The personal and private aspects of a public official are not always as apparent as their civic record. At a city council meeting this Thursday, New Orleans Councilman Joe Giarrusso will put a spotlight on a very painful period of his family’s life.
Giarrusso is the councilman for District A. His father, the former New Orleans Magistrate Judge, Joseph Giarrusso Jr., died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012. At Thursday’s meeting, Councilman Giarrusso will be introducing a mental health collaborative to address the mental health concerns that sometimes show very little outward signs. Giarrusso appeared on the Newell Normand Show this week and explained how his father’s suicide blindsided his family.
“My dad didn’t have any pressure on him that would make him take his life. He
was young. He was in relatively good health. He didn’t have any addictions. He didn’t have any financial problems. So, you’re always struggling with the why question of what makes somebody so depressed, so blue that taking their life, killing themselves is better than where they are,” Councilman Giarrusso told Normand.
There has been an increased focus on mental health since the COVID-19
pandemic. Public and health leaders have said the sudden loss of loved ones, the isolation and mass amount of upheaval in many people’s lives are contributing to what some have described as a mental health crisis. Here in Louisiana, the stress and strain from Hurricane Ida have been concerns for local officials.
Councilman Giarrusso said his family has always discussed ways they could extend help and support to others how may be grappling with their mental health. Giarrusso told Normand that as a person with access to resources and a platform, his efforts can extend aid to someone with fewer options.
During Thursday’s council meeting, Giarrusso will be detailing the goals of the mental health collaborative. Mental health is often a subject that is not openly discussed. Giarrusso believes by giving more exposure to mental health, the stigma that surrounds it may be lifted. The councilman hopes that his father’s story can help others who may be struggling with their own demons. Ten years after his father’s death, Giarrusso misses the moments that may pass as mundane.
“Just knowing on a day to day, I can’t pick up the phone call my dad or text him and ask him ‘how is this going and what’s happening, what do you think about this how did I do in this?’ And that’s always going to linger,” Giarrusso said.
Listen to Giarrusso’s full conversation on the Newell Normand: