North Dakota Health and Human Services is emphasizing the importance of suicide prevention and mental health awareness during the holiday season.
Melissa Markegard is Suicide Prevention Administrator. She says it’s a bit of a myth that more people die by suicide around the holidays than other times of the year. But she says a lot of things can be added to people’s plates during this time of the year, and being aware of warning signs and willing to take action can save a life. Markegard says there can be a number of warning signs that point to changes in behavior and increased risk.
"Family conflict, relationship conflict, or if there's been a significant life change - I think that's a really important one that a lot of times we don't pay attention to. Have they recently lost their job, recently experienced the death of a parent or a different family member they were close to. Have they recently separated from their spouse, or significant other. Those are significant life changes that do put people at an increased risk."
Markegard says noticing something should inspire a quick response. Ask directly if they are thinking of suicide or self-harm, listen without judgment and get help right away.
"When we talk about warning signs - I really want to emphasize the risk factors - because if you notice something, we really don't want people to say, oh, I noticed that but I thought I'd follow up with them tomorrow morning. You might not get tomorrow morning."
Markegard says if you yourself are struggling with your mental health this season, take steps to care for your well-being; stay connected, set boundaries take breaks and acknowledge your feelings. And, if need be, help is available 24/7. The suicide prevention helpline can be reached by dialing 988.