You would think that a program about depression and anxiety disorders would leave you with a down feeling.  I did not experience that Monday night after attending the session on mental health awareness at Fishers High School.

Don’t get me wrong.  This is a tough issue.  Mental health continues to have an unfair stigma attached to it.  People are still hurt and and sometimes die when struggling with these diseases.

But the Peyton Riekoff Foundation for Youth Hope provided lessons on how to help those suffering from mental health diseases, such as depression.  Mike Riekoff spoke to the crowd, saying depression was responsible for taking the life of his daughter Peyton.

Riekoff talked about “immediate detentions” in Fishers, where police must detain individuals because those persons are deemed a threat to themselves and/or others around them.  Since 2012, there have been 808 such detentions in Fishers.  There were 212 in 2015 alone.  In 2016, a little over 2 months old, Fishers Police have carried out 34 immediate detentions.

The message from this program was clear…..get help.  Go to your family, and if that doesn’t work, reach out to a doctor or counselor at school, or maybe even the parent of a close friend.  The bottom line message is – there is help.

Students are encouraged to watch their friends and tell others if there are signs of depression or anxiety disorder.  These are illnesses, not character flaws.

The foundation has a list of resources you can access at this link.

It is estimated 20% of our young people in Fishers suffer from depression.  The important message to tell those suffering is – you are not alone – you can get help.

There is hope.