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LifeSavers walk to raise funds, promote suicide awareness, prevention

Evansville Courier & Press (IN) - 8/24/2015

Aug. 23--EVANSVILLE -- Lifesavers Walk to promote suicide awareness, education and prevention is Saturday.

The one-mile walk on the grounds of the State Hospital off Lincoln Avenue is sponsored by The Southwestern Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition, Deaconess Cross Pointe, Deaconess Hospital, St. Mary's, Southwestern Healthcare, Inc. and Brentwood Meadows with all proceeds staying in the Tri-State.

Janie Chappell, coalition chairwoman and manager of community services and business development at Deaconess Cross Pointe, said money raised during previous walks has gone toward local awareness campaigns, magnets with signs and symptoms of suicide along with the suicide hotline number, other educational materials and suicide prevention training and education efforts.

"The coalition is a group of community members from a number of agencies, schools and interested parties who have been meeting for several years to try to find ways to reduce the suicide rate in our area," Chappell said. "It is a huge problem."

In addition to raising awareness and providing education and prevention efforts, the Lifesavers Walk, in its ninth year, is a way to remember and honor the memory of those lost to suicide.

"People who lose loved ones to suicide don't often have the opportunity to grieve in the same way other people do," Chappell said. "There is so much stigma or guilt surrounding the death of someone to suicide. There's also a lot of anger for many. Suicide is a different type of death. Often people are reluctant to say anything. I've had survivors say that their loved ones are never even mentioned again, like they never existed. That can be as painful as the actual loss of life."

This walk, though, gives survivors of suicide an opportunity to come together to support each other and to memorialize their loved one among those who understand what that pain feels like, she said.

Families and friends can decorate a yard sign that will be placed along the route of the walk to honor their loved one lost to suicide.

Chappell said the coalition has also used funds raised in previous years to develop and train the area's HOPE team. This team is made up of members from the community -- mental health professionals, law enforcement, those who have lost someone to suicide and representatives from the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. and the Catholic Diocese of Evansville. This team responds to the loved ones of every suicide in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties, sometimes at the scene or soon after.

"The risk of suicide goes up so high for those who have lost someone to suicide," Chappell said. "We want to connect these survivors with resources including our Survivors of Suicide support group. We want reach out and let them know there are people to help."

Registration can be done ahead of time by visiting deaconess.com/lifesavers or by calling 812-471-4521. Participants can register on site the day of the walk beginning at 8 a.m. The walk begins around 9 a.m. Registration for adults is $25 and $10 for children and seniors and includes a T-shirt. Other donations are welcome; checks should be made out to the Suicide Prevention Coalition and mailed to Deaconess Crosspoint, 7200 E. Indiana, Evansville, IN, 47715.

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Warning signs of suicide:

History of mental health issues, particularly depression

Increase in alcohol or other drug use

Relationship break up

Giving away prized possession

Putting one's affairs in order

Mood change

Job loss or expelled from school

Drop in grades

Anger and irritability (more often for teens)

Sadness (more often with adults)

If you suspect someone might be suicidal, ask, said Janie Chappell, chair of The Southwestern Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition.

"Don't worry about planting the idea," she said. "You won't. It doesn't upset people, instead they feel your concern and are willing to talk about what is going on."

If someone is suicidal or if you are concerned, call a suicide prevention line: 812-422-1100, 812-476-7200 or 1-800-273-8255. Chappell said local emergency rooms and law enforcement are another good resource. Removing access to lethal means -- removing things such as weapons and pills from their home -- is also a suggestion for those who may be suicidal.

A Survivors of Suicide support group meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month at Methodist Temple, 2109 Lincoln Ave. For more information, call Mental Health America at 812-426-2640.

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(c)2015 the Evansville Courier & Press (Evansville, Ind.)

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