Preventing serious health problems requires a partnership between health professionals and the people we serve. Take, for example, the frightening stigma-filled public health problem of untreated depression’s number 1 side effect – death by suicide.

As the nation’s 10th leading cause of death overall – and the second-leading cause of death for people 34 and younger – suicide and the thoughts that lead to this self-destruction are a cause we can all stand together to fight against. And we must do this together because more and more places are seeing more and more of these acts – more than 45,000 people died in 2016.

We can do more – and not just as caring members of a community.

Rural communities and those who call them home may feel isolated or far from the resources or disconnected from a path toward feeling better. We have to discard that outdated idea right now and leave it in the past. Professional services are as close as your smart phone. The Farm and Rural Stress Hotline is a 24/7 connection to Avera behavioral health resources.

The call is free and confidential. Trained assessment counselors staff the hotline, and they can put you in touch with local support for mental health. Avera is one of just a few health systems in the nation that offers a hotline like this.

If you or someone you love is experiencing extreme sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety or seems to have lost all hope, please call 1-866-679-6425 and a compassionate health professional will be there to talk, and to help you navigate the strain you face while joining you in your journey toward feeling better.

Programs to combat depression and anxiety are nationwide as well as local. Here in the Parkston, Tripp, and Lake Andes areas, we have support for you including a Behavioral Health Specialist that can be reached by calling any of the clinics or Avera St Benedict Health Center at 605-928-3311. One great place where help begins is with your family care provider – and you don’t have to wait until your next checkup. Mental health issues are good reasons to schedule appointments – just like if you had the flu or hurt your shoulder.

We realize the depths of pain and sadness that can come with life’s struggles. In communities around the Midwest, we have helped develop programs that show we care – and that the community cares. Because it’s not just nurses or doctors that are going to change the conditions of this fight we face. Counselors, caring friends and neighbors, compassionate teachers – really anyone can be an important ally as we move forward.

As the summer continues, let’s enjoy it and keep an eye on one another as we do. Let’s make sure we keep the difficulties that this year has brought in perspective, as we look forward to years to come. Mental illness can cloud our vision and make the future seem inaccessible.

But when we come together, caring and with courage, we can find hope and the faith we need to keep each other going, no matter what we face. Together, we can make a difference against anxiety, depression and suicide.