Mayor's death underscores high local suicide rate

Oct. 29--About 10 Otsego County residents will have committed suicide by the end of this year, according to projections from the state Department of Health.

And the number is even higher for Chenango, Schoharie and Delaware counties, which average about 11, 13, and 17 suicide deaths respectively each year.

That's higher than the state average of about eight suicides per 100,000 residents each year. In the United States, more than 40,000 Americans commit suicide every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Someone dies by suicide every 12.9 minutes.

After Oneonta Mayor Richard Miller's death this week, local officials, mental health advocates and those close to the issue of suicide said they are disheartened by the apparent suicides of two prominent local figures, especially in light of the many resources available.

On Oct. 19, former Daily Star publisher Armand M. Nardi, 51, of Otego, was found dead after allegedly hanging himself, Oneonta police said. Miller, 71, died Saturday morning in an apparent gunshot suicide, Oneonta police said.

According to the CDC, about 75 percent of people who die by suicide are men. More than half of all suicides are by firearm, accounting for more than 19,000 deaths each year.

Stephanie Davis, of Oneonta, is a member of the South Central Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which serves Otsego, Chenango, Schoharie, Delaware, Broome and Tioga counties. Davis said the mayor's death brought back painful memories for her because her mother committed suicide last year at age 52.

"Whenever someone dies by suicide, it's almost like a flashback for every single one of us who have experienced it," Davis said. "It brings everything forward again. It's something you never really get over."

Davis said she knows firsthand that affected families are left with "so many" questions and "a lot of whys."

Many times, there are no immediate warning signs, Davis said. Her mother filled up her gasoline tank with $50 worth of fuel and bought hair color to dye her hair before she killed herself, Davis said.

"It can be completely out of the blue," Davis said. "You ask why and you go through every single conversation you had with that person, thinking maybe you missed something or said something" that may have influenced them.

"The pain of it really just doesn't go away," Davis said.

Although warning signs are not always visible, some things to watch out for are increased use of alcohol or drugs, reckless behavior, withdrawal from activities, isolation from family and friends, irregular sleep patterns and giving away prized possessions, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It's also worth noting if a person talks about having no reason to live, being a burden to others, feeling trapped, or having unbearable psychological pain.

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Nov. 22, Davis said. The South Central Chapter will hold a service from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. that day at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of The Atonement in Oneonta. Anyone affected by suicide is welcome, she said.

In September, the AFSP held an Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Neahwa Park to raise money for research and local suicide prevention efforts. Donna Lange, chairwoman of the AFSP South Central Chapter, started the walk locally after losing her son to suicide in 2011.

Cynthia Heaney, director of Delaware County'sMental Health Clinic, said the prominence of suicide in Delaware County has prompted officials to make suicide prevention a top priority.

There are many resources in the community for those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide or those left behind after a loved one's death, Heaney said.

Delaware County just developed a suicide-prevention coalition, Heaney said. And a new Safety Planning mobile application for phones is being developed that will list local suicide prevention resources in one spot to help at-risk individuals, she said.

Services available through the Mental Health Clinic, located in Walton, include therapy, psychiatric services and crisis intervention, Heaney said. The clinic has also facilitated training programs called Safe Talk to teach people how to talk to someone who is suicidal.

"There's power in community," Heaney said. "And you don't have to be a professional to reach out to someone feeling isolated and lonely."

Another resource locally is the 24/7 Mobile Crisis Assessment Team, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to Kate Hewlett, a peer specialist at Rehabilitation Support Services and a member of Otsego County'sNational Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

The MCAT was recently established to help identify mental health needs and provide early intervention to decrease the number of crisis cases, Hewlett said. The main goal is to prevent hospitalization through de-escalation, she said. MCAT can be reached at (877) 369-6699 or (844) 732-6228.

The development of the MCAT has been especially important in light of the recent termination of psychiatric services at Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta and the cutting back of psychiatric inpatient unit beds at Bassett Medical Center, Hewlett said.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, at least 90 percent of all people who died by suicide were suffering from a mental illness at the time, most often depression.

Among people who are depressed, intense emotional states such as desperation, hopelessness, anxiety, or rage increase the risk of suicide, according to the AFSP. People who are impulsive, or who use alcohol and drugs, are also at higher risk.

According to the AFSP, adults who drink excessively "commonly feel guilty or have poor self-esteem." As such, alcohol is estimated to be a factor in at least 25 percent of suicides.

Sometimes people commit suicide because they feel such intense sadness, loss, anxiety, anger or a sense of abandonment that they think "they would be better off dead," according to the AFSP website. When these feelings are present, it suggests that the person is suffering from depression or some other mental disorder and should seek professional treatment.

Stephanie Poplock, deputy director and supervising psychologist at Otsego County Community Services, said two great resources are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website and the New York State Office of Mental Health website.

"The field of suicide prevention is vast, yet the risk for suicide is somewhat unique to the individual," Poplock said. "In terms of resources, there is always the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-TALK, though if it's an immediate emergency, people can call 911."

Another resource is the Otsego County Warm Line, one step down from the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline. The Warm Line is a resource for anyone who needs confidential peer self-help, suggested referrals to community services or alternative means of finding growth and health.

The Warm Line gets about 1,000 calls a month, including calls from Delaware County and elsewhere in the region, according to Tammy Burrows, a team leader of the organization. To reach the Warm Line, call 433-1714 or (800) 377-3281, Burrows said.

Davis said it's important to remember that anyone who commits suicide is "very sick," "not a criminal," and that suicide is "not necessarily always choice." Suicidal individuals commonly think they're a burden to others and are "in so much pain that they don't feel like they have a choice," which leads to suicide.

"People say 'That was very selfish of them,'" Davis said, with sadness in her voice. "I honestly believe that if my mother knew how much we would be hurting, maybe she wouldn't have done that."

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