Thurston County mental health calls, concerns rise during COVID-19 pandemic
Thurston County mental health professionals, and others close to those in crisis, say they have seen an increase in people reaching out for help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virus has forced people to stay home, cut off from employment in many cases, and has resulted in some county residents feeling depressed, anxious and isolated. And some have taken that next tragic step.
Olympia resident Matthew Hayward found a longtime friend behind his apartment building last month, the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. For Hayward, the moment became both emotional and political. He now refers to Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order as the “stay home and suffer” order.
Hayward said he planned to protest that order Saturday on the Capitol Campus. Although he’s not comfortable speaking in public, he planned to talk about his friend. He says it’s his way to process what happened.
“I kind of clammed up about it,” said Hayward after his friend took his life in early April. “It’s important for me to talk about it.”
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock confirmed Hayward’s friend’s death, saying the 35-year-old man died April 10.
Warnock also confirmed an increase in suicides in Thurston County. There were seven in April, and possibly an eighth case for the month that is still pending, he said. And already there have been two suicides in May.
Warnock said in two of those cases, the victims left notes behind, saying they thought they had contracted the novel coronavirus. And in a third case, a man took his own life after his wife’s business suffered a steep decline in revenue. It forced him out of retirement and back to work, something he apparently wasn’t ready for.
“It’s kind of what we’re dealing with right now,” Warnock said.
Just last week, Olympia police responded to two attempted suicides and a third case of self-harm involving someone police know has long-standing mental health issues, Lt. Paul Lower said.
Given the effects of COVID-19 on the community and economy, police are keeping an eye on suicide-related data, he said.
The experts
Recent calls to South Sound Behavioral Hospital in Lacey remind Chief Executive Toni Long, who also is a longtime mental health counselor, of past existential crises the country has faced, such as the Gulf wars and 9/11. In some ways, though, COVID-19 is very different.
“There is a heightened level of confusion about what to do because it is so unfamiliar,” she said.
Adding to the confusion is how different parts of the country are addressing the pandemic in different ways, leading residents to ask: What is the right way? What should I be doing and what do I need to do to be safe? she said.
Long thinks Washington state has taken the right approach to address the pandemic. “We’re getting it right here,” she said.
For residents feeling stressed and anxious, she reminds them to get enough sleep and exercise and to eat right. They also should check in with friends and family and know that they are not alone in how they feel, she said.
The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties has seen an increase in calls from those feeling isolated and lonely, said board member CB Bowers.
The Crisis Clinic’s larger mission is to connect those in crisis with the services or resources they need.
“We are not a chat room,” said Bowers about its 24/7 crisis phone line, although they have made a recent exception because so many in the community just need to talk.
Bowers thinks that many understand and agree with the governor’s stay-at-home order, but they are “not prepared for what that actually looks like,” she said.
“They need a conversation,” she said. “They know all the facts, the issue now is feeling isolated.”
About a friend
Hayward and his friend both attended The Evergreen State College. Hayward described him as an avid reader, a passionate supporter of legal marijuana who was politically engaged. He recalled when his friend was more of a socialist and supporter of former consumer advocate and presidential candidate Ralph Nader, before becoming intrigued with former presidential candidate Ron Paul and the Libertarian Party.
His friend also suffered from mental health problems, Hayward said. He said his friend could become fixated on something that then seemed to play like a loop in his head. He felt that social interactions helped his friend, Hayward said.
But during the outbreak, his friend lost his job and was stuck at home. Hayward regularly stayed in touch with him, but was worried. Later, his friend’s father in Idaho reached out to Hayward with a plan to get his son moved back home. Finally, Hayward was asked to check on him in person after his friend’s father said that his son was suicidal.
As Hayward retold this story, there suddenly was a pause. An image of what he had found had come back to him, he said.
“It’s heightened my concern tremendously, “ he said about the stay-at-home order. “It’s very emotional for me.”
If you are in crisis
Resources for those who need help:
▪ The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached 24/7 at 800-273-8255.
▪ The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties also can be reached 24/7. If you are an adult in crisis, call 360-586-2800. If you are a youth in crisis, call 360-586-2777. There’s also a toll-free number: 800-627-2211.
▪ South Sound Behavioral Hospital in Lacey can be reached 24/7 at 844-949-8888.
