From Kriss Marion, Lafayette County Board Supervisor
Blanchardville
To the editor:
Mental health matters. Mental health issues are normal health issues - like colds or allergies, and are usually very treatable. When we as individuals or a community don't tend to our mental health, the consequences can be catastrophic. About 44 million Americans will deal with some form of mental illness in 2018, and we need to talk about it. Groups are uniting throughout Lafayette County to do just that March 18 through 24 in shops, schools, libraries and churches.
Mental health has been central to our national conversation since the devastating Valentine's Day school shooting in Parkland. In the past three weeks, I've talked with dozens of people across the region and most agree we need universal background checks and other commonsense measures toward responsible gun ownership. Yet there is no escaping the fact that we have a crisis of connection to mental health support, especially in rural America and certainly in Wisconsin where our underfunded and over-extended schools and police officers bear the burden of standing in as social workers. But everyday citizens can pitch in. Let's work together to remove the embarrassment around getting help. Feelings of anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, inability to focus, shortness of breath and even loss of appetite can be symptoms. Thoughts about suicide or being overwhelmed are signals to reach out. Self-medication through alcohol or other drugs are danger signs. The 24-7 Crisis Hotline for our community is 1-888-552-6642. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call 911.
Farmers commit suicide at a rate twice that of veterans. Southwest Wisconsin experienced the most farm bankruptcies in the nation in 2017. As we enter a fourth year of depressed milk prices, our farm families are going to face more stress. Wisconsin Farm Center can provide counseling, as well as help with finances and farm transitions: 1-800-942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov.
Concerned citizens throughout Lafayette County are busy distributing posters and business cards with this information at schools, bars, restaurants, libraries and government offices this month. If you'd like some of these resources to have in your own business, place of work, or wallet, please feel free to contact me at team@krissforwisconsin.com. Join the Mental Health Matters, Lafayette Co. facebook page for information on all the local activities during Mental Health Matters Week, including videos featuring local people talking about getting help.
Blanchardville
To the editor:
Mental health matters. Mental health issues are normal health issues - like colds or allergies, and are usually very treatable. When we as individuals or a community don't tend to our mental health, the consequences can be catastrophic. About 44 million Americans will deal with some form of mental illness in 2018, and we need to talk about it. Groups are uniting throughout Lafayette County to do just that March 18 through 24 in shops, schools, libraries and churches.
Mental health has been central to our national conversation since the devastating Valentine's Day school shooting in Parkland. In the past three weeks, I've talked with dozens of people across the region and most agree we need universal background checks and other commonsense measures toward responsible gun ownership. Yet there is no escaping the fact that we have a crisis of connection to mental health support, especially in rural America and certainly in Wisconsin where our underfunded and over-extended schools and police officers bear the burden of standing in as social workers. But everyday citizens can pitch in. Let's work together to remove the embarrassment around getting help. Feelings of anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, inability to focus, shortness of breath and even loss of appetite can be symptoms. Thoughts about suicide or being overwhelmed are signals to reach out. Self-medication through alcohol or other drugs are danger signs. The 24-7 Crisis Hotline for our community is 1-888-552-6642. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call 911.
Farmers commit suicide at a rate twice that of veterans. Southwest Wisconsin experienced the most farm bankruptcies in the nation in 2017. As we enter a fourth year of depressed milk prices, our farm families are going to face more stress. Wisconsin Farm Center can provide counseling, as well as help with finances and farm transitions: 1-800-942-2474 or farmcenter@wisconsin.gov.
Concerned citizens throughout Lafayette County are busy distributing posters and business cards with this information at schools, bars, restaurants, libraries and government offices this month. If you'd like some of these resources to have in your own business, place of work, or wallet, please feel free to contact me at team@krissforwisconsin.com. Join the Mental Health Matters, Lafayette Co. facebook page for information on all the local activities during Mental Health Matters Week, including videos featuring local people talking about getting help.
