SAN ANTONIO – In the wake of a South Texas tragedy, experts say that there is a bright spot happening in the conversation surrounding mental health.
Calls to a local NAMI mental health helpline have spiked over the last few days, following 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos’ death by suicide.
NAMI Greater San Antonio said that the spike in calls to its NAMI Bexar Warm Line is actually a good thing, because it means people are reaching out for help.
“Yesterday, when I checked, we started getting a lot of calls, probably two or three times the normal volume,” executive director Doug Beach said. “I think the news story clearly got people thinking about it.”
The “warm line,” which can be accessed 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day by calling (210) 939-9999, is a free pre-crisis line that connects people to specialists who can provide resources and support.
“We call it a warm line because it’s not ‘hot,’” Beach said. “You’re not in imminent danger, but you’re in a place where you need some support.”
“You need to talk to somebody,” Beach continued, “and you need to kind of figure out, ‘What are my next steps? How can I help a friend? How can I help myself?’”
Beach said the recent average call length is also longer, reaching around 15 minutes.
“That’s amazing. Most of the time, when people call, you get 2 or 3 minutes at the most, but 15 minutes tells you that we’re engaging with them and they’re able to talk and we’re listening,” Beach said. “People are opening up to us.”
NAMI’s warm line experts all have personally experienced mental health struggles and can relate with callers.
“They’ve been down this path. They’ve either been homeless at Haven for Hope or they’ve struggled with their own mental health issues,” Beach said. “And so when they’re listening to somebody, they know what that sounds like. They have that empathy.”
The helpline is available to callers of any age, even if you are under 18 years old.
“50 percent of mental health issues and mental illness begins by age 14. Then it’s 75 percent by age 24,” Beach said. “Some of that has to do with brain development and going through adolescence, but it says that our young people are really most at risk. Yet people typically wait 10-11 years after their first episode to get any help whatsoever.”
Beach said the earlier people talk about mental health and know where to turn for help, the more people will survive and even go on to help others.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness also has free support classes, not just for those struggling, but their loved ones too. Those resources are available on its website.
“A lot of the calls we get all the time are, ‘Where can we get resources? Where can I find a doctor?’ Or, ‘My son or daughter is living on the street, I don’t know what to do,’” Beach said, “and we give them resources.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741. If there is an immediate danger, call 911.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.
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