Mental Health Awareness

GRANTS N.M. — City Councilman Erik Garcia, District 1, has lived in Cibola County all his life. He began his first term as councilman for the City of Grants on April 1, 2020. According to Garcia, getting involved with the local government has always been a goal of his. Garcia ran for a county commissioner spot twice but lost both times. Therefore, when he finally got his chance as a city councilor, he did not want to waste it.

“I only have three years left in this term,” said Garcia. “And I don’t want to be that guy that’s like, ‘Well he went in there and he didn’t do [expletive].’ I’m trying to be Captain America and kick [expletive] and do well and make sure I put my mark because I tried really hard to get into this position and I didn’t want to just do the motions…”

Coupled with the pressures of wanting to do a quality job for the City of Grants came a lot of anxiety, which Garcia first encountered back in 2015. Garcia worked as an engineer and production manager at the mines for 15 years, when one day “big corporate” came in and Garcia was let go. Worried about being able to provide for his family, Garcia’s anxiety really set in and led him to struggle with drinking. Eventually, Garcia knew he had to choose between “the booze” and his family, and he chose his family. Garcia then started up GrassRoots RX, a medical marijuana dispensary located on 1005 Mesa Boulevard, and he has done really well over the years. However, according to Garcia, competing against large, medical marijuana companies as a small-town business has also caused a bit of stress.

Finally, the past year, with all of its chaos and obstacles, made Garcia’s anxiety run wild. “Going one hundred miles an hour, full throttle, ‘I want to do good for Grants’ — I had a half empty cup. And what that half empty cup was doing was, it was getting me depressed, and every day, as a man… we always just say, ‘Get over it’, you know, ‘You’re exaggerating’, ‘Why are you depressed?’ And I would always say why am I depressed? I have a great wife, the best kids, I’m a business owner, I’m a leader of Grants, but at the end of the day, I was just dying inside because I would go home and the anxiety would build up.”

Finally, with the encouragement of his wife, Garcia decided to get some help because he was concerned with the direction his mental state was taking him. Garcia went to a mental health rehabilitation center in Santa Fe, New Mexico for 28 days. There were no cell phones, except for calls to his family, no distractions, and Garcia reported hating it at first, but after giving it time, Garcia was able to really focus on resetting, getting a fresh start, and accessing the tools he needed to face the struggles of life, for himself and his family.

Now, Garcia is back in Grants and in good spirits, and he decided that he wanted to share his story. Partly to set the record straight, but mostly to be open and honest with his struggles, hoping to inspire people, let them know that they are not alone, and normalize having conversations about these things.

“I want people to realize that mental health is an issue and as a male or an adult, even kids, you know, kids have mental health problems because there’s bullying out there… and it’s not the right thing. So I don’t want to see a kid take their life. I have friends growing up and recently that, you know, and it saddens me that they took their lives. And I have favorite singers, favorite actors that have taken their lives. And I just wanted to be that person, the leader that shows that I’m not perfect. I don’t think anybody’s perfect. But we need to make sure that we address situations before your son or daughter, or your aunt or uncle, your mom or dad, grandmother, and friends take their lives. Because it’s really not worth it, and I’m a prime example.”

Garcia also talked a little about how much the mental health topic has changed over the years. When Garcia was younger, people did not talk about mental health. According to Garcia, the typical response during those times was to just get over it. Even when it was talked about and people were to seek help, there was a considerable amount of stigma that came with it, such as describing people as “crazy” and carrying false ideas about mental health facilities. “When I went to this mental health facility, you know, I was scared,” reflected Garcia. “But then I walked in there and there were everyday people like me. There were doctors, teachers, moms, kids right out of high school…”

Garcia believes it is important to talk about these things nowadays, especially with the difficult past year that the world has had. Garcia wants the community to embrace the fact that everyone goes through struggles and that it is okay to be honest about them and seek help if needed — whether that looks like seeking professional help like Garcia did or relying on the support of friends and family.

For those in the community that might be going through some of the same struggles Garcia went through, he offered these words of advice: “Speak out, talk to a friend, talk to your doctor, talk to your significant other… and it’s not something you need to be ashamed about, and it’s something that you need to address and try to work towards getting better because you know, whoever it is, we need you in this world. This world needs everybody. You were born in this world to make a difference on something. Taking a timeout is acceptable and it is needed in this world. And it really opened my eyes that no one is perfect.”

Garcia is excited to get back to work and continue making his own difference in the Grants community. The small business owner and city councilman talked about many projects that he is looking forward to developing in the community so that Grants can be the very best it can be.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273- 8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained counselor at the Crisis Text Line.