CMHA Alberta Southeast executive director Cori Fischer said there are strong concerns following five deaths by suicide in the community ( Colton McKee/ CHAT News Today)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Mental health advocates alarmed about a number of recent suicides in the city

Sep 1, 2020 | 6:18 PM

UPDATE: Medicine Hat continues to deal with the tragic loss of several young men in the community over the last few months.

CHAT News would like to clarify some information in the original story below.

Jordan Pancoast reached out to CHAT and wants to make it clear her husband fought a very hard battle before his death.

Ryan had been undergoing regular therapy with a psychologist, took medication and had sessions with an addictions and mental health counsellor.

He also had regular appointments with his family doctor to discuss his depression and how he was coping.

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Ryan tried to learn as much as he could by reading books about the diseases.

Jordan also wanted to stress the reality of alcohol and the impact it has on the lives of so many people.

She says it makes coping strategies and medications less effective.

Jordan says something needs to be done, and wants their son to grow up knowing his feelings are valid.

CHAT News has also learned that some of the other men had also been seeking help prior to their deaths.

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MEDICINE HAT, AB- Mental health advocates in the city are on high alert following numerous suicides by young men in the community.

“We definitely have some really strong concerns about what is happening in our community. We know that we’ve had five suicides in the past four months. We know that there have been additional deaths of young individuals as well related to overdoses,” Cori Fischer, executive director of the CMHA Alberta Southeast Division said.

According to Fischer, the suicide rate this year has remained on par to previous years but there is heightened concern due to the time frame of the deaths and the possibility that the men may have belonged to the same cohort.

And with mental health so complex, Fischer said it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is occurring but she said there is an alarming commonality among the men that died.

“What we do know, what we are aware of is that these are individuals that may have been dealing with mental health issues or addiction issues, but they are not in the system. These are not individuals that have accessed mental health supports or addiction supports before that is our biggest concern at this point because we have an entire population of individuals who may not be receiving the support they need.”

In the wake of the tragedy, the CMHA will be expediting programming to help more men, and those left grieving access the support they need.

One of the programs that will launch is a recovery college aimed at providing peer-based support.

“We are having individuals with lived experiences, individuals who maybe had thoughts of suicide or have had an addiction issue or mental health issue of some kind and we train them to be able to offer education programs and support programs to other individuals,” Fischer said.

A new suicide prevention program called Buddy Up, specifically tailored for men will also launch.

“We have a couple of businesses on board right now. Methanex has contacted us and requested us to come in and get them set up with the Buddy up program, where we are going to take some materials in and we are going to have a very honest conversation with the staff there about mental health, addiction and suicide,” she said.

The CMHA hopes to start the programs in the next two weeks.

The deaths of five men to suicide and addiction the past several weeks have left friends, family, and the community in grief.

Derrick Lillico is one of many still coming to grips with the loss of four of his friends.

“It’s been a roller coaster. When it hit us the first time, it was like a bus. I don’t think you ever expect it to hit close to home. You don’t ever see it coming,” Lillico said.

Lillico has battled his own mental struggles something he attributes to the concussions he received while playing hockey, and while riding a horse.

He said there can be many barriers for men when it comes to accessing treatment.

“I think it’s especially hard on men to put out the hand and ask. We’ve grown up in a culture and society where it sometimes makes it tough for us to talk about our feelings, the things that make it hard to make it out of bed every morning, the weights that we carry,” Lillico said.

If you or someone you know is in crisis resources are available. In the case of an emergency dial 9-1-1. The Alberta Mental Health Help Line can be reached at 1-877-3030-2642. The Kids Help Phone can be reached at 1-800-668-6868