"It seems like some people are afraid of suicidal people," a community member said.
Slippery Rock students and community members joined together in the Smith Student Center Theater Friday morning to share ideas, thoughts, and experiences with suicide.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Acting Deputy Secretary Valerie J. Vacari opened the discussion with a brief history of the Task Force. Governor Tom Wolf created the Task Force in May to travel across the state and listen to communities about their experiences with the suicide epidemic.
The listening session began with a woman in her 60's who has struggled her entire life with suicidal thoughts and actions. She said she first attempted to commit suicide when she was just 13-years-old.
One of her biggest gripes with suicide prevention is people who tell her that she shouldn't feel suicidal because she has such a good life. She would like to rip their faces off sometimes, she said with a smile.
"If you tell me who good my life is, it makes feel bad for being depressed. I don't know why I'm depressed, I just can't help it," speaker one said.
Patrick Kimmel, a Western Pennsylvania American Foundation for Suicide Prevention member, shared his experience with how his son committed suicide on Christmas Eve in 2010.
Kimmel shared his experiences in battling for new legislation in Harrisburg that has been shut down for sounding too much like a democratic bill.
Amanda spoke about how she felt that all the paperwork that she fills out when dealing with medical professionals is read and filed away. She felt as though medical professionals are not equipped or prepared to deal with individuals who come to them for mental health issues.
She followed by saying that she does know what to do when dealing with mental health, but she questioned how many parents actually do.
Krista, a part-time EMT in Butler county, touched on the growing rates of suicide among first responders. She said that her background in mental health has led to many at the station coming to her for help when they're dealing with issues.
She said they're afraid to actually reach out for help from professionals because of the stigma around suicide.
A woman, a 1972 graduate from Slippery Rock, told a story about her struggles with depression and suicide at SRU. When going to the health center during her time at SRU, she said that she was taught transcendental meditation and told to take a hot shower. Eventually, she attempted to step in front of a bus on Main Street, but she said a stranger pulled her back.
She said the scope of mental health treatment in the community has come a long way since her time here, but she said there is still a long way to go.
"I'd rather be heavier than dead," a woman shared, responding to a woman who struggled with weight that she put on after taking depression pills.
The discussion allowed the Task Force to hear the negative experiences, the concerns faced by individuals with mental health issues and ideas and thoughts to lead to better mental health treatment in Pennsylvania.
Vacari said that she hoped Friday's session would provide more clarity on how to address issues relating to death by suicide in Pennsylvania. Schnoke said that she joined Youth Move because feels that it is imperative for younger people to have a voice and become future leaders.
Her role with Youth Move, she said, allows that.
The Task Force will continue to travel across Pennsylvania to listen to more and more community members who have been affected by suicide. Their goal is to provide a better suicide prevention plan in Pennsylvania, shaped by the actual people in the state.
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