Amid increased suicide numbers, a Lab City resident calls for better mental health and addictions services – CBC
More long-term options, continuity of care and facilities needed, says Keith Fitzpatrick
Oct 25, 2022
Keith Fitzpatrick of Labrador City knows all too well that the region is in dire need of more long-term mental health and addictions services.
In a recent interview with CBC News, Fitzpatrick — a recovering addict who has been living with anxiety and depression — says he knows what it’s like having to fight for adequate support.
“It’s a fight that you shouldn’t have to have because you’re already in a dark place,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It’s like telling a cancer patient, ‘No, we’re not going to give you chemo, go ahead and die.’ Because mental health, in the end, will kill if it’s not treated.”
As CBC News reported earlier this month, the number of suicides in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region more than doubled from 2020 to 2021, according to data from the province’s chief medical examiner.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/lab-city-mental-health-addictions-1.6627025
