I joined about 400 others on Saturday at the "Angels Among Us" run/walk held at SLICE in Monroe. I was emotionally touched by the message of the event, which deals with awareness of depression in our community and suicide prevention.
Angels Among Us of Green County is a joint effort of Jacob's SWAG Foundation and Tyler's TEAM Foundation. The two groups, respectively, pay honor to Jacob Ellefson and Tyler Pierce, two young men whose lives ended early due to mental illness and suicide. The run/walk is a fundraiser for both organizations.
Two people spoke before the run/walk about living life trying to overcome depression. Oftentimes the struggles people have with depression are deeply personal and they tell few, if any, about how they feel. One snap decision to commit suicide leaves behind shocked loved ones and a huge feeling of loss.
Depression is a clinical illness and needs to be treated as such. It shouldn't be ignored. If someone is harming themselves or makes it known they're struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, they need help.
People with depression don't see life's ups and downs the same as a healthy person. There are triggers specific to each individual that can cause depression to worsen. Depression, left untreated, can become debilitating.
Green County Health Officer RoAnn Warden said a community health needs assessment done in 2016 identified issues of mental health and individual well-being as a "top need."
"It's a significant issue we see in our county, and we're not unique, it's statewide and nationwide," Warden said. "More individuals are suffering from depression, and it's very common. We're working to raise awareness on issues of depression and suicide prevention."
Green County has a mental health workgroup that focuses on helping individuals suffering from mental illness. Improving access to mental health services is key to treating mental health in the community, Warden said.
It seems as if every family, group of friends and many high school classes are impacted by a suicide in their circle. We have friends and family who constantly battle depression. There are instances when long-term depression and mental health issues lead to suicide. I've seen instances where a snap decision regarding something negative led to suicide. I've lost people close to me to suicide, and the world is worse for it.
My oldest uncle committed suicide in the days leading up to my birth. It was devastating to my mother's family. The story is common - unrequited love and a quick, irreversible decision. The impact continues as our family still misses him 50 years later. We miss who he was and we wonder about all of the things he could have done.
I graduated from a large class at Janesville Parker and I've had classmates who have committed suicide. A couple of them were guys I knew well. I sat next to them in classes. We were on the football team together. One of them had mental illness beyond depression, and another had acute depression. I've often thought of these friends and the things only we shared. I remember looking into the eyes of one of their fathers at my friend's funeral. He was absolutely crushed. I'll never forget it.
A way to combat the effects of depression or raise awareness to prevent suicide is to join together as community, recognize these issues are important and do whatever is possible to make a positive difference. That's what the walk/run was about on Saturday.
Tyler Pierce's mother, Kathy, who is a chief organizer for Tyler's TEAM Foundation and the office manager here at the Times, said awareness is important.
"We need to let others know that it is OK not to be OK," Pierce said. "It's all right to ask for help. We need to eliminate the stigma that is associated with mental health and suicide. I feel we are moving in the right direction on informing students and adults within our communities. Our foundation is trying to take a negative in our lives and turn it into a positive - so others don't have to go through what we have in the past eight years."
Jacob Ellefson's mother, Teri, who is a chief organizer for Jacob's SWAG Foundation, said getting help to those in need is among the key goals.
"People who pass away by suicide, in most cases, do not want to die - they just want the pain to stop," Ellefson said. "By speaking about our loss, we hope that just one person will think twice about hurting themselves and that it is OK to ask for help."
If young people know one of their peers is depressed or suicidal, Ellefson said, they should share that information with a trusted adult.
"If someone reaches out to you and talks about harming themselves, you have to tell someone," Ellefson said. "It's OK if that person is mad at you, but you know what? They are still here."
All of the money raised through Angels Among Us is returned to the community through the programs the foundations host and the work they do, Ellefson said.
Walking or running on a rainy spring Saturday to support such a cause was well worth it. I found myself thinking of those I've lost. Seeing the large crowd gathered, I knew I wasn't alone.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
Angels Among Us of Green County is a joint effort of Jacob's SWAG Foundation and Tyler's TEAM Foundation. The two groups, respectively, pay honor to Jacob Ellefson and Tyler Pierce, two young men whose lives ended early due to mental illness and suicide. The run/walk is a fundraiser for both organizations.
Two people spoke before the run/walk about living life trying to overcome depression. Oftentimes the struggles people have with depression are deeply personal and they tell few, if any, about how they feel. One snap decision to commit suicide leaves behind shocked loved ones and a huge feeling of loss.
Depression is a clinical illness and needs to be treated as such. It shouldn't be ignored. If someone is harming themselves or makes it known they're struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, they need help.
People with depression don't see life's ups and downs the same as a healthy person. There are triggers specific to each individual that can cause depression to worsen. Depression, left untreated, can become debilitating.
Green County Health Officer RoAnn Warden said a community health needs assessment done in 2016 identified issues of mental health and individual well-being as a "top need."
"It's a significant issue we see in our county, and we're not unique, it's statewide and nationwide," Warden said. "More individuals are suffering from depression, and it's very common. We're working to raise awareness on issues of depression and suicide prevention."
Green County has a mental health workgroup that focuses on helping individuals suffering from mental illness. Improving access to mental health services is key to treating mental health in the community, Warden said.
It seems as if every family, group of friends and many high school classes are impacted by a suicide in their circle. We have friends and family who constantly battle depression. There are instances when long-term depression and mental health issues lead to suicide. I've seen instances where a snap decision regarding something negative led to suicide. I've lost people close to me to suicide, and the world is worse for it.
My oldest uncle committed suicide in the days leading up to my birth. It was devastating to my mother's family. The story is common - unrequited love and a quick, irreversible decision. The impact continues as our family still misses him 50 years later. We miss who he was and we wonder about all of the things he could have done.
I graduated from a large class at Janesville Parker and I've had classmates who have committed suicide. A couple of them were guys I knew well. I sat next to them in classes. We were on the football team together. One of them had mental illness beyond depression, and another had acute depression. I've often thought of these friends and the things only we shared. I remember looking into the eyes of one of their fathers at my friend's funeral. He was absolutely crushed. I'll never forget it.
A way to combat the effects of depression or raise awareness to prevent suicide is to join together as community, recognize these issues are important and do whatever is possible to make a positive difference. That's what the walk/run was about on Saturday.
Tyler Pierce's mother, Kathy, who is a chief organizer for Tyler's TEAM Foundation and the office manager here at the Times, said awareness is important.
"We need to let others know that it is OK not to be OK," Pierce said. "It's all right to ask for help. We need to eliminate the stigma that is associated with mental health and suicide. I feel we are moving in the right direction on informing students and adults within our communities. Our foundation is trying to take a negative in our lives and turn it into a positive - so others don't have to go through what we have in the past eight years."
Jacob Ellefson's mother, Teri, who is a chief organizer for Jacob's SWAG Foundation, said getting help to those in need is among the key goals.
"People who pass away by suicide, in most cases, do not want to die - they just want the pain to stop," Ellefson said. "By speaking about our loss, we hope that just one person will think twice about hurting themselves and that it is OK to ask for help."
If young people know one of their peers is depressed or suicidal, Ellefson said, they should share that information with a trusted adult.
"If someone reaches out to you and talks about harming themselves, you have to tell someone," Ellefson said. "It's OK if that person is mad at you, but you know what? They are still here."
All of the money raised through Angels Among Us is returned to the community through the programs the foundations host and the work they do, Ellefson said.
Walking or running on a rainy spring Saturday to support such a cause was well worth it. I found myself thinking of those I've lost. Seeing the large crowd gathered, I knew I wasn't alone.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
