accidents, accidental overdoses, accidental shootings, and single vehicle accidents
are probably suicides but because the victim didn't leave a note, the coroner will list them
accidental or underdetermined for cause of death.

The Awareness campaign is also a cause for hope. Most suicides can be prevented if
more people become aware of the risk factors, warning signs and proven methods of
intervention. We are with suicide and mental illness now where we were with cancer 50
years ago. Back then the diagnosis of cancer was so devastating that people didn't even
say it out loud and if the patient died, even at funerals they whispered to each other what
the person died of. There was almost an element of shame attached to the disease. But
even back then doctors knew if people avoided carcinogens or recognized the early
warning signs of cancer, there was a good chance that it would be not be contracted or
cured if it was.. By not smoking, using sunscreen or wearing a mask in a shop that has a
lot of floating debris in the air, a person has seriously reduced the odds of getting cancer.
If a person recognized that they had an unusual lump or growth, a cut that wouldn't heal,
unusual bleeding or discharge or persistent coughing or hoarseness, that early medical
intervention increased their chances for survival. So the medical profession began
running public services announcements giving the warning signs and urging people to see
a doctor immediately if any should appear.

Today, even though cancer is still the number two killer, right behind heart disease, it no
longer is the dreaded diagnosis it once was. Practically everyone knows a cancer
survivor today and when someone dies of the disease, the obituary will read that the
deceased had fought a courageous battle with cancer.

This is not yet the case with suicide or mental illness. There is still a stigma
attached to suicide dates back to the Middle Ages when despair was thought to be
the unforgivable sin and families covered up the act so the person could receive a
Christian burial. The mentally ill were often locked away in dungeons so no one
would know that mental illness was in their family. Most people suffering from a
mental illness do not commit suicide and most do recover. We now know that
mental illness is a brain disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and
that in most cases it can be cured or if there's no cure, it can be controlled with
medication.

Most people who died as a result of suicide were suffering from a mental illness,
usually more than one at the time of their death. Most of them struggled for years
fighting these illnesses and though they died, they probably didn't want to. They
just wanted relief from an unbearable, excruciating psychic pain. We all know
that psychological torture is far worse than physical torture. Yet how many
obituaries do you read that a person lost their courageous battle with depression?
These victims were fighting enemies just as powerful and merciless as a
malignant tumor. They suffered and died in a civil war fought in the dark recesses
of their minds Suicide is just a terminal case of mental illness where intervention
came too late and is nothing to be ashamed of.

Mental illness is a physical illness that can strike anyone, some or the most
famous people in the world have suffered

 

from it including, Abraham Lincoln,
Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Boris Yeltsin among, many other.
Noble prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, Academy award winning movie stars
and television personalities and world class athletes have been stricken with it.
Many of them have come out publicly to tell their stories such as Jane Pauley,
Mike Wallace, Terry Bradshaw, Patti Duke Austin and Joe Namath. The bottom
line is we are making progress but we still have a long way to go.

If we all learn the risk factors, the warning signs and how to intervene effectively
there is a good chance we can prevent a needless tragedy. Please stop by our
Life Keeper Memory Quilts and pick up a how to" Save a Life" card.

Dining With Diabetes…Can Be Fun!

Three area agencies will partner this fall to offer a series of classes designed to benefit residents with diabetes and their families.

Dining with Diabetes will be presented by staff from Grand View Health System, the Iron County Health Department, and Michigan State University Extension. The 4-class series will begin on Monday, September 28 and be held on Mondays and Thursdays in the late-afternoon, at the Iron County Courthouse in Hurley.

According to Lucia Patritto of MSU Extension, "We've assembled a great team of educators and health care professionals to offer this program. Each of the four classes will include diabetes and nutrition education, recipe demonstrations, and samples of each recipe prepared. We'll also discuss the various tests that are important for people who have diabetes, and give participants an opportunity for testing at no-cost. We encourage not only the person living with diabetes, but spouses, adult children, and family or professional caregivers to attend, as well."

Instructors include Jeanne Peterson, registered nurse and diabetes educator and Geneva Smiles, community health and wellness coordinator at Grand View Health System. They will be joined by Zona Wick, registered nurse and director; Liana Saari, R.N., and Julanne Ritter, R.N. all of the Iron County Health Department, Lucia Patritto, educator and County Extension Director of MSUE in Gogebic County, and Marilyn Smollar, registered dietician

Wick said, "There is no charge to attend Dining with Diabetes classes, however we ask that people attend all four classes. There will also be a follow-up session several months later that we invite people to attend."
She went on to say, "Diabetes is a serious and costly disease, but research shows that those who learn to manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels, eat a healthy diet, and get regular physical activity, can lower their risks of complications and lead a healthier and more productive life."

Though the classes are free to the participant, space is limited, and pre-registration is necessary. People are encouraged to pre-register early by calling the Iron County Health Department at (715) 561-2191 or 1-888-561-2191, or MSU Extension at (906) 663-4045 or 1-888-MSUE-4-MI (Gogebic)
Funding for this series of Dining with Diabetes is provided by the Wisconsin Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. Any resident of Gogebic or Iron County (WI) may attend.

To learn more about Dining with Diabetes, call Zona Wick or Lucia Patritto at the listed phone numbers.

SIDEBAR:
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a common, serious, and costly disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. And about one-third of people with diabetes are unaware they have the disease.
The rate of diabetes has increased dramatically among people in Gogebic and Iron Counties. Recent statistics for our two-county area show that about 10.1% of our residents have diabetes, either diagnosed by a medical professional, or undiagnosed. This number rises to almost 20% for citizens over age 65.

Locally, we also rank high in the incidences of obesity and physical inactivity. These lifestyle measures, combined with the fact that our area has a large percentage of older citizens, lead to an expected continued rise in both prevalence and incidence of diabetes.

Diabetes is called a lifestyle disease. It can be controlled by making changes in our lifestyle - changing our eating habits, increasing our level of physical activity, and losing excess weight. These lifestyle changes can control and even prevent some of the complication of diabetes.

The good news for residents of the Gogebic range is that programs like Dining with Diabetes can help make changes in their lives. Taking an active role in understanding diabetes, following a meal, plan, and increasing physical activity are the first steps in controlling blood sugar levels.

Now is the time for people to take charge of their diabetes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucia M. Patritto
County Extension Director
Michigan State University Extension – Gogebic County
Natural Resources Center
500 North Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911
Telephone: (906) 663-4045; Fax: (906) 663-4058
patritto@msu.edu
" For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
-Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009
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MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status
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