Wisconsin officer to speak to area residents about Mental Health

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- A Wisconsin Police Officer is on a Mental Health journey, after recovering from a critical incident in 2016, helping first responders to everyday people stop the stigma around talking about their issues.

Capt. Adam Meyers has been in Wisconsin law enforcement for 23 years. After having to use deadly force to prevent a suspect from harming others, the act alone brought many personal and professional challenges for Meyers.

Eventually, he found recovery and set out on a journey to not only help officers like himself talk about mental health, but also to help different demographics of people.

Courage and exposure have helped Meyers continue his recovery and help found his foundation, "Stop the Threat, Stop the Stigma."

"It's great for me to be able to speak so transparently about what I went through, because by sharing my experience, I hope to help others...By sharing my experience, it's therapeutic for me," Meyers shared. "I learned more about myself (through these talks), or I remember something that I went through that I hadn't thought about for years."

On his journey with his foundation, "Stop the Threat, Stop the Stigma," Meyers has been able to talk on numerous podcasts around the globe while still serving his community.

For Meyers, talking to content creators or large audiences not only helps others but also himself.

"I figured I'll just start sharing my experience and hope to help somebody, hope to reach somebody who's struggling, or to help somebody who wants to reach out to help somebody else," said Meyers. "No matter what profession you're in, no matter if they were first responder, working another profession, unemployed, or on disability, the conversations that we had were great, because we can all relate to (mental health)."

Adams recently established a connection with those from the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph. Glore hosts online talks called "Psychology Social Hour," during which they bring in someone to speak about helping others with their mental health.

The Zoom talk may not be in person; however, Meyers loves the opportunity to expand his reach to more individuals who may need help.

"Some people say I'm too transparent, but I think that's important. I think it's important to really put it out there, so people who may be struggling, or people who know somebody who is, they can kind of grasp just a little bit, you know, of a better understanding of what they might be going through," said Meyers.

Meyers also keeps followers updated on recent talks and opportunities through his website. There, he even shares his personal cell phone number, which he hopes will be a lifeline for anyone who needs it.

"I started speaking in 2019, three years after my critical incident, and it was all about inspiring others to speak about their mental health, to reach out to support each other, because there's not enough of that going on," said Meyers. "I know, and others know that many people are struggling with mental health, and just a simple act of kindness, just reaching out, just sending a text message saying, "Hey, buddy, I'm thinking about you", (can go a long way)."

Meyers' talk with Glore is at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 via the Zoom web app, which can be accessed by clicking the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869413584. The museum appreciates RSVP's to this event; attendees can do so by visiting www.stjosephmuseum.org/events.