LaTanya Frison is passionate about mental health and is eager to raise awareness for three digits that save lives: 9-8-8. These three numbers are the condensed emergency line for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Even though the telephone number has been in existence since 2005, it was relaunched in July of 2022 as a three-digit number, so people who are in emotional crisis have immediate access to help and hope.
Born and raised in Portal, GA, along with her six siblings, the mother of two has included mental wellness in her life's work. She earned a BS in psychology from Georgia Southern University and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Kentucky.
She dons a necklace with a semicolon charm, the symbol for suicide awareness and prevention, and bravely tells the story of the day, in 2007, when she became overwhelmed with life and had to fight to live. A woman of faith, Frison prayed through the near-fatal incident and made the decision to persevere. She remembers thinking, "I can't let a temporary thing become a permanent thing."
This experience allowed Frison to intimately understand those struggling with mental health issues, and also to proclaim a message of hope that things can and will get better.
"Everybody has a moment where they're like, 'I don't know,'" Frison says. "The determining factor is what do you do in that moment?"
She maintains it is what one does in that moment that makes the difference.
"There is life on the other side of whatever you're experiencing," she asserts.
Frison says that increasing awareness for 9-8-8 and mental health assistance is critical to helping our community. She is pleased that schools are providing resources and the message is being communicated through popular mediums such as TV shows and sporting events.
"You are worth fighting for," she affirms to others who may be experiencing what she went through more than 16 years ago. "But you have to believe it first."
These days, Frison enjoys spending quality time with her two adult daughters and her grandson, whom she calls "my little BFF." She has plans to pursue her Doctorate of Public Health with a specialty in maternal and child health.
If you or someone you know is in distress, feel like there may be a risk of suicide, or are having a crisis related to mental health, substance use, or a developmental disability, please call or text 9-8-8 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
For more information about 9-8-8 in Georgia, please visit this website.
