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Annual Mental Health Walk Draws About 40 Participants

Suicide, an ugly word representing an act of no return for both the person and those close to them. A word oft avoided in courteous conversations. A word and an act which can be ignored no longer.

"I had a family member pass away from suicide and it has always been an issue I believe needs to be brought to attention," said Lynsey Reyes, of Glasgow. "It destroys the family. It has been 25 or 30 years, and the family is still impacted. I keep telling my kids, 'you do know suicide is permanent? It is not just one little solution. It is an ending.'"

According to Emmaline Keesee, AmeriCorps service member for the Glasgow area, Montana has the third highest rate of suicide in the country. Suicide is of particular concern in rural areas such as Valley County, where access to mental health support is limited. Additionally, the prevalence of substance and alcohol abuse contributes to the co-morbidity rates for many suicides, according to mental health experts.

Speaking up about the final act of desperation facing many in the United States these days helps to eliminate a stigma against those seeking help, Reyes said. This is why she joined about 40 other area residents Saturday morning in the annual Mental Health Awareness Walk hosted by Valley CARE Coalition.

Following a speech by Adam Hooper outlining how suicide has impacted him personally, the participants began the mile long walk from the Valley Event Center at 54141 US Highway 2 to Hoit Park at 4th Avenue South and 3rd Street South.

Interim Glasgow Police Chief, Tyler Edwards, escorted the pedestrians along the way in his police cruiser.

"It was great and the weather stayed good," Keesee said. "We got some honking and some waving. No one was angry having to wait at the stop light. That is all you can ask for."

Mary Hughes, Valley Care Coalition Co-Chair and founding member, said the visibility of the walk helps to spread the knowledge of available mental health resources to the community.

"Our mission is to make Valley County a healthier community, and for people to seek help when they need it and not be ashamed of seeking help. It helps with the stigma, so people know it is OK to ask for help. This is normal. What I try to emphasize with people is mental health issues involve everyday people with everyday problems. We have a handful of severely mentally ill people and they need extra help. But, it is the average Joe that needs basic help."

Hughes was pleased with the turnout for the annual event, canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was awesome," she said. "We are happy about that."

Hughes said the turnout was slightly smaller than in pre-pandemic years, and hopes to grow the event next year.

"I feel we are starting over again."

The participants agreed being proactive in mental health can prevent unnecessary pain and suffering down the road.

Hopefully being proactive can prevent future tragedies, organizers said.

"When you recover loudly, you allow those suffering to not have to suffer so quietly," said Katrena Palmer, prevention specialist at Eastern Montana Mental Health Center. "The things you share offer an opportunity for those suffering to get some relief."

CLOSE TO HOME

Hooper, a Navy veteran, has experienced the trauma of suicide first hand.

While working at a shipyard in Virginia, he was pulled away from the job by his supervisors.

"We got out on the city street and I saw my wife at the time step out of a car, and tears were rolling down her face," Hooper said. "She said, 'Adam, it's your dad.' I knew right away what she meant. He had committed suicide. He had taken his own life. After he got out of prison, he had done a great job at staying sober for about a year. He was taking his time and doing his meds. But then, he turned back to old demons and old habits and so we kind of estranged for a while. I was an adult and knew what you were supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. I told him, 'dad, when you get yourself straightened out, you call me and we will talk and be OK. But until then, for my sake I need to do me and you need to do you."

The day he learned his father had committed suicide was a defining point in Hooper's life, he said.

"That day is seared right [in my mind] and has been for the last 20-plus-years. The old Adam kind of died that day. The guy you see today started a new journey, and let me tell you it was rough. The start was very rocky."

For the next two years, Hooper suffered from severe depression.

"It ended up ending my marriage, ending my career at the shipyard," he said. "I pretty much quit everything and almost quit myself. But, I looked at what [suicide] had done to my sisters, to my mom, my grandparents. I said, 'I can't do that,' and thankfully, I did not do that."

He said in his time of need, his mother stepped up to the plate.

"We will just fast forward a little bit. Moms are great. My mom helped me. She held her little boy's hand and got him on his feet again."

Eventually, Hooper was ready for a new chapter to begin in his life.

"I decided it was time to get back to work, get back to life, and I moved from Virginia to Indiana, started a job there and met some friends. I started building a life again."

Later, Hooper found his way to Glasgow, where he took a job at the Fort Peck Power House.

"I looked at it as a fresh start, a new beginning in the 'middle on nowhere.' Nobody knew me, I didn't know anybody. I brought a one-year-old golden retriever with me when I came and that is all I knew. I thought 'OK,' we are going to get going now for sure. Well, life always throws tests at you."

During his first year in Glasgow, a new friend was killed in a motor vehicle incident.

"I went from fresh start to set back really quick," Hooper said. "I was working crazy long hours and living by myself, and let me tell you, some days all those bad thoughts came rushing back. But, I wasn't done yet."

Then the pandemic struck in 2020.

"Last year, everybody struggled with COVID," Hooper said. "We are tired of it. We are over it. We are done with it. But while everybody was having their issues, I was doing my own thing and going in a new direction."

Continuing to struggle with anxiety and depression, Hooper spoke with his doctor about changing his medications in order to cope. His doctor, instead, recommended a different course of action.

"It clicked," Hooper said. "For the better part of last year, I saw a counselor online through Zoom. We talked about every week through the last part of last year. She was great, a sweet lady from the south with that southern accent. Just what I needed. When I started to go off track, and make excuses or have what they call 'cognitive distortions,' she was there to whip me back into shape."

Seeking professional mental health therapy was the right call, Hooper said.

"I have made awesome strides since then. I am feeling on top of the world today. I know some of you may not be on top of the world today. That is OK. There are people out there that love you. You might not think it, but there are people out there that care about you and love you and want you to be happy, healthy and successful."

Hooper is one of those folks. He wants to help others here overcome obstacles with anxiety and depression he himself is keenly acquainted with. As such, he hosts the Glasgow Anxiety and Depression Support Group, which generally meets at 4 p.m. every other Sunday at First Lutheran Church, 641 Second Ave. N. For more information, call 406-230-1985.

"There are people out there, such as people in this group, who will help you get the resources you need, or your loved ones need, or someone you know needs," Hooper said. "There are limited resources in Northeast Montana, but there are resources. I am not an expert, but I have been there, done that. We talk, share and support."

Hooper said men, especially veterans, may be hesitant to seek out help before it is too late.

"With mental health, there is a stigma behind it, and it still persists and lingers. If more people like me can get out and say, 'hey, I've been there, I've done that,' hopefully people who are struggling can come out and get the help and the support and the love they need."

Hooper said he hopes events such as the annual Mental Health Walk will help people suffering in silence emerge from the shadows.

"You don't have to do it alone."

For more information about mental health resources, visit valleycarecoalition.com.

Chris McDaniel Can Be Reached at 406-228-9301 or [email protected].

 

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