vSUICIDE continued from page 9 warning signs in his son. “There is so much guilt,” he said. “At 23 you think your kids have become adults, they are working or in college and you’re not involved in their daily lives as much, but if I have anything to say to parents of young adults it is watch your kids. If something doesn’t seem right just a little bit, it’s so easy for them to slip right through, so keep your eyes open and if something may possibly be a warning sign just try to help as much as you can.” Pat said he saw little nuggets of things that now he knows were probably signs that something deeper was going on, but at the time they didn’t seem as profound. Pat said he would like to develop an (digital) app or website kind of like WebMD specifically for mental health issues. “Parents could go to this app or website and type in behaviors they have seen in their adolescent to young adult children, and it could help them identify warning signs of different mental health issues,” he said. “I knew Sam had a bit of anxiety. I urged him to go to the doctor and he did. So much of mental healthcare in this country ends with the physical doctor.” The inaccessibility of mental healthcare is frustrating to Pat. He said when someone has a physical ailment they are sent to the lab for testing or to radiology for imaging but when they have a mental health issue they are given a pill and told to come back when their prescription runs out. “Why aren’t the mental health professionals right there in the same building, so the (medical doctor) can send you over for an assessment?” he said. “You can get some counseling along with Allergies Again? that prescription and not have to go somewhere else. There is a crisis out there, and we are losing kids left and right.” Suicide is an uncomfortable topic for most people but it is also something that affects many people’s lives, especially in South Dakota. According to the American Association of Suicidology, there were 141 suicide deaths in South Dakota in 2014, which makes South Dakota eighteenth in the U.S. for suicide deaths. It is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults in this state. “There is definitely more awareness than, say 25-30 years ago,” Jan said. “But I do think it’s something that is still really hard to talk about. I have to talk about it - I have to let it out because I have so much love for him.” “A lot of it comes down to fear of making us feel bad,” Pat said. “People feel like if they mention it and I cry that they’ve hurt me again. I’m always hurting. It’s better to ask what they can do or just say ‘hi’ or give a hug or bring a hotdish casserole. Not recognizing it is not the way to make it go away. We need to acknowledge it.” Along with acknowledging the grief is acknowledging the cause of suicide. The Garritys are working on a business plan to provide research for mental health issues for the Sam Foundation in memory of their son. “We don’t have a lot of concrete things in place yet, but we feel very strongly about this and we are going to make it happen,” Pat said. Jan and Pat both found comfort in the group counseling vSUICIDE continued on page 11 Healthcare for Newborn thru Adult •Illness & Injury •Vaccines •Preventative Care • DOT Physicals •Sports & School Physicals •Women’s Health Jeffrey Johnson, MD Monday-Friday 8am-5pm Ask About Allergy Testing Ask About Allergy Testand Allergy Drops Jenny Horstman, NP-C ing Benefits of allergy drops include the following: •Natural and extremely safe •Noticeable relief within just two months of starting treatment •Painless – no shots or needles •Eliminate the need for excess trips to the doctor’s office •Effective for everyone from young children to seniors •Long-lasting results – possibly for your entire life 10vHERVOICEvSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 Call 605.260.2100 Lewis & Clark Medical Plaza, 2525 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 200, Yankton www.lewisandclarkspecialty.com Affiliated with Lewis & Clark Specialty Hospital Peter Murray, PA-C