Going a step above to help with depression, suicide

After Mitch Fleck took a chance talking about his experience with depression and attempted suicide at the Locking Arms Suicide awareness event last year, he realized he wanted to keep talking.

He wanted to tell anyone that would listen about the resources available to help with depression and suicidal thoughts. “I saw it (the event) as a doorway that could lead to a new way to prevent others from doing what I did,” Mitch said.

Inspired by the positive feedback he received after the Locking Arms event, he started looking for new ways to reach people. He spoke at a few churches and began to consider how to keep the message going. With the help of his wife, Amanda, he formed A Step Above – The Fight Against Suicide and Depression with goals to establish it as a nonprofit to support future speaking engagements and events.

Mitch is striving to reach as many people as possible with his message of hope and help. He wants to prevent them from going through what he did when his long struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, multiple suicide attempts and substance abuse culminated in a final desperate act of trying to end his life with a handgun.

Fortunately, he woke up in the hospital and after a long recovery, decided to live. He found the help that was available locally and began to heal.

“I wish I would have taken my mental health sooner, that way I would not have had to go through the things I went through,” he explained.

Now, Mitch wants as many people as possible to find help.

“I don’t want people to feel the same way that I did before everything happened,” the 27-year-old said. “I want them to have some sort of positivity and know that everything’s gonna be alright.”

A Step Above is a reference to Mitch’s wrestling days at Jasper High School. It was Coach Rick Stenftenagel’s motto for the wrestlers. “In wrestling, it meant that if you have a goal and you reach, then you need to make another goal that pushes you that much further,” he explained.

For A Step Above, this translates to the goals individuals have in their daily struggles to overcome depression and addiction.

While Mitch’s message of recovery is clear, he also understands it isn’t the same path for everyone. He tells people that he hates hearing the phrase, “the key to happiness.” He likens it to someone saying there is only one solution for a problem.

“And there is not,” Mitch added. “I ask ‘what is your combination for happiness.'”

This feeds into the step-by-step goal-oriented approach to recovery in his own life. Medication led to clearing his mind to see the next step which for Mitch, was counseling. Then, he began to work on his alcoholism — although he’s been sober for a while, its still something he is working on. But, he’s also taken the next step above and is working on quitting smoking. These steps have been his personal combination for recovery and they may be different for other people.

Mitch just wants people to know there are likely more resources out there than they may realize.

“I try to make people aware of our local resources because I personally was not aware until everything happened,” Mitch said. “I’m trying my best to point people in the right direction to get the help they need.”

To begin to learn their combination to overcome depression.

If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, have suicidal thoughts or simply need to talk to someone, please contact one of the following organizations:

• Lifespring Health Systems: Local to Jasper; provides support/crisis counseling to the famers and workers on staff of farms affected. 
• If you are student at VUJ, support can be found by calling 812-482-3030.
• Be Well Indiana: Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or alone? Call this free, confidential resource available 24/7 to anyone in the state of Indiana. Dial 2-1-1 and enter your ZIP code. Follow the prompts and select number 3 for the Be Well Crisis Helpline.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 9-8-8 or call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.