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Center shines a light on a dark problem

Stuart News - 10/5/2016

September was National Suicide Prevention Month. It's a topic that makes people uncomfortable.

In fact mental health, in general, is a subject many are afraid to talk about. It's something we're uninformed about, too.

Art Ciasca, CEO of Suncoast Mental Health Center, wants the story to get out.

"We do a poor job educating the general public about mental health. The result: People are unaware of the facts. They stigmatize mental illness instead of understanding it. But mental illness, in some form, is very common," Ciasca said. "And it's treatable."

The statistics may surprise you.

One in five school-age children have a mental health disorder severe enough to cause significant problems. They fail more classes, miss more school days and have a lower grade-point average. They are retained at grade level more than any other group.

At 14, if untreated, 50 percent will drop out of school and 75 percent of those will be arrested within five years, according to Ciasca.

"This is a very big problem," he said. "Fortunately, the Indian River County School District has a good, multi-tiered program in place. At some point, they refer the student for an assessment. That can lead to therapy. But all of us need to understand mental illness."

Lessons

To raise knowledge and awareness, Ciasca will spend the next few months showing the movie "No Letting Go" to School District administrators and the heads of several nonprofits, including The Boys & Girls Clubs in Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Martin counties.

Then, in collaboration with these organizations and schools, Ciasca will begin screenings for the general public in January.

The Vero Beach Wine & Film Festival featured "No Letting Go" at last June's festivities. Festival proceeds went to Suncoast Mental Health Center, which will also be true for the June 2017 event.

At the festival, Ciasca led a discussion after the screening. Mental health experts and therapists were available to meet with individuals and families, as well.

Ciasca said that "No Letting Go," is "a powerful, impactful film about a boy who has behavioral and mental health problems. His family tries to help him but they don't know what to do.

"Initially, the boy is misdiagnosed and sent to a residential facility. Eventually, he's correctly diagnosed as bipolar and receives the help he needs."

Contrast

It's the dramatization of a true story. Ciasca had the opportunity to speak with the film's co-producer, who is also the actual mother in the movie.

"In real life and in the movie, the mother was diagnosed with breast cancer while things were still difficult for the son. Fortunately, she's made a full recovery – but the contrast in how she was treated compared to how her son was treated is startling," said Ciasca. "It shows how we stigmatize mental illness."

Ciasca explains that when friends and neighbors learned of her breast cancer diagnosis, they dropped off casseroles, sympathy cards and offered to help.

But when these same people learned that the boy had mental health issues, they avoided him. All the mother heard were critical comments about how, "They should be better parents."

Driven

"Mental illness is a disease just like cancer, diabetes or high blood pressure," Ciasca said. "We don't think someone with high blood pressure should just tough it out. But we seem to think that someone suffering from chronic depression or anxiety should. It doesn't work that way."

In the movie, part of the problem lies with the family themselves.

"They were ashamed of their son and didn't know how to tell others that he was bipolar. Consequently, people didn't know how to respond. But realistically, we all have different levels of well being.

"We all know someone or love someone who suffers from a mental health disorder. Help is available. That's why I'm driven to educate as many people as possible about the facts."

The good news is that therapy, either alone or combined with medication, is extremely effective: 80 to 90 percent of those receiving professional help experience a positive outcome.

"That's an extremely encouraging success rate: 80 to 90 percent," said Ciasca. "The bad news is that most people don't get help."

Focus

He tells two stories. The first concerns a talk he gave recently to a group of students at Indian River State College on children and mental health disorders.

Afterward, a nursing student shared a personal story. When she was in the third grade, her teacher called in her parents.

The teacher was worried because the young girl's grades were slipping. She didn't pay attention in class. She forgot to do her work.

"My parents had me tested and I had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I got on the meds. Right away, there was an amazing improvement. I could focus," she said.

"Now, she's a successful nursing student," Ciasca said.

Embarrassed

But another story isn't positive. It concerns a woman who was volunteering at Suncoast Mental Health Center a few years ago.

Her teenage daughter wouldn't get out of bed. Over the course of three weeks, she had only gone to school one day. The mother asked Ciasca what she should do.

"I told her that her daughter was obviously in grave distress. She needed to take her to the E.R. immediately," he said. "The woman said she was too embarrassed. I told her, 'This is your child. She needs help.' "

Ciasca said the woman stopped volunteering. "You take a child to the doctor with a high fever. This is the same thing," he said.

No safe place

Ciasca said that suicide is often the final result of a long period of depression. And we're currently experiencing an epidemic.

"The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta just issued a new report. Suicide rates are rising dramatically for two groups: white middle-aged males and preteen females," he said.

The report didn't explore the whys of the recent increase, but Ciasca speculates about the preteen females.

"Cyber-bullying means that kids can be bullied in front of thousands of people. It's different than when I was growing up. When I was home, I was safe. Nowadays, there's no safe place. They're bullied over the internet. Bullying causes anxiety, shame and depression."

Breakthroughs

Even severe mental health disorders like schizophrenia are treatable.

"The illness never goes away but the person can receive therapy, support and medication and live a well-adjusted life," Ciasca said.

One story he likes is that of Kathy Cronkite, the daughter of the late news anchor Walter Cronkite, who spoke here last year on the subject.

"She was born to privilege in Manhattan, received an excellent education and was well loved. Yet, she suffered from crippling clinical depression. She turned to substance abuse. She could barely function. Then she read '60 Minutes' Mike Wallace's book about his own depression," said Ciasca.

It was a breakthrough. Cronkite realized she had the same thing that Wallace had. She got help and overcame a sense of shame. Today, she writes and speaks about depression.

"We offer a sliding-scale (payment system), based on the person's income, so help is affordable, Ciasca said. "People can't afford not to get help."

Suncoast Mental Health Center is located at 1456 Old Dixie Highway, in Vero Beach. Call 772-564-8616. There are also locations in Fort Pierce, Okeechobee and Stuart. To learn more, visit www.sun

coastmentalhealth.org.