GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- After a mother intentionally drove her car into a river with her two kids inside, a local mental health expert is offering tips on how to identify when someone is in mental distress.
Christy Buck, with the BeNice and Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, says tragedies like this push us to begin to open up with one another about depression and illness.
She says when someone dies by suicide takes their life, it is usually 9 times out of 10 the result of an untreated mental health disorder.
"So some of the warning signs that we could be looking for would be change in somebody`s typical behavior. so if somebody begins to isolate themselves, increase sadness, erratic behavior, saying things like life is not worth living, these are some of those warning signs that I could be noticing and paying attention to, to lead myself to starting a conversation with someone," Buck said.
If you known someone struggling with their mental health, the best thing to do is to get help. You can call the suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255.
