While summer in Montana means longer days and sunshine, experts warn this season can also bring hidden struggles for many across the state.<\/p>\n
After nearly two decades, Michael Woods knows firsthand that life can\u2014and does\u2014get better. \u201cOh, absolutely. It’s pushing through the moment of spontaneity when you’re kind of down and out,\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n
Quentin Shores reports – watch the video here:<\/p>\n
Summer brings hidden mental health struggles; survivor shares message of hope<\/p>\n
Woods was sixteen and facing turmoil at home and with friends\u2014coping with stress in unhealthy ways, like drinking and smoking pot\u2014when suicidal thoughts became a plan. \u201cWhen I was about to turn 17, I had previously thought of suicide and different plans in my head of how I would do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pain nearly cost him his life. After losing his job and feeling overwhelmed, Michael drove to the Missouri River and attempted suicide with a firearm\u2014the most common and lethal method in Montana, according to the state Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up, trying to attempt suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I pulled the trigger out of the gun. I was right above my right ear, went up into the left through my brain, and then the bullet lodged in my skull on the left side,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n
Miraculously, Michael survived\u2014paralyzed, but alive. Today, nearly 20 years later, he\u2019s a mental health advocate, engaged to be married next month, creating wheelchair-assistive technologies, and using his story to shine a light on hope after darkness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we see in summer is an expectation to be happy, to be social, to be outside and active and enjoying life,\u201d said Brianna Grismer, a licensed addiction counselor with Green Apple Behavioral Counseling<\/a>. \u201cBut those expectations can make it harder for people who are struggling, especially in rural areas where support may be hard to find.\u201d<\/p>\n Grismer says recognizing warning signs\u2014such as higher risk-taking, giving away possessions, withdrawing, or sudden mood changes\u2014can make all the difference for someone in need.<\/p>\n For Woods, life after his attempt is filled with new experiences: concerts, advocacy, a new family, and a reminder that \u201cdetours aren\u2019t dead ends\u2014and there is always hope.\u201d<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.<\/p>\n Here are some mental health services across the region:<\/p>\n Great Falls:<\/p>\n Voices of Hope<\/p>\n 620 1st Ave S<\/p>\n Great Falls, Montana 59401<\/p>\n 406-268-1330<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.voicesofhopemt.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Voices of Hope is also home to the 988 services for North Central Montana.<\/p>\n Many Rivers Whole Health<\/p>\n 915 1st Ave S<\/p>\n Great Falls, Montana 59401<\/p>\n 406-761-2100<\/p>\n https:\/\/manyriverswholehealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Choteau:<\/p>\n Center for Mental Health1 Main Ave S<\/p>\n Choteau, Montana 59425<\/p>\n 406-466-5681<\/p>\n https:\/\/manyriverswholehealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Conrad:<\/p>\n Center for Mental Health<\/p>\n 514 South Front StreetConrad, Montana 59425<\/p>\n 406-278-3205<\/p>\n https:\/\/manyriverswholehealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Havre:<\/p>\n Center for Mental Health<\/p>\n 312 3rd St.Havre, Montana 59501<\/p>\n 406-265-9693<\/p>\n Chinook:<\/p>\n One Health Chinook\/Sweet <\/p>\n 419 Pennsylvania St #9726 Chinook, Montana 59523<\/p>\n 406-357-2294<\/p>\n