Suicide survivor gives back to community

There is a growing concern over the number of Idahoans who complete suicide during the holidays.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Idaho is ranked top as the No. 6 state in the nation for suicide.

Within the state, it is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 to 44.

Neighboring states are also in the top ten.

Brenda Price works for the Behavioral Health Crisis Center. She said it is very common for people around this time of year to experience seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.

“Sometimes they just need to tell their story and they need to be understood, that those feelings they’re experiencing are normal. Anything you feel is valid. No one should tell you otherwise,” Price said.

On average, Price said, the 24-hour crisis treatment center handles 11 clients a day.

“Sometimes, that’s a full day of help. Sometimes that’s just a couple hours of getting a resource list where they can go for counseling,” she said.

Suicide survivor Heidi McCann said she suffers from depression and anxiety. She attempted suicide two times.

“I am actually still going through the road. The couple of times I have gone through that low, I actually don’t remember the day of doing it,” McCann said.

After receiving help from the crisis center, McCann later became a volunteer for the Center for Hope. She does the work give back.

“We decided together that it was a good thing for me to come over here and start to volunteer and to tell my story more and be there for people who might be going through the same struggles,” she said.

McCann said she still has some suicidal thoughts from time to time and said volunteering also helps her talk to people at the Center for Hope about her own issues.

The center has been open since Sept. 4, 2016 and since then, has handled over 400 clients.

The Center for Hope is a therapeutic and peer approach, and the service is entirely free. The Behavioral Health Crisis Center is actually a treatment center and is available 24/7.

Other suicide prevention facilities:

For the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline, click here.

For the Suicide Prevention Action Network of Idaho (SPAN), click here.

For the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, click here.

For the Suicide Prevention Resource Center in Idaho, click here. For Wyoming, click here.

For Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program, click here. (Wyoming)