An examination of the Facebook profile of the Shreveport man who killed his seven children and a nephew Sunday morning shows that he had been struggling with mental health. In light of that, the Louisiana Department of Health is urging you to prioritize your mental health by using Louisiana 988. Holly Howat, the interim assistant secretary of the office of behavioral health, says it’s not just for suicide prevention – it’s for all types of emotional distress.
“If it is more serious, we can then, through that number, connect people to more appropriate mental health resources to make sure that they get connected to the care they need,” Howat explained.
Howat says if you’re experiencing emotional issues, the very worst thing you can do is to keep it bottled up inside – you need to reach out to a family member, a trusted friend or to Louisiana 988.
“That can just really help relieve the stress and pressure, and kind of get you back on track more easily than keeping it bottled up inside and hiding it; and then it just festers and grows, and it gets worse,” Howat said.
Howat says it’s important to know the warning signs of mental stress.
“People might start feeling irritable or really tired, or they may not be able to sleep. Those are all signs that your body’s telling you that you have some unresolved mental stress that you need to take care of,” Howat noted.
For more information, go to Louisiana988.org.
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