Suicide Prevention and Education

I attended a very valuable conference last week on Healing Grief After Suicide. There was discussion about the importance of suicide prevention and education in our school system. Naturally, this got me thinking about my own high school experience with suicide.

As we all know, rumors abound in the high school hallways. Who's dating who, who cheated on the test, who's smoking pot by the tree, etc. But, sometimes these rumors became more serious and unfortunately were based on fact. I remember hearing about a young freshman at our school who was hospitalized. She was not that popular, though she tried to be. She would dress in trendy clothes, talk to the popular crowd, join the social clubs. I often heard people complain about her, calling her a "wanna-be" and a "suck-up."

Then one day I heard she cut her wrists. She tried to kill herself, and was hospitalized for an unknown period of time. I don't remember if she came back to our school. Now, mind you, I heard the rumor and was merely an acquaintance of hers, so I can imagine the whole school heard about it.

After this girl tried to take her own life, I was talking to a close friend of mine about the situation. He revealed he tried the same thing over the summer. He stated a relative caught him with a gun under his chin and stopped him. I was at a loss for words. I couldn't believe I almost lost this good friend of mine. I couldn't believe he didn't know to ask for my help.

But, what would I say? Suicide was never addressed at my school. The guidance counselors were much too busy with class schedules. Our Life Skills class was too focused on telling us the dangers of sex (i.e. pregnancy, STDs) rather than the dangers of depression. And, it was more important to hold pep rallys for the football team and award ceremonies for the academic achievers than to educate the students on what to say if a classmate tells you she wants to kill herself.

Did you know suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds? And 50 to 75 percent of all suicides give some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member.

So, what do you do if someone tells you they are thinking of suicide?

Start by telling the person you are concerned and give him/her examples.

If he/she is depressed, don't be afraid to ask whether he/she is considering suicide, or if he/she has a particular plan or method in mind.

Ask if they have a therapist and are taking medication.

Do not attempt to argue someone out of suicide. Rather, let the person know you care, that he/she is not alone, that suicidal feelings are temporary and that depression can be treated. A

Avoid the temptation to say, "You have so much to live for," or "Your suicide will hurt your family."

Be actively involved in encouraging the person to see a physician or mental health professional immediately.

If the person is in immediate danger, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. (www.afsp.org)

I can only imagine how many young lives can be saved if we just started talking about suicide, instead of hiding it, being ashamed of it, or thinking it will "just go away." Living in a world of secrecy, the unmentionable becomes unmanageable.

What are your own experiences with suicide?