This conversation includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is in need of help, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. One of the organizations working year round to prevent suicide-related deaths and provide support to survivors is the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Morning Host Luis Hernandez spoke with Board Chair Keely Taylor and Christine Gallo, chair of the group’s education committee.
AFSP’s Rhode Island Out of Darkness Walks will take place on October 5 and 19.
TRANSCRIPT:
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Luis Hernandez: Keely, for people who don’t know, just briefly, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Describe the foundation and its mission.
Keely Taylor: Absolutely. So the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a nonprofit volunteer public health organization that gives those affected by suicide a community powered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death in Rhode Island.
Hernandez: Looking at the data and mentioning what I did, and I was surprised when I saw that number – on average, over 100 Rhode Islanders die by suicide every year – but what does it tell us about what’s happening right now with Rhode Islanders and how we’re dealing with this issue? You know, who is in most trouble?
Taylor: Right now in Rhode Island, suicide is the second leading cause of death from ages 10 to 34. So, young folks are affected, but we also have the fact that males in Rhode Island in particular; males are a very affected group as well, especially when we talk about the fact that men don’t talk about mental health.
Hernandez: Christine, I wanted to know what prompted you to get involved in this issue, especially with education and advocacy. What was it?
Christine Gallo: So I’ve actually had my own personal struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide since I was a young child, so that age of 10 doesn’t surprise me. I first became involved with the AFSP through the walks that they have. Each year they have an overnight “out of the darkness” walk, and I remember it was in 2011, I had just had my second child. Many of my own struggles I had kept very private. Not many people knew how much I struggled. I present as very happy, very smiley, very bubbly. I worked very hard to cultivate that mask that I let everybody see. I did have a good friend of mine that died by suicide the year after we graduated college and it was a surprise because she was very much like me. I never knew that she struggled with anything at all. To find out that she had died by suicide, it was a shock to everybody that knew her. And with the recognition that if I also were to die by suicide – I had plans. I knew what I was going to do. My plans had changed throughout my lifetime, but I always had a plan – that everybody that knew me and loved me would be left with the same thought, like how did this happen and what did we miss? So when I first started walking with the overnight [out of the darkness walk], to see that community of people that were a mix of people that were struggling and people that were grieving the loss of someone that they loved, being part of that community, I knew it was something that I needed to continue with. I was at the point that I was ready to tell my own story. I actually had left my career in 2017 when my mental health was in a really bad spot and I knew that if I hadn’t made a huge change to my life, then, quite honestly, my boys would have been left without a mom.
Hernandez: Keely, is this a story that you hear a lot? Have we made any strides in breaking through that stigma and getting people to even consider opening up, being a little more open?
Taylor: Yeah, I think we have, and I think we do see it in the younger people. I think the generation behind us is able to talk about it more. The next step is them actually getting help. But I think they’re bolder. They are able to talk about their mental health struggles and they are able to ask their friends and loved ones if they are struggling.
Hernandez: Christine, being part of the education committee for the foundation, what is it that you’re doing to spread the word and educate people and get them to know there’s a place to go.
Gallo: So the purpose of the Prevention Education Committee is we have a program that we’re very proud of with AFSP. It’s called Talk Saves Lives. It’s a 60 to 90 minute program and it helps people recognize the signs that they might not notice in people that are struggling, and it gives them very specific action steps: how to have a conversation, how to ask directly. Many people are very afraid to ask someone directly if they’re thinking of suicide because they’re afraid that they may put a thought in someone’s mind that hadn’t already been there. Research shows that’s not the case. Having the ability to ask that question might help someone recognize that they’re being seen and heard.
Hernandez: Keely, what other resources are there?
Taylor: In Rhode Island, we are lucky enough to have an in-person mental health crisis center called BH Link. They also run the call center for 988, so generally if you call 988 in Rhode Island, you’re going to get connected to the local resource first, thankfully, and they will be able to connect you with local resources to help, whether that’s an emergency bed at Butler or another location or whether it’s not an emergency and they can connect you with a therapist or someone who can help you along that healing journey.
Hernandez: How do we know that these things are working? Is there a way to determine the effectiveness of these programs? Can we just see the number drop?
Taylor: What we do know is that since 988 has been released – it’s only been inactive for two years – the increase in calls that we saw prior to the suicide prevention hotline, which was a regular phone number that you could call and it was nationwide; the increase in calls was impressive. More people are calling, which we hope means more people are getting help.
Hernandez: From both of you, I want to know, you’re speaking to people right now. What advice do you give them? Again, whether it’s something they’re struggling with or they see someone who’s struggling, what should they be thinking about? What do you want to tell them right now?
Gallo: If you start to notice that someone that you care about is exhibiting significant changes in their behavior, whether they seem to be more depressed, more quiet than usual, or even happier. Unfortunately, sometimes when people, maybe their baseline is sad or depressed or low energy and all of a sudden they’re happy, that could be a sign that they have made a plan and they’re, they’re at peace with their plan. That could be a cause for concern.
Hernandez: Keely, what else would you add?
Taylor: So, besides volunteering for AFSP, I am actually also a suicide loss survivor. I lost my husband three years ago. You may think it’s not going to happen to you. You may think it’s not going to happen to your friends and your family. But don’t assume that. And if you do see somebody struggling, assume that you are the only person who is going to reach out to them. Make sure that they get connected to resources.
Hernandez: I’ve been speaking with Keely Taylor and Christine Gallo of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Keeley, Christine, I really appreciate the information, but also thank you for sharing. I know it’s a very personal issue, but hopefully something that’ll help somebody listening right now. Thank you so much.
Gallo: Thank you.
Taylor: Thank you.
Hernandez: If you or someone you know is struggling or is in crisis, you can always call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or you can chat at 988lifeline.org. Someone is always available.Â
