A correspondence recently came across my desk, written by a distraught injured worker. It was difficult to read due to the emotions expressed.
The tone was exhausted, hopeless, and despondent. There was no veiled reference to suicide, that message was direct and explicit. Most distressing, the writer described being "Baker acted more than four times." The Baker Act is Florida's involuntary commitment statute, which allows for voluntary and involuntary examination of at-risk persons with significant personal challenges.
That this injured worker had been through that process more than four times was of concern. It was also of concern that the opening of the letter made reference to an attorney who represented the injured worker several years ago. It was clear that the worker is not happy with the way he perceived that relationship. The worker had accusations and allegations about the attorney. And, he was not satisfied with the status of his case with this Office.
There was much detail and description of the worker's perceptions of his current life. The impact that he perceives suffering as a result of the work accident was described. It is fair to say that work accidents directly impact workers and their employers. But, too often there is a general lack of recognition that such events can also create broad familial pressures and complications. They can affect perspective and outlook, impact interactions with others, and even influence how we perceive ourselves.
The letter expresses emotions and frustrations. It was hard to read. It concluded with a mention of suicidal ideation and even hinted at the suicidal plan. There is discussion in psychiatric medicine regarding whether treatment of ideation (more passive) should be different from treatment for someone who is making a plan (more active). The upshot for those of us who are not mental health professionals seems to be that we should be concerned about either, and strive to let a professional perform an evaluation regarding the need for intervention or treatment. The letter here clearly expressed an intent of suicide, and so was clearly a concern. As mentioned at the outset, the letter was difficult to read.
I was concerned about the worker, the attorney he mentioned, and of course, anyone who is related to the litigation of this worker's claims. But, I was a bit short on immediate response. What do we do when confronted with a person in such a situation? The purpose of this post is to point out some resources that might be of use when we run into people whose situations, comments, or behaviors worry us.
Did you know there is a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline? It is 800.273.8255. There are also a vast number of local providers in Florida. They are listed on the Suicide.org page. There is help a phone call away 24/7. An article on Medical News Today notes that "Anyone who has suicidal thoughts should ask for help." It says that "Suicidal thoughts are common" and that they may be related to "stress or experiencing depression." It stresses that "in most cases, these (thoughts) are temporary and can be treated." A critical element of being treated, of course, is connecting with mental health professionals trained for such intervention.
Certainly, we can hope that people will reach out, and "ask for help." But, perhaps that is not always going to happen. Not in the clear and direct way we might hope that is. Perhaps not everyone is going to pick up the phone and call a hotline. Perhaps, there are people who will not reach out to a stranger at all. But, they might well reach out to someone more familiar, such as a treating physician, attorney, nurse case manager, adjuster, work supervisor, or even judge (as happened in this instance).
Perhaps the act of reaching out, such as this letter, is in fact a way of seeking assistance. The communication need not say "help me" in so many words to perhaps in fact clearly be saying "help me."
Florida has a Suicide Prevention hotline, 800.273.8255. This is managed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). It is certainly a number one might call for personal help, but is also one that can be called if "someone you know is thinking about suicide." This is a number through which one might seek help for someone who is not ready or willing to directly seek help for her/himself.
In 2015, I penned Is it Manslaughter, Does it Matter if it is not? (April 2015) I described a case in which a young lady engaged in communication with a young man contemplating suicide. She did not discourage the plan, and at one point actually encouraged the young man to complete the act. He was successful and died at 18. She was tried for manslaughter and sentenced to 15 months in jail, according to CNN. The prosecutor sought a sentence of 7-12 years.
Just last week, a 21-year-old young lady was similarly indicted related to the suicide of a young man. He "died hours before his graduation" last May, according to the BBC News. The young lady is being charged with involuntary manslaughter related to her alleged "physically, verbally, and psychologically abusive" behavior toward the young man. Similarly to the young lady convicted in the situation reported by CNN above, this young lady is accused of sending communications urging suicide.
Workers' compensation is a community. We will not always agree with one another. There will be disputes over benefits and behaviors in this world of workers' compensation. But, as humans, we must rise above the disputes and discord. We must all be aware of those around us. If someone we know is expressing thoughts of self-harm, we must encourage them to engage help. If we fail, then perhaps we need to pick up the phone ourselves and call DCF, or a similar intervention-capable organization.
In discussing this letter, it was suggested to me that we may not be successful in getting someone help. That is unfortunately true. We may fail in virtually any of our undertakings in life. However, it is our obligation to nonetheless try to engage professional assistance when we perceive others in desperation.
