WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.130 --> 00:00:04.770
On Larry King Now, America's suicide crisis.
2
00:00:04.770 --> 00:00:09.380
Why have we seen a dramatic increase in suicide deaths?
3
00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:11.336
Every time there's been an economic downturn,
4
00:00:11.336 --> 00:00:13.880
there's always an increase in suicides.
5
00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:16.640
How do we combat this health emergency?
6
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.930
We need to teach our parents, teachers, loved ones,
7
00:00:18.930 --> 00:00:21.980
coaches, and clergy how to detect suicide.
8
00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.160
And what to do if you
9
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:25.200
or someone you know is suicidal.
10
00:00:25.200 --> 00:00:28.270
Don't offer quick fixes, don't minimize their problem,
11
00:00:28.270 --> 00:00:30.510
but really invite more conversation.
12
00:00:30.510 --> 00:00:31.343
Plus.
13
00:00:31.343 --> 00:00:33.620
As I fell, these are the words that rang in my head.
14
00:00:33.620 --> 00:00:34.453
What have I just done?
15
00:00:34.453 --> 00:00:35.286
I don't want to die.
16
00:00:35.286 --> 00:00:37.270
God please save me, and then I hit the water.
17
00:00:37.270 --> 00:00:39.398
All next on Larry King Now.
18
00:00:39.398 --> 00:00:42.148
(pleasant music)
19
00:00:47.110 --> 00:00:50.092
Welcome to a special edition of Larry King Now.
20
00:00:50.092 --> 00:00:53.810
In June of 2018, the high profile deaths
21
00:00:53.810 --> 00:00:55.250
of designer Kate Spade
22
00:00:55.250 --> 00:00:59.014
and CNN food and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain
23
00:00:59.014 --> 00:01:01.174
drew attention to a difficult topic
24
00:01:01.174 --> 00:01:03.820
for many people to talk about.
25
00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:06.270
Suicide and mental health.
26
00:01:06.270 --> 00:01:09.160
A recent Centers for Disease Control report
27
00:01:09.160 --> 00:01:11.710
revealed that suicide rates in America
28
00:01:11.710 --> 00:01:16.710
have increased more than 30% from 1999 to 2016
29
00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:22.183
with nearly 45,000 suicides reported in 2016.
30
00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:24.630 line:15%
We'd like to find out why.
31
00:01:24.630 --> 00:01:27.740 line:15%
Today I'm joined by a panel of experts and educators,
32
00:01:27.740 --> 00:01:31.136 line:15%
all of whom have been personally touched by suicide
33
00:01:31.136 --> 00:01:34.280 line:15%
to discuss this growing health crisis in America.
34
00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:36.890 line:15%
In studio, a fierce advocate
35
00:01:36.890 --> 00:01:38.490 line:15%
for the advancement of community
36
00:01:38.490 --> 00:01:41.210 line:15%
mental health, Dr. Kita Curry.
37
00:01:41.210 --> 00:01:44.355 line:15%
Has a PhD in psychology from UCLA.
38
00:01:44.355 --> 00:01:48.750 line:15%
She's the CEO of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
39
00:01:48.750 --> 00:01:52.150
and a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
40
00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:54.040
steering committee.
41
00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:57.510 line:15%
Kevin Hines is a suicide survivor.
42
00:01:57.510 --> 00:01:58.920 line:15%
He tried to take his own life
43
00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:02.560 line:15%
by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000.
44
00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.390 line:15%
He is now an author and motivational speaker
45
00:02:05.390 --> 00:02:08.780 line:15%
spreading the message of hope and living mentally well.
46
00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.910
His newest documentary, The Ripple Effect,
47
00:02:11.910 --> 00:02:14.717
addresses the positive results of mental health
48
00:02:14.717 --> 00:02:18.102
and suicide advocacy and in New York City,
49
00:02:18.102 --> 00:02:21.621 line:15%
Dr. Christine Moutier, is a psychiatrist
50
00:02:21.621 --> 00:02:24.170 line:15%
and the chief medical officer for the
51
00:02:24.170 --> 00:02:28.070 line:15%
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
52
00:02:28.070 --> 00:02:29.942
This is a very important program.
53
00:02:29.942 --> 00:02:32.870
We hope we've gathered your attention.
54
00:02:32.870 --> 00:02:35.240
Dr. Moutier, why the increase?
55
00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.610 line:15%
Well suicide is a complex phenomenon,
56
00:02:38.610 --> 00:02:40.750 line:15%
complex human behavior,
57
00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:43.230 line:15%
but as one of the leading causes of death
58
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.838
it is a largely health related outcome
59
00:02:46.838 --> 00:02:49.350
that is generally preventable,
60
00:02:49.350 --> 00:02:52.200
and so we're really trying to understand the reasons
61
00:02:52.200 --> 00:02:55.520
for this trend in increase in the national rate,
62
00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:57.610
and we have to think about things like
63
00:02:57.610 --> 00:03:01.600
attitudes towards mental health, whether we can access care,
64
00:03:01.600 --> 00:03:03.910
our culture around connecting with others.
65
00:03:03.910 --> 00:03:05.660
With our loved ones, with our communities,
66
00:03:05.660 --> 00:03:07.280
even when we're in distress.
67
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:09.510
That's a big part of it.
68
00:03:09.510 --> 00:03:12.420
Access to lethal means, so the opioid epidemic
69
00:03:12.420 --> 00:03:16.810
and the infusion of a lethal means into our populations
70
00:03:16.810 --> 00:03:20.010
on a societal level is a very big deal.
71
00:03:20.010 --> 00:03:22.770
Changes in the economy, and even if you look at
72
00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:25.680
the middle aged population, which is the age group
73
00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:30.680
that's shown the largest rate increase over that decade,
74
00:03:31.410 --> 00:03:34.410
decade and a half period, you think about what issues
75
00:03:34.410 --> 00:03:36.260
middle aged Americans are facing.
76
00:03:36.260 --> 00:03:38.336
Their aging parents, raising children
77
00:03:38.336 --> 00:03:41.930
in an increasingly disconnected society.
78
00:03:41.930 --> 00:03:44.970
Again with the infusion of social media,
79
00:03:44.970 --> 00:03:46.336
there are many different factors,
80
00:03:46.336 --> 00:03:50.850
but largely we need to think about that opportunity
81
00:03:50.850 --> 00:03:53.600
to connect with others and to pay attention
82
00:03:53.600 --> 00:03:56.059
to the signs of distress in our loved ones
83
00:03:56.059 --> 00:03:58.370
and our community members.
84
00:03:58.370 --> 00:04:00.210
Dr. Curry why high profile deaths
85
00:04:00.210 --> 00:04:02.299
like Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain
86
00:04:02.299 --> 00:04:04.803
reignites the conversation?
87
00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.130 line:15%
I think that when people hear about someone
88
00:04:08.130 --> 00:04:10.460 line:15%
that they think had everything,
89
00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:14.170 line:15%
and had the life they wanted, it frightens them
90
00:04:14.170 --> 00:04:15.630 line:15%
and it confuses them.
91
00:04:15.630 --> 00:04:17.100
How can this happen?
92
00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:20.480
And if it can happen to them, won't it happen to me?
93
00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:22.290
And what we don't realize is that
94
00:04:22.290 --> 00:04:26.730
123 people die by suicide every day in the US.
95
00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:30.150
The celebrities that we hear are just very famous.
96
00:04:30.150 --> 00:04:32.336
Is it a worldwide problem?
97
00:04:32.336 --> 00:04:34.000
It is, actually.
98
00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.670
There's no better person to talk to than Kevin,
99
00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:39.430
because we're all in theory and we're all here to help
100
00:04:39.430 --> 00:04:41.740
but he tried it.
101
00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:44.483
Why did you jump off the Golden Gate Bridge?
102
00:04:45.320 --> 00:04:47.420
Larry, I was in the greatest pain
103
00:04:47.420 --> 00:04:49.170
I'd ever experienced and it was mental.
104
00:04:49.170 --> 00:04:50.003
How old were you?
105
00:04:50.003 --> 00:04:53.610 line:15%
I was 19, and Larry I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt
106
00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:55.330 line:15%
that I had not one other course to take,
107
00:04:55.330 --> 00:04:56.460 line:15%
but to die by my hands.
108
00:04:56.460 --> 00:05:00.690
Dr. Thomas Joiner calls it constricted thinking.
109
00:05:00.690 --> 00:05:03.290
A tunnel vision where you see only death,
110
00:05:03.290 --> 00:05:04.460
and that is the only option
111
00:05:04.460 --> 00:05:05.580
but here's the difference.
112
00:05:05.580 --> 00:05:08.120
If I had recognized back then on that bridge
113
00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:11.360
that my thoughts did not have to become my actions,
114
00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:12.870
I would never have attempted.
115
00:05:12.870 --> 00:05:15.179
If I could recognize that just because I think of suicide
116
00:05:15.179 --> 00:05:16.650
it doesn't mean I have to attempt it.
117
00:05:16.650 --> 00:05:18.490
It means I have to come to someone like Kita
118
00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:19.417
and say I need help now.
119
00:05:19.417 --> 00:05:21.050
Did you live in San Francisco?
120
00:05:21.050 --> 00:05:22.830
I did, 34 years yeah.
121
00:05:22.830 --> 00:05:24.180
You were 19.
Yeah.
122
00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:27.030
What specifically was troubling you?
123
00:05:27.030 --> 00:05:29.100
I had been two years prior diagnosed
124
00:05:29.100 --> 00:05:31.690
with bipolar disorder type one with psychotic features.
125
00:05:31.690 --> 00:05:33.130
I was hearing voices in my head,
126
00:05:33.130 --> 00:05:35.370
seeing things that nobody else could see,
127
00:05:35.370 --> 00:05:37.114
and they were telling me I had to die.
128
00:05:37.114 --> 00:05:38.050
Were you on medication?
129
00:05:38.050 --> 00:05:40.210
I was on medication, yes yeah.
130
00:05:40.210 --> 00:05:43.320
All right, how'd you get to the bridge?
131
00:05:43.320 --> 00:05:45.800
Frankly I made my way to the bridge
132
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:49.620
via public transportation, and I had spoken
133
00:05:49.620 --> 00:05:51.940
with my father that day who tried to keep me with him,
134
00:05:51.940 --> 00:05:53.540
tried to keep me safe that day.
135
00:05:53.540 --> 00:05:55.470
He didn't know I was suicidal.
136
00:05:55.470 --> 00:05:58.100
He just knew I was erratic and I was off,
137
00:05:58.100 --> 00:05:59.410
and that's no fault of his own.
138
00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:01.400
He wasn't taught suicide prevention measures,
139
00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:02.380
and that's the deal.
140
00:06:02.380 --> 00:06:04.270
We need to teach our parents, teachers,
141
00:06:04.270 --> 00:06:07.600
loved ones, coaches, and clergy how to detect suicide
142
00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.140
and how to prevent it by asking the direct question,
143
00:06:10.140 --> 00:06:11.470
are you suicidal and do you have a plan?
144
00:06:11.470 --> 00:06:12.699
How can I help you?
145
00:06:12.699 --> 00:06:15.033
What were you thinking right before you jumped?
146
00:06:17.530 --> 00:06:21.820
I heard a voice in my head scream, jump now
147
00:06:21.820 --> 00:06:22.800
and I did.
148
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.090
Upon the millisecond of freefall, Larry,
149
00:06:25.090 --> 00:06:26.977
it was an instant regret for my actions.
150
00:06:26.977 --> 00:06:27.810
Really?
151
00:06:27.810 --> 00:06:30.130
As I fell, these are the words that rang in my head.
152
00:06:30.130 --> 00:06:30.963
What have I just done?
153
00:06:30.963 --> 00:06:32.354
I don't want to die.
154
00:06:32.354 --> 00:06:33.860
God please save me, and then I hit the water.
155
00:06:33.860 --> 00:06:35.130
And I went down 70 feet.
156
00:06:35.130 --> 00:06:37.970
I opened my eyes and I prayed that I would live.
157
00:06:37.970 --> 00:06:41.460
I swam 70 feet without the use of my legs to the surface,
158
00:06:41.460 --> 00:06:44.400
and I took a gasp of air and I prayed God please save me.
159
00:06:44.400 --> 00:06:47.120
I don't want to die, and at that moment Larry
160
00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:48.800
something began to swim beneath me
161
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.350
and it turned out a sea lion kept me afloat
162
00:06:51.350 --> 00:06:52.630
until the Coast Guard boat arrived behind me.
163
00:06:52.630 --> 00:06:54.120
A sea lion?
A sea lion.
164
00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:54.953
Saved your life.
165
00:06:54.953 --> 00:06:56.270
That's why he's right here.
166
00:06:56.270 --> 00:06:58.210
This is Herbert, he saved my life.
167
00:06:58.210 --> 00:06:59.860
The Coast Guard then pulled me out of the water.
168
00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:01.090
Were you hospitalized?
169
00:07:01.090 --> 00:07:04.050
Oh God Larry, I shattered my T12, L1, L2
170
00:07:04.050 --> 00:07:06.090
lower vertebrae into shards.
171
00:07:06.090 --> 00:07:08.080
I missed severing my spinal cord Larry
172
00:07:08.080 --> 00:07:09.210
that day by two millimeters.
173
00:07:09.210 --> 00:07:10.340
How cold was the water?
174
00:07:10.340 --> 00:07:11.800
Oh it was freezing.
175
00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.290
You know, I want to say to people in pain right now
176
00:07:15.290 --> 00:07:16.670
that you deserve to be here.
177
00:07:16.670 --> 00:07:18.310
You're important and you matter.
178
00:07:18.310 --> 00:07:20.340
You matter to me, you matter to us.
179
00:07:20.340 --> 00:07:24.490
Dr. Moutier is Kevin's case typical?
180
00:07:24.490 --> 00:07:26.291
Is there a typical case?
181
00:07:26.291 --> 00:07:29.340
Well there are many different risk factors
182
00:07:29.340 --> 00:07:32.430
that converge at a moment in time in a person's life
183
00:07:32.430 --> 00:07:37.200
that culminate in that acute increase in risk for suicide,
184
00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:39.032
and just like Kevin is describing
185
00:07:39.032 --> 00:07:42.608
there are changes in the brain and in mental health
186
00:07:42.608 --> 00:07:45.930
that almost always converge with life stressors,
187
00:07:45.930 --> 00:07:49.860
whether it's relationship stressors, job stressors.
188
00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:53.890
The problem is in terms of thinking about suicide
189
00:07:53.890 --> 00:07:56.573
and about mental health purely in terms of life stressors
190
00:07:56.573 --> 00:08:01.573
is that resilience is actually more the norm
191
00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:04.750
and millions of Americans, millions of people
192
00:08:04.750 --> 00:08:07.630
around the world face those kinds of stressors every day
193
00:08:07.630 --> 00:08:09.740
and don't necessarily become suicidal
194
00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.660
so there are other factors that come to bear
195
00:08:12.660 --> 00:08:16.110
to kind of lead to that perfect storm if you will.
196
00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:19.155
So you know when you're asking is there a typical case,
197
00:08:19.155 --> 00:08:23.780
no every human being is unique and individual,
198
00:08:23.780 --> 00:08:26.900
but I will say those changes in mental health
199
00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:30.250
and those life stressors and often times physical health,
200
00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:33.000
substance use, those, chronic pain,
201
00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:34.960
those are some of the more common features,
202
00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:36.890
and then that access to lethal means.
203
00:08:36.890 --> 00:08:41.890
That's kind of the last and key part to that puzzle
204
00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:44.160
that creates acute suicide risk.
205
00:08:44.160 --> 00:08:45.360
People who come to you,
206
00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:48.114
or who call in to suicide prevention lines,
207
00:08:48.114 --> 00:08:49.623
what do you do when they call?
208
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.070
Well we do the same thing that anybody should do
209
00:08:54.070 --> 00:08:57.170
if they find out someone they care about is suicidal.
210
00:08:57.170 --> 00:09:00.780
The most important thing is compassionate listening,
211
00:09:00.780 --> 00:09:02.010
and it's really common.
212
00:09:02.010 --> 00:09:05.293
We don't mean to do wrong, but it's really common to say
213
00:09:05.293 --> 00:09:06.810
how could you think of that?
214
00:09:06.810 --> 00:09:08.540
You have everything.
215
00:09:08.540 --> 00:09:09.880
You know, why would you do that?
216
00:09:09.880 --> 00:09:11.154
It's so selfish.
217
00:09:11.154 --> 00:09:11.987
You don't say that?
218
00:09:11.987 --> 00:09:13.180
No, definitely not.
What do you say?
219
00:09:13.180 --> 00:09:15.410
Because it makes the person feel ashamed
220
00:09:15.410 --> 00:09:16.675
and they have to hide their--
221
00:09:16.675 --> 00:09:17.508
So what do you say?
222
00:09:17.508 --> 00:09:20.520
You say I'm so sorry you're in so much pain.
223
00:09:20.520 --> 00:09:23.710
I want to help you, tell me more about it.
224
00:09:23.710 --> 00:09:25.100
Let me know about your pain,
225
00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:27.773
and then as they talk and they realize you really care
226
00:09:27.773 --> 00:09:30.520
you can ask other questions.
227
00:09:30.520 --> 00:09:32.900
Do you have a plan?
228
00:09:32.900 --> 00:09:35.490
Do you, what are you thinking of doing?
229
00:09:35.490 --> 00:09:38.810
And if they do, you can take measures to help keep them safe
230
00:09:38.810 --> 00:09:40.370
and most important you let them know
231
00:09:40.370 --> 00:09:42.350
I'm gonna draw people around you
232
00:09:42.350 --> 00:09:43.731
and I'm going to be there for you
233
00:09:43.731 --> 00:09:45.500
to help you get through this
234
00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:47.500
because it's a moment of despair
235
00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:51.260
and if you can get them past it, they will be like Kevin--
236
00:09:51.260 --> 00:09:53.235
Do you follow up?
237
00:09:53.235 --> 00:09:55.350
Absolutely, absolutely.
238
00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:58.140
With our people on the phone, we call them.
239
00:09:58.140 --> 00:10:00.460
We ask them how they'd like us to follow up.
240
00:10:00.460 --> 00:10:02.580
We connect them to other services.
241
00:10:02.580 --> 00:10:04.130
If it's really really serious,
242
00:10:04.130 --> 00:10:07.950
we ask them if we can help contact their family or friends.
243
00:10:07.950 --> 00:10:12.053
Next, lifting the stigma and suicide and mental health.
244
00:10:12.053 --> 00:10:14.270
Our panel discusses ways
245
00:10:14.270 --> 00:10:17.110
to further normalize conversations like these.
246
00:10:17.110 --> 00:10:20.130
By the way, if you or someone you know and love is in crisis
247
00:10:20.130 --> 00:10:25.130
and needs immediate help, please call 1-800-273-TALK.
248
00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:29.483
That's 273-8255.
249
00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:34.160
There is also a crisis text line you can use.
250
00:10:34.160 --> 00:10:37.423
Text HOME to 741741.
251
00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:41.568
Someone's there to help you.
252
00:10:41.568 --> 00:10:42.568
We'll be right back.
253
00:10:48.276 --> 00:10:49.109
We're back with our panel.
254
00:10:49.109 --> 00:10:53.540
Dr. Moutier, what's the biggest misconception about suicide?
255
00:10:53.540 --> 00:10:56.600
Well I think some people believe that
256
00:10:56.600 --> 00:10:58.809
people who are at risk for suicide
257
00:10:58.809 --> 00:11:02.810 line:15%
that they are bent on taking their life
258
00:11:02.810 --> 00:11:05.010 line:15%
and so there's nothing that can be done about it,
259
00:11:05.010 --> 00:11:08.120 line:15%
and that could not be farther from the truth.
260
00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:11.030 line:15%
As we're hearing from Kevin and so many others
261
00:11:11.030 --> 00:11:14.190 line:15%
who have attempted, or who have come close to attempting
262
00:11:14.190 --> 00:11:17.580 line:15%
and have lived, there is a war of ambivalence
263
00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:20.050 line:15%
that's going on inside the person's mind.
264
00:11:20.050 --> 00:11:23.360
That survival instinct, that search for hope and meaning
265
00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:25.919
and a way through this moment of pain
266
00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:30.090
is alive and well, but again diminishing
267
00:11:30.090 --> 00:11:32.140
because of the pain that they're in.
268
00:11:32.140 --> 00:11:36.160
So it's not that they are fixated on taking their life.
269
00:11:36.160 --> 00:11:40.520
In most instances it's very much that they are looking
270
00:11:40.520 --> 00:11:44.540
for a lifeline to be able to survive that moment
271
00:11:44.540 --> 00:11:48.542
and even more importantly to connect to the kinds of help
272
00:11:48.542 --> 00:11:52.540
that will bring them to a better sense of mental health,
273
00:11:52.540 --> 00:11:54.985
meaning and purpose and again we're hearing that
274
00:11:54.985 --> 00:11:57.110
beautifully in Kevin's story.
275
00:11:57.110 --> 00:11:59.310
It's an age old story, Kevin.
276
00:11:59.310 --> 00:12:04.310
But why will we openly discuss heart disease, cancer,
277
00:12:04.940 --> 00:12:07.750
but mental health and then suicide is harder,
278
00:12:07.750 --> 00:12:11.490
is a sub-subject that's harder to discuss?
279
00:12:11.490 --> 00:12:14.140 line:15%
We fear things we do not understand,
280
00:12:14.140 --> 00:12:17.983 line:15%
and the majority of folks that live in this existence
281
00:12:17.983 --> 00:12:21.300 line:15%
don't understand something they cannot see.
282
00:12:21.300 --> 00:12:23.010 line:15%
They can't see my mental pain, Larry.
283
00:12:23.010 --> 00:12:25.380
They don't know I have chronic suicidal thoughts.
284
00:12:25.380 --> 00:12:26.750
I think about it regularly.
285
00:12:26.750 --> 00:12:29.030
It will never kill me because today Larry,
286
00:12:29.030 --> 00:12:30.930
I recognize I deserve to be here.
287
00:12:30.930 --> 00:12:33.210
I'm self-aware with my disease, bipolar disorder.
288
00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:34.540
I'll never attempt to take my life.
289
00:12:34.540 --> 00:12:36.310
I'll always turn to someone and ask for help,
290
00:12:36.310 --> 00:12:38.510
and that's what we need to get our loved ones to.
291
00:12:38.510 --> 00:12:40.202
Accepting that these thoughts happen
292
00:12:40.202 --> 00:12:42.430
and they're semi-normal for a lot of people
293
00:12:42.430 --> 00:12:44.070
and the people that can recognize that,
294
00:12:44.070 --> 00:12:46.440
they can empathize with the person who's suicidal
295
00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:48.710
and when you can empathize with someone who's in pain,
296
00:12:48.710 --> 00:12:50.340
you can relate to that pain.
297
00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:52.990
That's when you have a chance to help them stay here.
298
00:12:52.990 --> 00:12:54.680
Dr. Curry is it under reported?
299
00:12:54.680 --> 00:12:58.030
Are all suicide attempts reported?
300
00:12:58.030 --> 00:12:59.170
Absolutely not.
301
00:12:59.170 --> 00:13:01.690
I mean I have to say as someone who attempted suicide
302
00:13:01.690 --> 00:13:05.100
when I was 14, that wasn't reported.
303
00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:07.190
My mother said, "You're just trying to get attention"
304
00:13:07.190 --> 00:13:08.119
and I didn't talk
305
00:13:08.119 --> 00:13:09.447
about it for 20 years.
You tried to kill yourself?
306
00:13:09.447 --> 00:13:10.540
Yes I did.
307
00:13:10.540 --> 00:13:11.523
What stopped you?
308
00:13:12.540 --> 00:13:15.821
Well I, the method luckily wasn't lethal.
309
00:13:15.821 --> 00:13:18.330
But it didn't, I think the other thing
310
00:13:18.330 --> 00:13:20.270
Kevin said is really important.
311
00:13:20.270 --> 00:13:22.740
Just like asthma or diabetes,
312
00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:24.210
it's not that you're going to be
313
00:13:24.210 --> 00:13:25.950
recovered from suicide forever.
314
00:13:25.950 --> 00:13:28.990
It may come back to you from time to time with depression
315
00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.730 line:15%
so you need to continue to have coping mechanisms
316
00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:34.450 line:15%
and people that are around you that can support you.
317
00:13:34.450 --> 00:13:36.040 line:15%
I mean most diseases are chronic,
318
00:13:36.040 --> 00:13:38.657 line:15%
and depression is a chronic illness.
319
00:13:38.657 --> 00:13:41.059 line:15%
It can sometimes lead to suicide.
320
00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:44.350
Dr. Moutier, are we correct in calling it an epidemic?
321
00:13:44.350 --> 00:13:47.390
Well the term epidemic doesn't technically apply
322
00:13:47.390 --> 00:13:49.110
'cause that really refers to something
323
00:13:49.110 --> 00:13:51.300
that has a sudden spike,
324
00:13:51.300 --> 00:13:54.740
and while contagion absolutely can be a factor,
325
00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:57.400
what we're seeing in the national rate of suicide
326
00:13:57.400 --> 00:14:01.830
is unfortunately but a steady increase since 1999
327
00:14:01.830 --> 00:14:04.780
of between 1 and 2% per year.
328
00:14:04.780 --> 00:14:06.740
So this is more what we would call it
329
00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:09.880
is a national public health crisis.
330
00:14:09.880 --> 00:14:12.470
And one where there is prevention.
331
00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:16.470
There are ways to scale up interventions, education,
332
00:14:16.470 --> 00:14:18.730
clinical treatment, culture change,
333
00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:20.700
training in the workplace, in churches,
334
00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:25.130
in communities, in schools, so that suicide can be reduced.
335
00:14:25.130 --> 00:14:26.899
That is possible, but as a nation
336
00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:30.580
we have not yet made the level of investment
337
00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:33.290
that we've made in every other leading cause of death
338
00:14:33.290 --> 00:14:35.050
that has brought down the mortality rate,
339
00:14:35.050 --> 00:14:38.360
and that is what it is time for in the United States.
340
00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:39.803
Are there copycats?
341
00:14:41.817 --> 00:14:44.781
Certainly in, yes.
342
00:14:44.781 --> 00:14:45.880
In other words someone who's depressed
343
00:14:45.880 --> 00:14:50.363
sees Bourdain and copies it.
344
00:14:51.370 --> 00:14:53.360
That does occur.
345
00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:55.923
And it is very dangerous to show
346
00:14:55.923 --> 00:14:58.640
and to talk about methods in that way.
347
00:14:58.640 --> 00:15:00.580
When we talk about it, we talk about method
348
00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:02.830
in a way that we focus on recovery.
349
00:15:02.830 --> 00:15:05.283
How I found, live, and stay in recovery today.
350
00:15:05.283 --> 00:15:07.920
That has a transformative effect in storytelling
351
00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:10.460
and it's the science of storytelling and the brain
352
00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:12.030
to help people stay here.
353
00:15:12.030 --> 00:15:13.290
You've devoted your life to this.
354
00:15:13.290 --> 00:15:15.160
Yes sir, yeah 17 years.
355
00:15:15.160 --> 00:15:16.530
When you think about the media now,
356
00:15:16.530 --> 00:15:20.643
I mean there's been contagion or copycats for decades
357
00:15:20.643 --> 00:15:23.139
but before if you just stopped printing it in the newspaper
358
00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:27.720
you could reduce people's imitating the suicide.
359
00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:31.530
Now, media goes all over and everybody has a camera
360
00:15:31.530 --> 00:15:35.480
and so we give a great deal of sort of press
361
00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:39.100
to the suicide which overdramatizes it
362
00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:42.300
and doesn't show the solutions or the resources.
363
00:15:42.300 --> 00:15:44.050
It just shows that someone else
364
00:15:44.050 --> 00:15:46.290
used this method to end their pain.
365
00:15:46.290 --> 00:15:48.470
We need suicide safer messaging in the media,
366
00:15:48.470 --> 00:15:50.980
which is Larry you're doing a great job of it right now.
367
00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:53.010
How did you recover?
368
00:15:53.010 --> 00:15:54.430
Larry I'm in recovery right now.
369
00:15:54.430 --> 00:15:56.430
I have chronic thoughts of suicide.
370
00:15:56.430 --> 00:15:58.481
I have depression, paranoia, hallucinations--
371
00:15:58.481 --> 00:15:59.410
You still have thoughts?
372
00:15:59.410 --> 00:16:01.120
I have all of it, every symptom I've ever had.
373
00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:02.330
I still have bipolar disorder.
374
00:16:02.330 --> 00:16:03.810
I live with it every single day.
375
00:16:03.810 --> 00:16:06.070
I fight it tooth and nail every day, here's how.
376
00:16:06.070 --> 00:16:08.580
I eat right, healthy foods.
377
00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:10.330
I exercise every day.
378
00:16:10.330 --> 00:16:12.300
I educate myself as to the latest findings
379
00:16:12.300 --> 00:16:14.850
in bipolar disorder so I can add that to my regiment.
380
00:16:14.850 --> 00:16:16.240
I use coping strategies.
381
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:20.357
I use therapy every week, and I do all of these things
382
00:16:20.357 --> 00:16:23.210
and so much more to balance my brain well being.
383
00:16:23.210 --> 00:16:24.890
Every single human being
384
00:16:24.890 --> 00:16:26.880
has to take care of their mental health.
385
00:16:26.880 --> 00:16:28.600
Not all of us have a mental illness.
386
00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:30.460
I use 10 steps called the Art of Wellness
387
00:16:30.460 --> 00:16:31.293
which I wrote with one of the
388
00:16:31.293 --> 00:16:33.200
greatest suicidologists in this field,
389
00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:34.910
10 steps to stabilize my brain
390
00:16:34.910 --> 00:16:37.057
and this program is being used all over the world
391
00:16:37.057 --> 00:16:39.473
with the military, law enforcement, the FBI,
392
00:16:39.473 --> 00:16:42.990
and clinicians of every level and every scholastic level.
393
00:16:42.990 --> 00:16:44.720
We talk about cures for disease.
394
00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.233
Are we working on a cure for depression?
395
00:16:48.330 --> 00:16:51.400
Right now what I'd say is we're working on ways
396
00:16:51.400 --> 00:16:55.276
to prevent it because we, as Christine mentioned earlier
397
00:16:55.276 --> 00:16:59.710
many facets come together to precipitate a suicide.
398
00:16:59.710 --> 00:17:01.860
Often there's an underlying mental illness,
399
00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:03.480
and then the person may have had
400
00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:04.780
other traumas in their life.
401
00:17:04.780 --> 00:17:06.620
They don't have good coping mechanisms
402
00:17:06.620 --> 00:17:08.236
and then there's usually some trigger,
403
00:17:08.236 --> 00:17:10.570
like you lose your spouse.
404
00:17:10.570 --> 00:17:12.135
You go bankrupt.
405
00:17:12.135 --> 00:17:14.740
One of the reasons we're seeing an increase right now
406
00:17:14.740 --> 00:17:16.993
is that every time there's been an economic downturn
407
00:17:16.993 --> 00:17:19.470
there's always an increase in suicides.
408
00:17:19.470 --> 00:17:21.400
So there are things that we can do
409
00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:23.073
to help people by getting them help
410
00:17:23.073 --> 00:17:26.570
like preventing social isolation,
411
00:17:26.570 --> 00:17:28.310
but we don't know, I mean some people think
412
00:17:28.310 --> 00:17:30.650
there's a suicide gene because why do some people
413
00:17:30.650 --> 00:17:33.020
with depression die by suicide and not others?
414
00:17:33.020 --> 00:17:34.980
We don't know that answer yet.
415
00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:36.670
We know there are medications that can help,
416
00:17:36.670 --> 00:17:38.417
but there's not a cure.
417
00:17:38.417 --> 00:17:41.510
Do you guess that a lot of others may have jumped
418
00:17:41.510 --> 00:17:44.240
and said I'm sorry I jumped while they jumped?
419
00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.890
So in 17 years of speaking around the world,
420
00:17:46.890 --> 00:17:49.815
I have heard hundreds of people tell me
421
00:17:49.815 --> 00:17:52.020
that when they attempted, they had an instant regret
422
00:17:52.020 --> 00:17:54.190
for their action by means of all kinds.
423
00:17:54.190 --> 00:17:57.413
And this is because Larry, we can't see that
424
00:17:57.413 --> 00:18:00.530
our thoughts don't have to become our actions.
425
00:18:00.530 --> 00:18:01.363
We can't see it.
426
00:18:01.363 --> 00:18:02.780
We see this darkened tunnel vision of death,
427
00:18:02.780 --> 00:18:04.920
and that's all we see, and if we can help each other,
428
00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.100
if we can help each other recognize
429
00:18:06.100 --> 00:18:07.970
that just because you're in pain today,
430
00:18:07.970 --> 00:18:10.070
it doesn't mean that tomorrow will not be beautiful
431
00:18:10.070 --> 00:18:11.640
but you have to work hard to get there.
432
00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:13.495
After the break, we'll discuss warning signs
433
00:18:13.495 --> 00:18:15.440
and how we speak to a friend
434
00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.390
or a relative who might be suicidal.
435
00:18:17.390 --> 00:18:20.080
Oh by the way remember, if you or someone you know and love
436
00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:22.060
is in crisis and needs immediate help,
437
00:18:22.060 --> 00:18:23.960
we'll keep reminding you of this.
438
00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:28.120
Call 1-800-273-TALK.
439
00:18:28.120 --> 00:18:32.950
That's 1-800-273-8255.
440
00:18:32.950 --> 00:18:35.700
There's also a crisis text line you can use.
441
00:18:35.700 --> 00:18:40.700
You text HOME to 741741 and someone is there,
442
00:18:41.090 --> 00:18:43.540
right there to help you, and we'll be right back.
443
00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:49.900
We're back with our outstanding panel.
444
00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:52.880
Our subject is suicide.
445
00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.430
Dr. Moutier is it strength or weakness?
446
00:18:56.430 --> 00:18:58.810 line:15%
Well I wouldn't even look at it this way.
447
00:18:58.810 --> 00:19:00.777 line:15%
People who have been experiencing
448
00:19:00.777 --> 00:19:04.690 line:15%
the pain and mental anguish and physical pain
449
00:19:04.690 --> 00:19:09.310
that leads to becoming suicidal are inherently strong
450
00:19:09.310 --> 00:19:11.350
because they've been living through that,
451
00:19:11.350 --> 00:19:13.690
and then there comes a point at which
452
00:19:13.690 --> 00:19:16.840
anyone's resilience gives way.
453
00:19:16.840 --> 00:19:19.980
So I would not look at it in terms of strength or weakness.
454
00:19:19.980 --> 00:19:24.470
These are human factors that if we can be more knowledgeable
455
00:19:24.470 --> 00:19:27.250
there's a growing science to inform all of us,
456
00:19:27.250 --> 00:19:29.890
and taking that stigma away, mental health
457
00:19:29.890 --> 00:19:32.470
is a part of health like any other aspect of our health,
458
00:19:32.470 --> 00:19:34.950 line:15%
and we can have conversations just like we do
459
00:19:34.950 --> 00:19:37.260 line:15%
with our loved ones who we want to support
460
00:19:37.260 --> 00:19:38.830 line:15%
because of their heart disease,
461
00:19:38.830 --> 00:19:41.110 line:15%
or their any kind of other health issue
462
00:19:41.110 --> 00:19:42.590 line:15%
they're dealing with, a broken leg.
463
00:19:42.590 --> 00:19:45.360 line:15%
We don't shy away from that, and we need to do the same
464
00:19:45.360 --> 00:19:48.600 line:15%
for our loved ones and for our own mental health.
465
00:19:48.600 --> 00:19:52.130
How about speaking to someone who is suicidal?
466
00:19:52.130 --> 00:19:53.450
You mentioned earlier to be
467
00:19:53.450 --> 00:19:55.750
comforting to them and everything,
468
00:19:55.750 --> 00:19:57.108
but by the end of the conversation
469
00:19:57.108 --> 00:20:00.060
do you feel you've accomplished something?
470
00:20:00.060 --> 00:20:03.530 line:15%
Well that's, that's a good question because yes,
471
00:20:03.530 --> 00:20:07.150 line:15%
you should feel that the person felt heard,
472
00:20:07.150 --> 00:20:09.560 line:15%
you opened a door for them to talk,
473
00:20:09.560 --> 00:20:14.490 line:15%
that you've assessed whether they have a lethal means
474
00:20:14.490 --> 00:20:16.150 line:15%
that you want to remove.
475
00:20:16.150 --> 00:20:18.840
Ask them if you can help take it away to make them safe.
476
00:20:18.840 --> 00:20:22.060
You've connected them to other people that can be supports.
477
00:20:22.060 --> 00:20:24.257
You've kind of created a safety system and you said
478
00:20:24.257 --> 00:20:26.180
now I'm gonna be here tomorrow.
479
00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:28.680
So you've sort of made a whole plan,
480
00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:31.527
but the most important thing is you could forget all that.
481
00:20:31.527 --> 00:20:33.346
If you say I'm so sorry
482
00:20:33.346 --> 00:20:36.950
and I really am sorry you're in so much pain,
483
00:20:36.950 --> 00:20:39.470
you can always call the National Suicide Crisis line,
484
00:20:39.470 --> 00:20:41.270
the number you've been giving out and say
485
00:20:41.270 --> 00:20:43.220
I don't know what else to do for this person
486
00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:44.790
and they can talk you through it,
487
00:20:44.790 --> 00:20:48.480
because the most important thing is so many people shut up
488
00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.330
because there's so much stigma, they don't know what to say.
489
00:20:51.330 --> 00:20:52.580
Even after someone dies,
490
00:20:52.580 --> 00:20:54.690
they don't say anything to their friends.
491
00:20:54.690 --> 00:20:56.430
Or they say something critical,
492
00:20:56.430 --> 00:20:58.730
'cause they think that's helpful but it isn't.
493
00:20:59.870 --> 00:21:02.703
Why do you think middle age is going up?
494
00:21:04.040 --> 00:21:06.845
Larry I think middle age is going up, so are teens
495
00:21:06.845 --> 00:21:10.600
because I believe we live in a society
496
00:21:10.600 --> 00:21:13.820
with a massive lack of resilience.
497
00:21:13.820 --> 00:21:15.520
I believe there are people in our,
498
00:21:16.888 --> 00:21:18.660
that are growing up right now in a different time
499
00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:20.790
with the digital age, and they're in a lot of pain
500
00:21:20.790 --> 00:21:22.780
and our schools and our government
501
00:21:22.780 --> 00:21:24.930
is not adequately addressing that pain.
502
00:21:24.930 --> 00:21:28.470
We need to fully fund mental brain mind behavioral health
503
00:21:28.470 --> 00:21:29.780 line:15%
and suicide prevention
504
00:21:29.780 --> 00:21:33.220 line:15%
starting at the top of our legislative efforts,
505
00:21:33.220 --> 00:21:35.800 line:15%
because if we fully funded suicide prevention
506
00:21:35.800 --> 00:21:38.420 line:15%
and mental health, we would see the jail systems
507
00:21:38.420 --> 00:21:39.830 line:15%
release people that don't need to be there
508
00:21:39.830 --> 00:21:40.870 line:15%
because they're mentally unstable.
509
00:21:40.870 --> 00:21:42.690 line:15%
They're not true criminals.
510
00:21:42.690 --> 00:21:44.684
Los Angeles County Jail is the largest
511
00:21:44.684 --> 00:21:46.920
mental health system in the country.
512
00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:48.940
We need to recognize right now
513
00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:50.660
that this country is in a world of pain,
514
00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:52.810
and we need to address that pain by putting funding
515
00:21:52.810 --> 00:21:54.720
into our government for mental health.
516
00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.940
Doctor, how do we normalize the discussion?
517
00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:03.010
How do we do this without glamorizing suicide Christine?
518
00:22:03.010 --> 00:22:06.270
Sure, well right now we're talking about suicide
519
00:22:06.270 --> 00:22:08.700
as the public health issue that it is,
520
00:22:08.700 --> 00:22:11.380
and we're not just presenting it as a problem.
521
00:22:11.380 --> 00:22:13.580
We're talking about the solutions.
522
00:22:13.580 --> 00:22:15.746
We're talking about that there's a science,
523
00:22:15.746 --> 00:22:18.260
that there are things anyone can do.
524
00:22:18.260 --> 00:22:20.890
Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention,
525
00:22:20.890 --> 00:22:23.250
and we're also talking about the fact that
526
00:22:23.250 --> 00:22:28.250
the pain and challenges that people who become suicidal face
527
00:22:30.190 --> 00:22:32.300
are common to the human condition.
528
00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:34.370
So by definition, there should be
529
00:22:34.370 --> 00:22:36.690
no stigma attached to any of that.
530
00:22:36.690 --> 00:22:41.130
So all of those ways of conversing about suicide
531
00:22:41.130 --> 00:22:43.590
and about mental health are preventive.
532
00:22:43.590 --> 00:22:47.943
It's when the problem is presented as a dire problem
533
00:22:47.943 --> 00:22:51.950
with no information about what leads to suicide,
534
00:22:51.950 --> 00:22:53.586
the help that's available,
535
00:22:53.586 --> 00:22:58.586
and where there aren't any skill building sorts of topics
536
00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:02.360
which right now we're talking about.
537
00:23:02.360 --> 00:23:05.780
This very important thing of how do you talk to a loved one?
538
00:23:05.780 --> 00:23:08.062
Can I take them to their primary care doctor?
539
00:23:08.062 --> 00:23:10.983
When do we involve the school?
540
00:23:10.983 --> 00:23:15.983
Should we fear talking to certain people about it?
541
00:23:16.418 --> 00:23:18.260
This is the real conversation
542
00:23:18.260 --> 00:23:19.890
that we need to be having right now,
543
00:23:19.890 --> 00:23:23.530
and Larry believe it or not for those whose lives
544
00:23:23.530 --> 00:23:24.820
haven't been touched by suicide,
545
00:23:24.820 --> 00:23:29.186
this may sound new, but for many of us
546
00:23:29.186 --> 00:23:31.644
who are having these conversations
547
00:23:31.644 --> 00:23:35.040
there is a level of advocacy and skill
548
00:23:35.040 --> 00:23:36.550
that's building in this nation,
549
00:23:36.550 --> 00:23:39.320
but just like Kevin was saying we need so much more.
550
00:23:39.320 --> 00:23:42.140
We need this kind of this topic
551
00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:46.120
and resilience built to be built into the school system,
552
00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:48.841
and also to be available in workplaces.
553
00:23:48.841 --> 00:23:49.800
Dr. Curry?
554
00:23:49.800 --> 00:23:51.980
I think there are some things in our society
555
00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:54.124
that we have to look at that are contributing
556
00:23:54.124 --> 00:23:57.960
to the rise in suicide in particular among the middle aged.
557
00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:00.364
I mentioned earlier the economic downturn
558
00:24:00.364 --> 00:24:02.950
that it particularly affected people
559
00:24:02.950 --> 00:24:05.060
who haven't really been able to fully recover.
560
00:24:05.060 --> 00:24:07.370
They lost their houses, they lost their health insurance.
561
00:24:07.370 --> 00:24:08.203
Lot of Madoff victims.
562
00:24:08.203 --> 00:24:10.140
Right, they lost their jobs
563
00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:14.520
and they haven't really returned to a state of feeling
564
00:24:14.520 --> 00:24:17.090
that they can take care of themselves and their families.
565
00:24:17.090 --> 00:24:19.100
Our society isn't set up for that,
566
00:24:19.100 --> 00:24:21.870
and when you can't change something
567
00:24:21.870 --> 00:24:25.940
hopelessness is one of the biggest risk factors for suicide
568
00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:27.360
and if you think I don't know how I'm gonna
569
00:24:27.360 --> 00:24:30.579
ever get things back to normal,
570
00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:32.999
and also then people are so much more isolated
571
00:24:32.999 --> 00:24:36.210
and then the last thing is we have to talk about
572
00:24:36.210 --> 00:24:38.010
the fact that the most lethal method
573
00:24:38.010 --> 00:24:40.680
of taking your life is with guns,
574
00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:43.960
and this isn't about preventing people from having guns.
575
00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:46.070
It's keeping people safe the same way you
576
00:24:46.070 --> 00:24:48.830
wouldn't give them a big bottle of pills
577
00:24:48.830 --> 00:24:50.030
that could harm them.
578
00:24:50.030 --> 00:24:53.410
We have to talk about lethal methods.
579
00:24:53.410 --> 00:24:55.750
What about the ripple effect documentary?
580
00:24:55.750 --> 00:24:56.600
What is it?
581
00:24:56.600 --> 00:24:58.610
We made a film called Suicide the Ripple Effect
582
00:24:58.610 --> 00:25:00.840
about hope, healing, and recovery from mental illness
583
00:25:00.840 --> 00:25:03.120
and the fight to help as many human beings
584
00:25:03.120 --> 00:25:04.600
stay here as possible.
585
00:25:04.600 --> 00:25:05.930
I am happy to tell you that the film
586
00:25:05.930 --> 00:25:08.082
has been seen by 12,500 people
587
00:25:08.082 --> 00:25:10.730
across 14 different countries.
588
00:25:10.730 --> 00:25:12.190
It'll be in 45 international cities
589
00:25:12.190 --> 00:25:13.070
in the next eight months.
590
00:25:13.070 --> 00:25:15.530
More importantly, 100 plus people have come forward
591
00:25:15.530 --> 00:25:18.730
at screenings and said this film saved their life.
592
00:25:18.730 --> 00:25:21.180
In our final moments, our panel will discuss
593
00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:22.580
or answer your questions
594
00:25:22.580 --> 00:25:24.550
about suicide and suicide prevention.
595
00:25:24.550 --> 00:25:28.400
Again, remember if you or someone you know and love
596
00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:31.063
is in crisis and needs immediate help,
597
00:25:31.063 --> 00:25:35.670
please call 1-800-273-TALK.
598
00:25:35.670 --> 00:25:40.140
Again that's 1-800-273-8255
599
00:25:40.140 --> 00:25:44.170
and there's also a crisis text line you can use.
600
00:25:44.170 --> 00:25:47.290
You text HOME to 741741
601
00:25:49.090 --> 00:25:51.993
and someone is there to help you, don't go away.
602
00:25:57.830 --> 00:26:00.110
We're back with our panel in our remaining moments.
603
00:26:00.110 --> 00:26:02.942
We have some viewer questions for you.
604
00:26:02.942 --> 00:26:05.527 line:15%
POsitivePax on Twitter, "What part of the country
605
00:26:05.527 --> 00:26:07.422 line:15%
"has the highest suicide rate,
606
00:26:07.422 --> 00:26:10.100 line:15%
"and why do you think that is?"
607
00:26:10.100 --> 00:26:12.280 line:15%
It's the western United States.
608
00:26:12.280 --> 00:26:14.990 line:15%
If you draw a line from like Wyoming, Montana
609
00:26:14.990 --> 00:26:18.360
down to New Mexico and then go to the coast,
610
00:26:18.360 --> 00:26:22.690 line:15%
nine of the top 11 states have
611
00:26:22.690 --> 00:26:25.650 line:15%
the highest rates of suicide are in the west.
612
00:26:25.650 --> 00:26:29.470 line:15%
The only state in the west that doesn't have a suicide rate
613
00:26:29.470 --> 00:26:32.460 line:15%
above the national average is California,
614
00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:34.530
and there are a variety of reasons for that.
615
00:26:34.530 --> 00:26:38.120
Probably one is that there are a fair number
616
00:26:38.120 --> 00:26:40.819
of Latino people who have a lower rate of suicide
617
00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:43.940
because we have a lot of people employed
618
00:26:43.940 --> 00:26:47.110
that are on the coast,
619
00:26:47.110 --> 00:26:48.770
but also we have the oldest,
620
00:26:48.770 --> 00:26:50.050
Didi Hirsch has the oldest
621
00:26:50.050 --> 00:26:52.610 line:15%
suicide prevention center in the nation.
622
00:26:52.610 --> 00:26:55.890 line:15%
We've been around for 60 years,
623
00:26:55.890 --> 00:26:59.340 line:15%
and for example when Anthony Bourdain took his life,
624
00:26:59.340 --> 00:27:02.040 line:15%
our calls doubled because people want help.
625
00:27:02.040 --> 00:27:05.690
Isn't Vermont or New Hampshire high because of opioids?
626
00:27:05.690 --> 00:27:07.960
They are high, and that may be one of the reasons.
627
00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:10.570
They're also rural countries where they're,
628
00:27:10.570 --> 00:27:13.650
somewhat rural countries, I mean countries, states,
629
00:27:13.650 --> 00:27:16.540
where their high rate of farming and forestry
630
00:27:16.540 --> 00:27:19.400
and things like that have high suicide rates.
631
00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:21.902 line:15%
Cathy Ann Dee on Facebook, "How can we implement
632
00:27:21.902 --> 00:27:25.980 line:15%
"a learning strategy in school before it's too late?"
633
00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:27.160 line:15%
Christine?
634
00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:30.920 line:15%
Well there are many resources available to schools.
635
00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:32.638
One is something that
636
00:27:32.638 --> 00:27:35.080 line:15%
the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
637
00:27:35.080 --> 00:27:37.620 line:15%
the Trevor Project, and several
638
00:27:37.620 --> 00:27:40.790 line:15%
school counseling organizations have put together
639
00:27:40.790 --> 00:27:44.200
called a model school policy for suicide prevention,
640
00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.850
and for any school leader who is looking for a resource
641
00:27:47.850 --> 00:27:49.790
and where to start, I would refer you
642
00:27:49.790 --> 00:27:51.950
to the model school policy for suicide prevention
643
00:27:51.950 --> 00:27:55.276
because it helps build an upstream approach
644
00:27:55.276 --> 00:27:59.750
to changing policies so that mental health is treated
645
00:27:59.750 --> 00:28:03.060
on par with physical health conditions for their students,
646
00:28:03.060 --> 00:28:06.080
that the support is there, referrals are made,
647
00:28:06.080 --> 00:28:09.810
parent involvement, and then even goes over things like
648
00:28:09.810 --> 00:28:11.737
if a student needs to take a leave of absence
649
00:28:11.737 --> 00:28:15.460
for treatment for mental health or for a suicide attempt,
650
00:28:15.460 --> 00:28:18.430
how that can be approached in a way where the student
651
00:28:18.430 --> 00:28:21.580
can be afforded the most support and help.
652
00:28:21.580 --> 00:28:25.280
So it's very comprehensive, but there are many programs
653
00:28:25.280 --> 00:28:27.470
for schools that have different facets.
654
00:28:27.470 --> 00:28:31.278
Resilience building, mentoring.
655
00:28:31.278 --> 00:28:34.878
There's a study of something called the good behavior game
656
00:28:34.878 --> 00:28:36.958
that is a classroom management tool
657
00:28:36.958 --> 00:28:39.870
that even for kindergarteners and first graders,
658
00:28:39.870 --> 00:28:42.558
when these kids were allowed to learn how to manage
659
00:28:42.558 --> 00:28:45.100
their own impulses and their behavior,
660
00:28:45.100 --> 00:28:47.520
followed out up to 15 years,
661
00:28:47.520 --> 00:28:50.390
they had better not only academic outcomes
662
00:28:50.390 --> 00:28:52.440
but also in terms of mental health, substance use,
663
00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:53.940
and suicidal thoughts.
664
00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:55.742
So there are approaches that can be done
665
00:28:55.742 --> 00:28:58.622
even early in children's lives.
666
00:28:58.622 --> 00:29:03.527 line:15%
KJM 1016 on Twitter, "Is it possible to create standards
667
00:29:03.527 --> 00:29:06.340 line:15%
"in which people are asked about suicide regularly?"
668
00:29:06.340 --> 00:29:07.640 line:15%
Kevin?
669
00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:09.550 line:15%
Yes, it is and one of the greatest tools we have
670
00:29:09.550 --> 00:29:10.840
is called Zero Suicide.
671
00:29:10.840 --> 00:29:13.870
ZeroSuicide.sprc.org.
672
00:29:13.870 --> 00:29:15.850
Actually Zero Suicide movement
673
00:29:15.850 --> 00:29:20.660
has helped to reduce suicides in many different niche areas.
674
00:29:20.660 --> 00:29:22.150
As a matter of fact, when they rolled it out
675
00:29:22.150 --> 00:29:23.510
for their mental health programs,
676
00:29:23.510 --> 00:29:24.570
they reduced suicides
677
00:29:24.570 --> 00:29:27.710
I believe at the point that they did by 60% in that program.
678
00:29:27.710 --> 00:29:28.600
By doing what?
679
00:29:28.600 --> 00:29:31.610
By having every member of the service community.
680
00:29:31.610 --> 00:29:33.500
Your lawyer, your doctor, your teacher, your family,
681
00:29:33.500 --> 00:29:36.700
your friend, your clergy, your loved one, anyone
682
00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:39.200
understand how to ask the right questions
683
00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:42.680 line:15%
to someone in this pain so that they can stay here,
684
00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:45.080 line:15%
and they did this in Zero Suicide as a movement
685
00:29:45.080 --> 00:29:46.510 line:15%
all across the globe right now,
686
00:29:46.510 --> 00:29:48.659 line:15%
and we're working tirelessly to help people
687
00:29:48.659 --> 00:29:51.470 line:15%
realize their true value and that they do matter
688
00:29:51.470 --> 00:29:53.350 line:15%
and we're doing it through Zero Suicide.
689
00:29:53.350 --> 00:29:54.967 line:15%
Leslie B on the Larry King Now blog,
690
00:29:54.967 --> 00:29:57.637 line:15%
"What role does the faith-based community play
691
00:29:57.637 --> 00:30:00.800 line:15%
"in the effort to destigmatize suicide?"
692
00:30:00.800 --> 00:30:02.270 line:15%
I think the faith-based community
693
00:30:02.270 --> 00:30:04.830
has made tremendous strides over the last decades.
694
00:30:04.830 --> 00:30:06.950
It used to be many religions it was a sin
695
00:30:06.950 --> 00:30:09.640
or you couldn't be buried, and now--
696
00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:11.710
It's a sin in Orthodox Judaism.
697
00:30:11.710 --> 00:30:13.320
Is it a sin in Catholicism?
698
00:30:13.320 --> 00:30:15.570
Catholicism, but you know the church has changed.
699
00:30:15.570 --> 00:30:17.380
I lost a cousin to suicide.
700
00:30:17.380 --> 00:30:20.780
His folks are Catholic, and the first thing I said
701
00:30:20.780 --> 00:30:22.787
is do you know about support groups for people
702
00:30:22.787 --> 00:30:23.980
who have lost a loved one?
703
00:30:23.980 --> 00:30:25.460
And they said that was the first thing
704
00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:27.030
the priest said to them,
705
00:30:27.030 --> 00:30:29.840
so they're a source of comfort
706
00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:33.310
and if they know resources and they know to accept
707
00:30:33.310 --> 00:30:36.150
and say I'm sorry your child was in so much pain,
708
00:30:36.150 --> 00:30:38.300
and then to be there for the person.
709
00:30:38.300 --> 00:30:40.650
People who belonged to faith-based groups
710
00:30:40.650 --> 00:30:42.650
often have people that are coming and saying
711
00:30:42.650 --> 00:30:43.640
I'm bringing you food.
712
00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:46.200
Not do you want food, I'm here.
713
00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:47.637
Come for a walk with me.
714
00:30:47.637 --> 00:30:49.130
You know that's one of the important things.
715
00:30:49.130 --> 00:30:51.160
Don't ask someone what they want,
716
00:30:51.160 --> 00:30:53.200
just go there and be there.
717
00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:56.143 line:15%
Natasha Rego on Facebook, "Are there any warning signs
718
00:30:56.143 --> 00:30:58.240 line:15%
"that are not so obvious?"
719
00:30:58.240 --> 00:30:59.100 line:15%
Christine?
720
00:30:59.100 --> 00:31:02.520 line:15%
Well there certainly are, and if you think about it
721
00:31:02.520 --> 00:31:07.040
we're socialized to not show our true distress
722
00:31:07.040 --> 00:31:08.290
that's going on on the inside,
723
00:31:08.290 --> 00:31:10.980
and particularly when you become suicidal
724
00:31:10.980 --> 00:31:14.240
you're not in your rational mind in the same way,
725
00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:18.040
and that sense of shame and stigma can even be greater
726
00:31:18.040 --> 00:31:19.980
for the very person who is suffering.
727
00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:22.536
So we need to understand that if you're noticing
728
00:31:22.536 --> 00:31:24.920
changes in behavior pattern
729
00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:27.880
that just strike you as outside the norm,
730
00:31:27.880 --> 00:31:29.660
I would move closer to the person.
731
00:31:29.660 --> 00:31:34.070
I would ask if they're okay and really make time to listen
732
00:31:34.070 --> 00:31:35.320
like has been discussed.
733
00:31:35.320 --> 00:31:37.740
Kita was talking about that earlier.
734
00:31:37.740 --> 00:31:40.870
Don't offer quick fixes, don't minimize their problem,
735
00:31:40.870 --> 00:31:43.210
but really invite more conversation.
736
00:31:43.210 --> 00:31:46.850
So the typical changes of warning signs we know about.
737
00:31:46.850 --> 00:31:50.320
Withdrawing, isolating, increasing substance use,
738
00:31:50.320 --> 00:31:53.390
but I think sometimes we forget that depression
739
00:31:53.390 --> 00:31:58.298
and suffering can come out as anger, agitation, short fuse,
740
00:31:58.298 --> 00:32:00.270
and which traditionally
741
00:32:00.270 --> 00:32:02.370
really has a more disciplinary approach.
742
00:32:02.370 --> 00:32:05.400
We think the person's just acting out and behaving badly
743
00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:08.530
when many many people when they become distressed,
744
00:32:08.530 --> 00:32:10.158
that might be some of the first change
745
00:32:10.158 --> 00:32:13.370
that they manifest.
746
00:32:13.370 --> 00:32:15.160
If it's your loved one in your home,
747
00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:16.810
I would also be looking for things
748
00:32:16.810 --> 00:32:18.450
like physiological changes.
749
00:32:18.450 --> 00:32:20.910
Changes in sleep patterns, eating patterns,
750
00:32:20.910 --> 00:32:23.000
their usual day to day behavior.
751
00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:25.830
We do have free will and we like to think of ourselves
752
00:32:25.830 --> 00:32:27.400
as having a lot of autonomy,
753
00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:29.130
but the reality is our behavior patterns
754
00:32:29.130 --> 00:32:32.030
stay within a pretty strict range,
755
00:32:32.030 --> 00:32:33.860
and when your gut instinct tells you
756
00:32:33.860 --> 00:32:37.013
they're just not themselves I would pay attention to that.
757
00:32:38.257 --> 00:32:39.090
Thank you all very much.
758
00:32:39.090 --> 00:32:40.920
Maybe we've just touched the surface.
759
00:32:40.920 --> 00:32:43.510
I hope to do a lot more on this.
760
00:32:43.510 --> 00:32:46.850
Big thanks to our guests, Dr. Kita Curry, Kevin Hines,
761
00:32:46.850 --> 00:32:49.517
and from New York Dr. Christine Moutier.
762
00:32:49.517 --> 00:32:52.390
If you or someone you know is in crisis,
763
00:32:52.390 --> 00:32:54.158
and needs immediate help
764
00:32:54.158 --> 00:32:58.290
just call 1-800-273-TALK.
765
00:32:58.290 --> 00:33:03.290
That's 1-800-273-8255.
766
00:33:03.336 --> 00:33:06.090
There's also a crisis text line you can use.
767
00:33:06.090 --> 00:33:10.454
You text HOME to 741741
768
00:33:10.454 --> 00:33:12.543
and someone is there to help you.
769
00:33:13.710 --> 00:33:16.870 line:15%
As always you can find me on Twitter @KingsThings.
770
00:33:16.870 --> 00:33:18.575 line:15%
We'll see you next time.
771
00:33:18.575 --> 00:33:21.325 line:15%
(pleasant music)