Year One Of 988: A Major Milestone in Changing Lives

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Ruth Naomi Escamilla 0:00

988 is a helpful resource for those who are in need, who are in a crisis, who need to talk to someone who are dealing with emotions, mental health diagnosis, who actually need to connect with someone to help them. It's a vital resource to our community.

With my second pregnancy, I was dealing with a lot crying, I didn't understand things were constantly triggering me, I was extremely depressed. I attempted suicide with my steam full pregnant. So my doctor, as an OB, she didn't know what to do. And, and so I think that in her practice, she humbled herself, she humbled herself for me. And I think my life meant something to her. And she called the crisis line for help. And that that was the best thing she could have done. Because she, she could have just put me on bills, you know, and she could have signed for me to be hospitalized, I was able to be introduced to a crisis line that would offer more support and resources that were familiar with people that are suffering with a diagnosis. So my diagnosis is bipolar, and severe depression. I also deal with severe anxiety, I've been living with this since I was a teenager, undiagnosed, I was able to start healing from all the past trauma.

Keith Lisenbee 2:27

What we've seen recently sent 988 started a year ago is an overall increase in volume. Typically it is 600, to up to 1000 calls a day.

Commissioner Kevin Tanner 2:45

I think with 988, as we're able to promote that and build out that network, that becomes the ‘easy button’. So it doesn't matter if I live in rural Georgia, or metro Atlanta, or some other parts of the country, I can pick up the phone and call 988. And I can access someone who is trained and dedicated to serving me and folks who are in need. And I think that is a game changer.

Lori Holbrook 3:10

So the 988 rollout has been revolutionary, really in crisis services. Because there is a direct link between a person who is experiencing a behavioral health crisis and accessing care and getting the help that they need.

Christin Carson 3:29

I got involved in this type of work because I wanted to help people, when you call 988, the person that you can expect to get on the other line is someone licensed first of all, but also someone caring, someone compassionate, someone who is trained to handle these types of situations, and someone who has probably had their own experience with these types of situations

Akela Christopher 3:52

This way I like to, you know, share with them that I'm glad that they were able to call it definitely takes a lot of courage to reach out to call for help. And so, you know, I would just let them know that, hey, there's always some person at the other end of the line without this not, you know, just going to be you know, well, there's no hope I might as well just keep it to myself. There's always someone that's going to answer.

Commissioner Kevin Tanner 4:14

We're seeing more people calling from rural parts of the state per capita than we are from the metro areas, which tells me that there is such a need out in our rural parts of the state. And I would tell folks, that it's okay not to be okay. That all of us at different times in our lives have different stressors that create mental health issues. For us.

Marshal Sewell 4:38

The 988 hotline is not just for somebody who is having a hard time or who is personally at risk. It's also available for somebody who might be seeking resources for someone they know who is at risk.

Ruth Naomi Escamilla 4:50

I believe that recovery is possible for anybody. If you have the right support, and the right support is needed. It helped me.

My kids have a mom.

My husband has a wife. My mom has a daughter. You don't have to visit me in a cemetery. That wasn't the end of my story.

And because I was given that support, I want to fight for that support for other people. We're not alone. It's important for people to know about 988 because it's going to save a life like me.

That's what 988 does. It holds someone's hand and so many people suffering in silence. So I'm looking forward to more of your anniversaries of 988.