Mental illness is just that: an illness that is treatable | News, Sports, Jobs

EAGLE RIVER – The Keweenaw County’s Sheriff on September 14th “An evening for first aiders” attracted about 40 people, said Sheriff Curt Pennala. It may seem like a low number, until you remember that the event was primarily aimed at those who were the first to respond to a call to the community related to mental health.

The event was for local firefighters, emergency services, law enforcement and first responders to help foster relationships between authorities who are often in the same place together, Pennala said.

“Representatives from the Houghton Police Department, our office, were there.” said Pennala. “There were a few dispatchers who made it from downstairs in Negaunee. Members of the Bootjack Fire Brigade have come outside. “

The Night Out included a special guest speaker, David Woods Bartley, a suicide prevention speaker whose favorite motto is: “Sometimes you can’t see what hurts the most; But sometimes what helps the most is just doing it. “

“Everyone seemed to enjoy it” Pennala commented.

Pennala said he feels this suggests everyone is struggling in some way with the issue: mental health.

“Whether at work or at home; maybe it’s a family member, maybe it’s a friend. Maybe it’s someone you deal with professionally. “ said Pennala. “To a certain extent, people get into it and I think the better we can prepare, so to speak, the better we are.”

Pennala said he and a number of others attended Bartley’s talk at the Rozsa Center in Houghton and estimated the number to be well over 100.

“I always think,” Pennala said that we – we had 40 people here, right? You have the right tools in your tool belt. Well how many people can you help? Be it the family, yourself or someone in the community. ”

Given those 40 people, he said, the potential for exponential growth is right there.

“Bartley is a touching speaker” said Pennala, “Well, he’s a relatable guy. He has the ability to move people. “

Bartley endured the early death of a parent, inherited genetics from depression, suffered repeated sexual trauma from a trusted community leader, battled post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and battled debilitating depression for more than 40 years.

But in the more than six years since Bartley was prevented from jumping to death by a first responder from the 730-foot Foresthill Bridge and his subsequent admission to a mental hospital, he has successfully emerged from mental isolation “Hell” into the inclusive space of mental wellbeing.

Bartley talks about the fact that mental illness is just that – a disease – and that those who do suffer have no mental deficits in their mental performance, just a chemical imbalance or severe head trauma that hinders their ability to do one thing certain part of the brain to function normally.

Bartley’s passion is to remove the stigma of mental illness from the public forum and is critical to creating a more compassionate and caring view of the community.

Bartley isn’t the only one reaching out to the general public for deeper understanding and, therefore, a compassionate response from the community.

The American Psychiatric Association notes, “Many people with mental illness don’t want to talk about it.” Fear of public judgment and stigma from their community members causes self-stigma and shame in those affected.

But mental illness, according to the APA, is nothing to be ashamed of! It’s a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. And mental illnesses are treatable.

“We are constantly expanding our understanding of how the human brain works.” states the APA website (https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness) and treatments are available to help people deal successfully with mental illness. “

A first responder night was organized as an extension of a mental health presentation held at the Keweenaw County Courthouse in May 2021. The presentation came from a social media post on the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office website in response to a young person who attempted suicide in the county during the first week of May.

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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/21/mental-illness-is-just-that-an-illness-that-is-treatable-news-sports-jobs/