GunFreedomRadio EP252 Mental Health: The Other Pandemic? with Jake Wiskerchen

Our guest today is Jake Wiskerchen. Jake is the co-founder, co-owner, and chief clinical officer at Zephyr Wellness, a mental health outpatient practice in northern Nevada. Jake is also part of Walk the Talk America, a non-profit organization dedicated to making positive change in relationship to mental health and firearm awareness. Through organizing a profound team of experts from different fields, and all walks of life, unbiased by politics, media, or personal prejudice. 1) Nationwide we are seeing reports of a serious decline in Mental health and well-being. The President has even regularly addressed his concerns about these issues in his daily Covid Press Conferences. As a Mental Health Professional give us a snapshot of where we are. 2) We’ve heard that during the height of the Pandemic there was a shortage of medical workers, but I haven’t heard anyone talk about the potential for a shortage of Mental Health Professionals. It seems likely that we haven’t yet crested the top of the curve of that need. What are your thoughts? 3) The work you are doing with WTTA includes bringing a greater understanding between the Gun Communities and Mental Health Professionals. This implies that there is a MIS-understanding between these two groups. Can you talk about that? Especially with all of the millions of first-time gun owners across the nation, there might be people who want to seek counseling but might be afraid to seek the help they need. 4) Those of us who own guns are often very self-reliant minded. Sometimes we know when we need help. But, other times we may just not be feeling quite ourselves. How do we know when it is time to reach out and get some help? 5) WTTA is also working on suicide prevention measures. The statistics tell us that most suicides are completed with firearms. If someone listening right now is needing a helping hand to get through to tomorrow, what words of help or encouragement can we offer them?