The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Thirty-eight students from Big Sandy High School traveled to Turner, Montana to participate in the fourth Annual Tristan Billmayer Suicide/Awareness Walk. They left at 7:30 so they could participate in the day's activities starting with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Turner/Hogeland Lions Club. Melanie Schwarzbach, Big Sandy High School Student Council Advisor, accompanied the 18 students and told me there was a large crowd there. When breakfast was done everyone moved to the Turner School Gymnasium where they had short presentations given by Jana McPherson-Hauer, Undersheriff, Frank Billmayer, and Shawna Billmayer to people from Chinook, Harlem, Turner, Big Sandy, and the men's and women's cross-country runners from Northern.

Mrs. Hauer is the nurse of the Blaine County Health Department located in Chinook, Montana. She gave some statistics of suicide. Melanie said, "It was incredibly meaningful. The message we heard from the guest speaker was incredibly powerful and appropriate."

Montana is the number one state in America for suicides. We are a huge state where isolation is common. Also in Montana, we have long winters many people have a vitamin D deficiencies because of the lack of sunshine, which causes depression. Signs to look for in someone that might be in crisis would be they start talking of wanting to hurt or kill him/herself; and/or looking for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means; and/or talking or writing about death, dying or suicide, when these actions are out of the ordinary.

In Montana, we cope with depression and struggles by drinking a lot alcohol which is a depressant. They cannot find a reason for living; no sense of purpose in life, start giving things away because there's no purpose in keeping anything, no reason to maintain their hygiene. They appear to have a higher level of anxiety or agitation. They have difficulty getting enough sleep or sleeping all the time. They have difficulty concentrating. They often feel trapped like there's no way out and things will never get better. Life is hopeless and they don't have a future orientation. They will withdrawal from friends, isolating from family and society. They have periods of uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge, and are irritable. They can engage in high risk activities, seemingly without thinking, impulsive behavior (especially in younger people). Moods change dramatically--flat affect or depressed mood and are acting out of character.

The eight-mile walk wasn't a cake walk. Melanie said, "the kids did great. I want our kids as a whole to look beyond their own little bubble, and see what can we do to support other people. You don't know the impact you are going to make on them."

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.