Many of us have at least one acquaintance, even a close friend, who seems to have more than their share of days when things just don’t seem to be right. Outgoing personalities seem overly aggressive, quiet personalities go even quieter, introverts withdraw for days at a time, and questions about how they are doing are met with anger, or silence.

Sure, in many cases it’s just as simple as someone having a bad day, but, in others, those bad days may be symptoms of a problem that, if left untreated, can fester into something larger, something dangerous to the individual or others. Problems with mental health are every bit as serious as physical health conditions, just harder to recognize, and even harder to treat. Even more difficult is determining the cause of a problem. From genetics to substance abuse, from stress in family life to stress at work, the causes are as varied as the treatments.

We are subjected to stress from an early age, it has always been that way, more than likely always will be. Some of us are not as successful in the way we handle stress as others, many of those look for help, but many more don’t…or can’t. This month, and every May, is Mental Health Awareness month, although every month, every day, should be dedicated to recognizing some of the warning signs of a mental health crisis. Don’t fool yourself into believing it won’t happen to you, or to someone you know. Since 2001 suicide rates have increased by over 30%. In 2020, Texas alone recorded 3,924 deaths by suicide. Nationwide, 130 deaths per DAY were recorded as suicide. Men were 3.9 times more likely to die from suicide than women, with white men having the highest rate of deaths. Firearms continue to be the leading cause of death in suicide, with 52.83% of victims choosing this method. In 2020, 45,979 suicides were recorded, with another 1.2 million suicide attempts reported. That year, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. Beginning after 9/11/2001, the military began keeping track of suicides in both active and prior service members. As of 2021, records show that 30,177 deaths by suicide occured. This includes both active duty and those who have served since 9/11. By comparison, 7,057 have died in combat during that same 20 years. From 2018-2020, the suicide rate among active duty personnel increased by 15%.

Also, in 2019, the last year statistics are available for this, 202 military family members committed suicide, indicating that the pressures of military service is not confined to active duty personnel.

What can we do? What do we look for? How do we react if we believe someone we care about is showing sings of a mental impairment?

A few of the signs to look for include uncommon extreme feelings of pleasure, grief, fear, anger, or excitement. Has an outgoing personality become withdrawn, or anti social? Have they become confused, or depressed? These symptoms, and others, may be caused

These symptoms, and others, may be caused by a long term illness, exposure to a toxin, PTSD, a brain injury, and sometimes it’s simply old age.

How do we react? Ask. Sometimes simply showing that you are paying attention is enough to open the conversation. They may need help, and want help, but are either embarrassed or don’t know where to start looking. If they choose to not discuss the things that have you concerned, it may be time to contact a professional health care program. Call any local health care facility for information on where to direct your questions. What can you do? You can care. Not just in Mental Health Month, but everyday. You can care.