Patrick Kennedy Urges Plan to Address the Mental Health Crisis in Wake of Cousin Saoirse's Death
Patrick J. Kennedy is emphasizing a necessity for extra attention to psychological health in the wake of Saoirse Kennedy Hill‘s demise.
Almost three months after his cousin, who spoke candidly about her battle with depression, died from an apparent overdose, Patrick, 52, appeared on Monday’s episode of The Dr. OuncesShow, the place he urged for a “comprehensive” plan to deal with the nation-wide “psychological health crisis.”
The previous Rhode Island Congressman made the demand as he was discussing the emotionally-raw essay Saoirse wrote for her highschool’s scholar newspaper, the place the then 19-year-old candidly described her personal mental health struggles, including her time in a remedy facility after a suicide attempt.
“She was chatting with her buddies in high school,” Patrick advised Dr. Ouncesof the significance of Saoirse’s essay. “We’re seeing an enormous leap within the variety of suicide makes an attempt and charges of melancholy and nervousness amongst youngsters and amongst college-age, young individuals.”
“So this is not a disaster that’s going to go away simply after Purdue Pharma stopped promoting oxycodone,” he continued. “We've got an underlying disease of habit and we now have an underlying mental well being crisis in this country that we have to handle and it’s not so simple as chopping off the availability of Pharma, it needs to be more complete than that.”
RELATED: Saoirse Kennedy Hill Opened Up About Her Battle with Depression 3 Years Before Her Death
One of many ways that Patrick felt progress could possibly be made was by way of an concept referred to as “check-up from the neck-up,” which calls on the nation’s docs to think about different hereditary sicknesses throughout their annual examinations.
“Once you go to your physician’s office they usually take a family history of whether or not you’ve had stroke or most cancers within the household, they should take a family history of whether or not you've gotten alcoholism, or habit, or psychological illness in your family,” Patrick defined.
“As a result of the probabilities are, you’re going to be at high danger yourself if another relations also endure from a type of sicknesses,” he added.
Saoirse, 22, was found lifeless on Aug. 1 at her grandmother Ethel Kennedy‘s residence in Hyannis Port after an obvious overdose. Her cause and method of dying are still pending the toxicology report, in response to the Cape and Islands District Lawyer’s Office.
In a press release to PEOPLE, the well-known political household confirmed the information of Saoirse’s untimely demise.
“Our hearts are shattered by the lack of our beloved Saoirse. Her life was full of hope, promise, and love,” the family stated. “She cared deeply about friends and family, particularly her mom Courtney, her father Paul, her stepmother Stephanie, and her grandmother Ethel.”
Shortly after the tragedy, Patrick, who's the son of Ted Kennedy, posted a photo of his youthful cousin and wrote on Twitter, “Saoirse will all the time remain in our hearts. She is beloved and shall be deeply missed.”
Saoirse will all the time stay in our hearts. She is liked and might be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/HIyLBivXQD
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) August 2, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
He adopted up his tweet by sharing a hyperlink to Saoirse’s essay and inspiring his followers to read her words, while additionally urging for the nationwide stigma about psychological health to finish.
“Saoirse’s honest account of her melancholy is a strong reminder of how so many individuals endure alone and really feel isolated,” he wrote. “I am proud Saoirse was capable of be open and tell her story. I encourage everybody to learn her phrases.”
“Feel what she felt. Do whatever you'll be able to out of your place in life to stop the isolation, the stigma, and the devastating lack of acknowledgment that always leads to tragedy,” he continued.
“Households throughout the nation, together with ours, are struggling,” Patrick finished. “We should come out of the shadows.”
Later that day, Patrick spoke out on NBC Nightly News and praised Saoirse as a “hero” for being open about her struggles, continuing to push the dialog forward, and getting skilled help when she wanted it.
“She opened the door for her peers to also come out and never feel shamed by this sickness and she is a real hero in my family,” Patrick informed the outlet. “She broke the silence.”
“And we mourn her loss however her reminiscence will reside on as someone who wasn’t going to keep silent and wasn’t going to be feeling as if she had something shameful, however fairly one thing medical that she sought remedy for,” he continued.
“This affects every single household in America,” Patrick added. “It’s well beyond time that we cope with this in a approach that we might cope with some other public well being crisis.”
In the event you or someone you understand is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “residence” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
In case you are fighting habit issues, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Src: Patrick Kennedy Urges Plan to Address the Mental Health Crisis in Wake of Cousin Saoirse's Death
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