EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Officials with the El Paso Police Department’s (EPPD) Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) are urging the community to be more mindful and attentive to their loved ones as the holiday season can bring added pressure and stress to people who may have already been experiencing difficult times.
“Be aware of anything that a loved one might be displaying. Such as (if) they’re isolating or they stopped engaging in activities. (Look) for any signs of depression, sadness. If you notice any changes in behavior where they’re no longer active in what they used to be active in, such as going to the gym, working, just check in with them to make sure that they’re OK. Or (see) if there’s anything that you can help them with,” said Yomaira Rodriguez, a therapist with EPPD’s CIT Unit.
Rodriguez said the number of calls that EPPD receives throughout the year involving an individual experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental-health issues is fairly consistent, but that they have seen an increase in attempted suicides since the start of the holiday season.
“In the last couple of months, we have seen an increase in completed suicides. Suicides (could happen) because people are exposed to a higher intensified stress, depression, or anxiety. They could feel lonely, missing loved ones who are no longer alive. It could be for a variety of reasons,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the holiday season can bring added stress to people already struggling with these intensified emotions due to social or financial expectations that come with gatherings and holiday gift-giving. She reminds people that it is OK to skip out on those activities to focus on your own health.
“We want to encourage them to have a mindful and joyful season and remind them that it’s OK to say no to things they don’t want to do during this time. If they don’t want to go to a party or they (don’t) want to overspend, it’s OK. Just take care of (yourself) first and say yes to the help and resources that are available to them and the community,” Rodriguez said.
For people who know any loved ones that may be struggling, Rodriguez said that they should try to make a meaningful connection with them by trying to keep things simple and spending quality time with the person.
“Stay connected with that person. Show your support. Show empathy. Show your concerns. Try to understand rather than judge why the person is going through this type of crisis, so that you can have an understanding on how to better help them. Sometimes we’re very quick to judge, (thinking), ‘You shouldn’t be feeling this way,’ because sometimes we’re afraid of not knowing how to deal with the (situation),” Rodriguez said
Angel Urbina, an El Paso Police officer with the CIT unit, urges people who may be experiencing mental struggles or know anyone that might, to call 911 even if it’s not an emergency as the first police unit to arrive can request a CIT unit to the scene so that they can better help them with the situation or information.
“We could go out there and definitely help with resources or get the loved ones linked right away to mental-health services,” Urbina said.
Urbina said there are many local and national resources for people to look for if experiencing any mental-health issues.
To reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline people need only to dial 988. You can find out more information by clicking here.
People can also find local support by dialing (915) 779-1800 to reach the Emergence Health Network (EHN) Crisis Hotline. To learn more, you can visit their website by clicking here.
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