New Philadelphia chiropractor working to open a center to help prevent suicide
NEW PHILADELPHIA − A local chiropractor is working to open facility where people will have access to a variety of holistic services should they experience depression or thoughts of suicide.
The nonprofit facility will be called Hangout with Hope, and a search for a new location is underway.
Debbie McFarland, a chiropractor since 1986, has operated her own practice in Tuscarawas County since 1990. Additionally, she is licensed in acupuncture, an ordained pastor, a wife, mom, grandmother, and author of nine books.“I struggled with thoughts of suicide after some tough times in my life. I ran away from home as a teenager. My parents were abusive alcoholics. The final straw was after my mother, in an alcoholic rage, with a gun pulled the trigger within six inches of my chest. Thankfully, I had the wisdom to have the shells unloaded and hidden," McFarland shared.At the age of 32, she was a pregnant single mother of two following a troublesome marriage, she said. Then she lost her job.
"A short time after, along with my then best friend and soon to be current husband of 27 years, we opened Naturally Right Chiropractic out of our home. This added pressure also overwhelmed me more than I knew. However, it finally became clear to me that I was actually suicidal at a church service when the preacher asked if anyone was suffering from depression. With much prayer and treatment, the heaviness of hopelessness and the desire to die was lifted and I began healing," McFarland said."After much prayer, research, and a lot of hard work, we have developed a unique approach to fill in the gaps of our current services with an approach to the prevention of suicide. Mental health issues do not happen Monday through Friday on a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. When Hangout with Hope has sufficient funding/volunteers, we will be open 24/7/365. We are also in the process of looking at a new location for the office/center to be large enough to offer even more activities for those in need of our services.”According to the Centers for Disease Control and the numbers from 2022, about 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday.To learn more about Hangout with Hope and its current location of 905 Tuscarawas Avenue, N.W., call 234-801-4621 or email info@hangoutwithhope.org. You can also find them on Facebook. Signs of someone experiencing thoughts of suicide from the Department of Health and Human Services include:
Talking about:• Wanting to die• Great guilt or shame• Being a burden to othersFeeling:• Empty, hopeless, trapped, or having no reason to live• Extremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage• Unbearable emotional or physical painChanging behavior, such as:• Making a plan or researching ways to die• Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will• Taking dangerous risks such as driving extremely fast• Displaying extreme mood swings• Eating or sleeping more or less• Using drugs or alcohol more often988 You can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, connect with someone at 988lifeline.org or text HELLO to 741741.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia chiropractor working to open 'Hangout with Hope'
