While summer in Montana means longer days and sunshine, experts warn this season can also bring hidden struggles for many across the state.
After nearly two decades, Michael Woods knows firsthand that life can—and does—get better. “Oh, absolutely. It's pushing through the moment of spontaneity when you're kind of down and out,” he tells me.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video here:
Woods was sixteen and facing turmoil at home and with friends—coping with stress in unhealthy ways, like drinking and smoking pot—when suicidal thoughts became a plan. “When I was about to turn 17, I had previously thought of suicide and different plans in my head of how I would do it.”
The pain nearly cost him his life. After losing his job and feeling overwhelmed, Michael drove to the Missouri River and attempted suicide with a firearm—the most common and lethal method in Montana, according to the state Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).
“I ended up, trying to attempt suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I pulled the trigger out of the gun. I was right above my right ear, went up into the left through my brain, and then the bullet lodged in my skull on the left side,” Michael said.
Miraculously, Michael survived—paralyzed, but alive. Today, nearly 20 years later, he’s a mental health advocate, engaged to be married next month, creating wheelchair-assistive technologies, and using his story to shine a light on hope after darkness.
“What we see in summer is an expectation to be happy, to be social, to be outside and active and enjoying life,” said Brianna Grismer, a licensed addiction counselor with Green Apple Behavioral Counseling. “But those expectations can make it harder for people who are struggling, especially in rural areas where support may be hard to find.”
Grismer says recognizing warning signs—such as higher risk-taking, giving away possessions, withdrawing, or sudden mood changes—can make all the difference for someone in need.
For Woods, life after his attempt is filled with new experiences: concerts, advocacy, a new family, and a reminder that “detours aren’t dead ends—and there is always hope.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Here are some mental health services across the region:
Great Falls:
Voices of Hope
620 1st Ave S
Great Falls, Montana 59401
406-268-1330
https://www.voicesofhopemt.org/
Voices of Hope is also home to the 988 services for North Central Montana.
Many Rivers Whole Health
915 1st Ave S
Great Falls, Montana 59401
406-761-2100
https://manyriverswholehealth.org/
Choteau:
Center for Mental Health1 Main Ave S
Choteau, Montana 59425
406-466-5681
https://manyriverswholehealth.org/
Conrad:
Center for Mental Health
514 South Front StreetConrad, Montana 59425
406-278-3205
https://manyriverswholehealth.org/
Havre:
Center for Mental Health
312 3rd St.Havre, Montana 59501
406-265-9693
Chinook:
One Health Chinook/Sweet
419 Pennsylvania St #9726 Chinook, Montana 59523
406-357-2294
https://www.onechc.org/sweet-chinook
Glasgow:
Mental Health Center
1009 6th Ave N #1Glasgow, Montana 59230
406-228-9349
http://www.emcmhc.com/glasgow/
Browning:
Northern Winds Recovery Center
138 East Boundary Street, Browning, Montana 59417
406-338-5558
Shelby:
Center for Mental Health640 Park AveShelby, Montana
406-434-8080
