Tom Reed

When Tom Reed was still a toddler, he lost his father to mental illness. That experience has influenced him in how he sees the reality of mental health.

“When it comes to mental health and substance abuse, this crisis is real,” Reed said during this week’s conference call with media from the 23rd Congressional District. “It’s becoming larger and larger across America and we need to reduce the stigma for people to reach out, especially with May as Mental Health Awareness Month, to reach out and not be afraid. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness when you reach out for help.”

Reed’s father was a career military officer. “I suffered the loss of my own father at the hands of suicide dealing with PTSD issues and so it’s hit my life from day one from the day that I was 2 years old,” he said.

Reed, R-Corning, shared the story about his father in hopes that others would be awaken to the reality of mental illness. He also is concerned about how people seek relief by self-medicating through substances such as alcohol or drugs.

“Now we see things like fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and so many other substances now that are being distributed, that are really deadly on their initial use,” he said.

Reed shared that in the past month, a friend of his family died due to an overdose. “It appears it was one of his first times using, and that is a tragic loss for a 20-something-yea-old to hear about, and see his family impacted by that,” he said.

From a policy perspective, Reed said there is more that Congress can do. One thing that should be changed, he said, is how mental health is treated separately from substance abuse.

“This is a longstanding created division in our healthcare providers where it makes no sense. We actually, by our laws, by our policies, prevent substance abuse providers to see those that are in mental health crisis,” he said.

He wants to see mental health and substance abuse providers be linked together to provide seamless healthcare. “That is one of the most fundamental disfunctions in our health care system that is causing people to fall through the cracks and succumbing to either their mental health issue or their substance abuse situation,” he said.

Reed notes that if you are facing a mental health and/or substance use disorder, you can reach out 24/7 to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or online at https://www.samhsa.gov/