Photo by Aissa Bouabellou on Pexels.com By: Meghan Lopez #Suicide rates are on the rise among #communitiesofcolor in Colorado. A state report found there have been concerning increases among historically marginalized populations in Colorado. DENVER — #Suicide rates are on the rise among #communitiesofcolor in Colorado. An annual report by the Colorado Office of #SuicidePrevention found that while the state’s overall #suicide rates have remained relatively constant over the past few years, there have been concerning increases among historically marginalized populations in Colorado. Last year, 1,294 people in the state died by #suicide according to state data. Denver, Broomfield and El Paso counties experienced the highest rates of #suicide in the state. “We know that rates have risen and then #Black and brown #peopleofcolor, their rates have risen especially notably,” said Vincent Atchity, the president and CEO of #MentalHealth Colorado. He believes the #pandemic has played a big role in the #mentalhealth of these communities. “The communities that are particularly vulnerable to #stress are going to feel exacerbated #stress whenever the rest of our community is stressed,” Atchity said From 2015 to 2020, Colorado lost 224 #Black residents to #suicide, according to the state report. The highest rates of #suicide were among #men. The report also found that half of the #suicide deaths in the state involved firearms, while poisoning and overdoses were the more common methods used in #suicideattempts. Along with feeling higher levels of #stress, Atchity says #peopleofcolor are less likely to seek #mentalhealth help. #Men in particular are more reluctant to ask for treatment due to some societal #stigmas. They are also less willing to call 911 or other emergency numbers for #mentalhealth help. “There is less trust of the response system and a greater awareness of the risk of being responded to by law enforcement,”Atchity said. That’s where the From the Heart Foundation comes in. The community organization helps with feeding programs, mentorships and #mentalhealth. #James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book, Celebrating Your Gift of Life: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy http://www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Founder Dr. Halim Ali said he started focusing on his own #mentalhealth a few years ago and realized how many others were struggling with #mentalhealthissues during the #pandemic. The group started offering as online wellness recovery action plan workshop to talk to the community about violence and #suicideprevention. The classes started with a couple dozen people and quickly doubled and then tripled in size. Now, there’s even a waiting list. Most recently, the group teamed up with two other foundations to host a #youth #gunviolence awareness and #suicideprevention wellness weekend. “I see how #mentalhealth is at the root, is at the cause. #Gunviolence, #suicidalideation, that is not the cause. These are the effects of a bigger cause,” Ali said. Ali says the thing he has constantly heard from the #youth he has worked at is that they have a lot of anger but don’t have a way to express themselves. Remote schooling during the #pandemic, facing stressful home lives and losing out on social connections also contributed to that anger, Ali says. “They’re throwing chairs at #teachers in #school, they’re fighting each other, they’re shooting each other, they’re hurting themselves because they don’t have those healthy outlet for a release,” he said. The organization is now working on a movie to take a closer look at some of the stressors and coming up with a curriculum its planning on unveiling in 2022 to focus on wellness and recovery called HEAT, which stands for habilitation, environment, accountability and therapy. The goal is to help the #teens and others in the community find the tools to express themselves in a healthy manner and ask for help if they need it. “Don’t be scared to ask for help. At the Saturday session I said, ‘By show of hands, how many people in here have trouble asking for help,’ and everyone’s hand went up,” he said. Ali worries that #teens in particular view asking for help as a sign of weakness. Atchity, meanwhile, believes there’s also a provider problem since there is a shortage of #mentalhealthprofessionals in the state but also fewer #minorities or people with similar life experiences working in the field who can relate to these #teens. Unfortunately, that’s an issue he doesn’t believe is going away any time soon. So, for now, organizations like From the Heart say they are doing what they can to reach out these communities, hoping to prevent more families from losing a loved one to #suicide. Photo by Aissa Bouabellou on Pexels.com
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