TEXAS, USA — Longview resident Greg Wilson is also a United States Marine. This suicide prevention week, he shared the darkest time of his life.
"I was gonna kill my dog before I killed myself," Wilson said. "I pulled my pistol on my dog and I was gonna shoot him. I guess his survival instincts kicked in and he attacked me; whipped my butt. I'm glad he did."
Wilson's struggles with depression are mirrored all over East Texas. According to a Texas Health and Human Services report, suicide rates in this region are among the highest in the state.
Experts said this is because East Texas suffers from mental health service shortages, struggling rural economies and more opioid use than other parts of the state.
Christian Sarran, Licensed Professional Counselor, said the pandemic has made matters worse.
"Especially as we get ready for the winter months coming up where it's darker and people aren't getting out as much," Sarran said. "I think that's where we'll really see a rise, and people struggling with suicide ideation."
He said depression or suicidal thoughts have no face. It can grab hold of a U.S. Marine like Wilson, a child, or the frontline healthcare workers that psychiatric nurse practitioner Robin Watson aims to support through a brand new group called Resolute Nurses.
"There's a lot of people feeling guilty because they couldn't help everyone," Watson said. "And there's a lot of people feeling sad about their own grief as they watch patients who they've cared for day after day, decline and sometimes even die."
For healthcare workers, the Resolute Nurses support group is free and starts Monday, Sept. 13 in Longview.
The National Suicide Prevention hotline is always available to help. Reach them at 1-800-273-TALK 24 hours a day, seven days a week.