HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Mental health providers are reporting a disturbing trend: maternal suicides are on the rise in Hawaii.
The nonprofit organization Kids Hurt Too, which supports children who have experienced trauma, claims one mother has died by suicide every week for the past two months. This is more than the total number of suicides they have witnessed in the past two years.
One woman, who asked HNN not to reveal her identity, spoke about the pressures of being a good mother and the stigma of appearing weak.
“We’re all so afraid of being judged. If you weren’t, you’d be looking in my face right now.” “Len,” a 40-year-old caregiver for her mother and grandmother, said:
She says she has struggled with mental illness since she was a teenager.
“Many people, especially many mothers, don’t want to talk about their suffering. They want to keep everything to themselves,” Ren said. “There are many reasons why you don’t want to bother your family. They say good mothers sacrifice everything for their children. They put themselves on the back burner.”
When I asked her what keeps her alive when she contemplates suicide, she said thinking about the impact of suicide.
“I didn’t want to bother anyone. I didn’t want to make a fuss. I realized that I was also a single parent. If something happened to me, what would have happened to my child? I don’t know, and it set me back so much that it still does,” she said.
Ren is one of the lucky ones — the CDC reports that at least one person commits suicide every 11 minutes in the United States. And experts believe it’s underreported because of bias.
The US Surgeon General recently warned of the high risks parents and caregivers face when it comes to their mental health.
“Mothers are dying, and it’s just like periods, and they’re dying from conditions related to mental health more than any other medical complication,” said the executive director of the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition.・Director Sunny Chen said.
“We really need to look at things like paid family leave and policies that truly support families so that families feel supported and mothers feel supported. It will probably reduce tensions and reduce maternal suicide and drug use.”
Advocates say more parent-friendly policies and programs, such as child care and flexible work schedules, are needed to address the crisis. The nonprofit provides resources where they are needed, including Lahaina.
Kids Heart Too is sending a school bus converted into a mobile community center to Maui as a safe haven for traumatized families.
Walker Rousey, executive director of Kids Heart Too, said: “Household finances due to inflation both from the coronavirus and those issues, and which have increased as a result of the fires, have been extremely stressful and strained. “It has been a long time since I’ve been in the middle of a long time.”
And you can help too. Stay in touch with colleagues and loved ones to talk openly about mental illness and end shame and judgment.
“The conversations aren’t necessarily comfortable, but that’s okay. It’s about feeling vulnerable with each other and feeling weak in your love for another human being,” Len said.
Mental health resources
Hawaii CARES 988 — Local crisis counselors are available 24/7 by phone, text, and chat to provide mental illness, substance use, and suicide prevention resources, as well as services for children and youth.
Call or text 988 to connect with someone who can help you through difficult moments. If you need emotional support, please call Hawaii CARES directly at (808)832-3100 or toll-free at 1-800-753-6879. Chat with us on the Crisis Lifeline website. .
Maui Nui Strong Mental Health Resources — Click here for a direct link to mental health resources collected by the County of Maui.
Disaster and Distress Helpline — Get immediate assistance and mental health support by calling or texting the Disaster and Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (Press 2 for Spanish) .
For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, click the (ASL Now) button below or call 1-800-985-5990 from a videophone. Please. ASL support is available 24/7.
DOH Maui Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) — The State Department of Health Maui Community Mental Health Center provides crisis mental health services to people experiencing emotional or psychological distress as a result of the Maui wildfires and is open for business. Expanding time.
For emergency services, contact Ccntact Maui CMHC at (808)984-2150 or email mauiwellness@doh.hawaii.gov. You can also visit our in-person clinic at 121 Mahalani Street in Wailuku. The clinic hours are as follows.
Monday to Friday 8am to 3pm
Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
After hours: Contact Hawaiian CARES to call a crisis counselor at (808)832-3100 or 988.
Hazel Health — In partnership with the state Department of Education, Hazel Health is providing quality health care services to all students at no cost to their families this school year. School health personnel can initiate video visits with Hazel Health certified therapists while your child is in school. Therapy sessions at Hazel Health are a safe space, private and confidential.
Hazel’s visits can take place at the school during regular school hours. Hazel at Home services are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To ensure your child has access to this service, or to learn more about the service, click here.
Xplore Counseling — Clinicians at Xplore Counseling are on hand to help those affected by the fires learn how to navigate the difficult transition.
Call (808) 941-9648 or reserve online. Reception hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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