{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=942A2302-A3D2-42A7-9A51-A1B1AF61F385", "Weekly Column: Don't Wait", "2016-09-23", "2016", "2016-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Rep. Kristi Noem \r\n\tMary Ellen Dirksen grew up in what most people would consider a pretty typical Midwest family.\u00a0 Her close-knit family of four looked picture perfect from the outside \u2013 and for the most part, it looked just as perfect from the inside.\u00a0 But a little more than a decade ago, Mary Ellen\u2019s big brother \u2013 a handsome, intelligent guy who loved basketball and hot fudge sundaes \u2013 died by suicide.\r\nSouth Dakota has one of the nation\u2019s highest suicide rates, and in recent years, the state has seen the number of attempted suicides increase considerably.\u00a0 As one of the state\u2019s leading causes of death, most families or communities, to one extent or another, have felt the blow of suicide.\u00a0\r\nDespite knowing how far reaching suicide is, we too often lean heavily on narrow stereotypes to determine the type of people most likely to be impacted by mental illnesses.\u00a0 But mental illness and suicidal thoughts can afflict anyone, which is one of the reasons I sponsored legislation designating September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.\u00a0\r\nIn her book, \u201cThe Swing Set,\u201d which describes the grief and healing she experienced after her brother\u2019s death, Mary Ellen explains: \u201cI had known [my brother] wasn\u2019t dressing well, that he looked unshaven, that he was irritable and that this was causing turmoil in our family.\u00a0 I had known he wasn\u2019t leaving the house, that he didn\u2019t take interest in life like he used to, and that his worldview had become pessimistic.\u00a0 But I had never really known anyone who suffered from depression, actual depression, especially not someone handsome and capable like my brother.\u201d\r\nThe National Alliance on Mental Illness adds to the list of characteristics Mary Ellen saw in her brother, pointing to increased alcohol and drug use; talking, writing, or thinking about death; and impulsive or reckless behavior as other warning signs.\r\nWhile anyone can be impacted, I also recognize that in recent years some communities have been affected more than others.\u00a0 I\u2019ll never forget sitting across the table last fall as a young tribal member told me they had lost all hope.\u00a0 Suicide had taken their sibling as well as more than one of their friends \u2013 all before their high school graduation.\u00a0 This individual too had thought about it.\u00a0 Within weeks of that meeting, we had new provisions in a mental health bill that\u2019s now passed the House directing more resources into tribal suicide prevention programs.\u00a0 It\u2019s an epidemic that needs to end.\r\nThe same is true within veteran communities.\u00a0 Nearly two dozen Americans lose their life to suicide daily.\u00a0 More resources have been dedicated in this area as well and we continue to invest in learning more about the relationship between military service, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries, and suicide.\u00a0 But none of it is being done fast enough.\r\n\u201cI wish I had known how difficult it is to live with depression and that a person can\u2019t simply \u2018snap out of it,\u2019\u201d wrote Mary Ellen, who now helps other families struggling with depression and grief in Sioux Falls and beyond.\u00a0 While we can\u2019t walk someone else\u2019s journey, we can help each other navigate through \u2013 and that\u2019s all a person can ask.\r\nIf you or a loved one is experiencing any of the warning signs, please use this as your motivation to get help.\u00a0 If it is an emergency, dial 911 immediately.\u00a0 The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline \u2013 at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) \u2013 is also open around the clock for help.\u00a0 Don\u2019t wait to call.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=942A2302-A3D2-42A7-9A51-A1B1AF61F385"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4753390569239855, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}