Suicide prevention doesn’t come easy

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – During the past five years, Cindy Johnson has received hundreds of accolades, and probably a dozen awards. She would return every single one in a nano-second to have back what she lost on Sept. 11, 2009.

That is the day her 20-year-old son, Brandon, died by suicide.

One can be grateful for awards and recognition, but they are inanimate objects and words. Brandon was her flesh and blood — someone she could see and touch, share dreams and life with, and love unconditionally forever. His death has made her love stronger and the loss greater.

When suicide is involved, the survivors are paralyzed. Some never move forward, others get stuck in the denial and anger stages. Still others arrive at the acceptance stage, that is, to the extent suicide can be accepted. There is no time frame for how long a stage will last.

As Johnson experienced each stage, she made the decision to do more than accept and adjust. She was going to learn from her son’s death and be an activist. She was going to educate others about suicide and how to prevent it. Those efforts have brought her accolades she does not want, and awards she would rather not have.

Education and prevention is what Johnson is about.

“If we can educate people to the warning signs and signals of someone contemplating suicide, then we have a real chance to save a life,” she said. “I became involved with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network to help ensure no one has to go through what I went through.”

TSPN divides the state into eight regions, of which, the Mid-Cumberland Region includes Montgomery, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart counties. Johnson heads up the four-county Suicide Prevention Task Force. She also is a member of the Suicide Advisory Council, appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam, and serves on the Outreach Committee of the council.

Educating the public about suicide is not an easy job. Many people just do not want to hear the message, and some, especially those who have lost a family member or friend to suicide, are in such pain they can’t deal with it. Finally, there are those who think, “Why bother? My loved one is gone.”

Johnson does not fit into any of those categories.

“Although I understand those feelings and share their pain, that is not me,” she said. “I want to educate people on this important topic. Education brings prevention, which saves lives.”

In 2013, the most recent year with statistics, 1,017 people died by suicide in Tennessee. Thirty-four of those lived in the four-county Mid-Cumberland Region. The deaths affected the lives of thousands of family and friends; people who have been forever changed.

“Right now in our four-county area, Montgomery County has the highest number of suicides, but then Montgomery County is also the most populated,” Johnson said. “The average for Montgomery County is 20 suicides per 100,000 people. It is so sad to realize that 20 people in our county will end their own lives in 2015.

“Here are more upsetting statistics. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34. And if that doesn’t bring people to reality, suicide is now the third leading cause of death for ages 10 to 14.

“Tennessee is ranked 20th among the 50 states in the number of suicides. That is nothing to be proud of.”

She has a small, but growing, group of task force members. More are needed because the job covers four counties, which is an area is too large for only a handful of people. More volunteers are needed to take the suicide education and prevention message to people.

“We have a lot to do,” she said. “I would like to see more diversity on the task force. By that, I mean people from all walks of life. We need pastors, teachers at all levels, college students and professors, business leaders, social workers, mental health nurses and nurse practitioners, doctors, and family members who have dealt with suicide.

“Everybody brings knowledge or experience to the table. One thing a volunteer must have is a sincere desire to help people who are hurting emotionally and mentally. Through the task force, volunteers will have opportunities for specialized training, including how to recognize the signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.”

The next task force meeting is 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7, and subsequent meetings will be on the first Tuesday of each month at Youth Villages at 651 Stowe Court. Johnson also facilitates Survivors of Suicide Support Group, or SOS, on the third Monday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Hope Building at First Baptist Church. All meetings are open to the public.

For more

Contact Cindy Johnson at cindy4health65@aol.com