Platform : ‘The Problem Is Never Too Big to Share’

AMY NEZDA

16, junior, Garden Grove High School.

It’s so sad that it’s so common and portrayed on TV and in the movies as an option, when taking your own life should never be an option. It’s been glamorized since the beginning of time. “Romeo and Juliet” was the most romantic [story] and they both take their own lives. Shakespeare dwelt on it. [In] “Julius Caesar,” everyone’s killing themselves.

I think involvement is key, especially if you see the warning signs. Who wants to live with a lifetime of guilt because someone takes their life? There’s nothing you can do afterward. The person might be annoyed with you in the beginning as you reach out [to] help, but that’s really your only option.

Teens today get so wrapped up in high school life and forget there’s something bigger than the dance on Friday, that there’s a whole world out there. And I think one thing that keeps me and a lot of my friends going is our faith in God, that things are going to get better and that we only are going to have trials that we can handle.

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HEIDI LISSETTE GONZALEZ

17, junior, John C. Fremont High School, Los Angeles.

I’ve always known that when I make a promise, I have to keep it. But when somebody makes you promise “Don’t tell anyone I’m planning to do this,” that’s not a promise you want to keep because that’s your friend’s life on the line. And if you’re the only who can stop it, if you care about that person, you have to do what’s right.

I believe that many people think that [young people talking about committing suicide] are just playing around, but when someone says “I don’t want to wake up in the morning” they mean something by that.

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JACKEY PUUMALA

17, junior, Hollywood High School.

I was involved in a peer counseling group. I [knew a person] who was suicidal. When I heard about it, I was scared and I wanted to help. I wanted to call and I wanted to talk to [this person]. And every day after [this person] got out of the hospital, I called and talked to [this person] and I made sure [this person] was OK.

I feel that the friends of the teen who is depressed or [suicidal] are the ones who are going to feel guilty because a kid who is that depressed, the one thing that they need is friends. It’s just really important to remind a teen or a person of any age that they have something to live for. There could be programs that remind people of all that’s out there.

I know school’s stressful sometimes [and] family life can be terrible, but it’s almost like starting over when you’re an adult. You get to live a whole new life. If you’ve had a bad childhood, that’s all the more reason to make your adulthood great and make your child’s life wonderful.

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JESSIE FREEMAN

Counselor, 68th Street Elementary School; LAUSD 1995 counselor of the year.

I have had experience with even elementary school-aged children contemplating suicide. I’m glad that I was there for the children, to talk to them about the problem, and so happy that their teachers were alert to the fact they were experiencing a problem. The signs of suicide are not always recognizable, and there are some students so troubled that they do not seek help. Those are the most difficult. They are thinking but they’re not voicing it to anyone. They haven’t given us any clue.

If I could say one thing to a child thinking about suicide, I would say, regardless of how large you think the problem is, it’s never too big to share with someone else and find help or answers to whatever is bothering you. Don’t just feel you are alone and that there’s no one who cares.

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ROSEMARY RUBIN

School counselor consultant, LAUSD Suicide Prevention Unit.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 10- to 19-year-old age group nationwide. Accidents are the No. 1 cause, but many times suicides are reported as accidents.

The latest statistical information [from] the Centers for Disease Control showed an overall increase of 120% and a 300% increase for African American males 10 to 14. Among white females 10 to 14 it was up over 233%. Another CDC study found that 30% of the students were at risk, had thought about suicide.

One of our major concerns is “contagion”--that a troubled young person might decide to become a copycat following the suicide of an idol or a person of his or her own age group. We don’t want to romanticize or glamorize suicide, and for that reason, memorials and dedications are inappropriate in a school setting.

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Warning Signs

The LAUSD Suicide Prevention Unit has identified these signs that young people are at risk for suicide:

* Statements such as “I want to kill myself” or “The world would be better off without me.”

* Previous attempts or a plan.

* Depression, feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, appearance.

* Sudden changes in behavior, eating or sleeping habits, relationships with friends, whether positive or negative.

* Increases in risk-taking.

* Writing or drawing about death themes.

* Using alcohol or drugs.

* Giving away prized possessions.