She’s the bubbly, energetic girl in your math class. He’s the most popular guy in school. She’s the girl who’s always surrounded by people in the halls. He’s the class clown. What do these people have in common? They’re all wearing a mask.
When you think of depression, you think of that goth kid in the back of the room drawing skulls on his desk, right? Wrong. You never know who could be suffering from depression and more often than not, it’s the person you least expect it to be. So what is depression and why do people use a mask to cover it up? One student said “I feel like people will look at me differently or pity me. I don’t want people to look at me like that.”
Nobody in high school wants to be thought of as different or to be looked on with pity. How would you feel if your friend came up to you and said that he or she felt depressed or wanted to cut themselves, or even had thoughts of suicide? You wouldn’t know what to do, and yes, you would probably look at him or her in a different light. Most people don’t know how to react in that situation. In fact it goes both ways. “I want to tell [my teachers] but they might look at me and think ‘oh she’s that girl,’ It’s scary to tell someone all that goes on in your head. It’s hard,” said another student.
Depression and suicide go hand in hand. Mrs. Murren, one of Prairie Ridge’s social workers, said that “62% of adolescents have thoughts of suicide at some point in high school.” In a class of 400 students, 62% is equal to 248 people. Over half the people in your graduating class has thought about suicide at some point.
So why do we talk about suicide for only one day in health class?
Did you know that approximately 34,000 people kill themselves every year? On average 105 people commit suicide every day. More people die each day from suicide than those who die in a drunk driving accident, yet we cover drunk driving in driver’s ed for about a week. It seems to me that it’s about time we start addressing the topic of suicide and start taking a stand to make things better.
So how do we approach the topic and what happens when we do? Advice from Mrs. Murren: “letting students know that there is support for students who may be impacted by depression and/or suicide. It may be helpful to provide students with more information regarding the topic and ways to get support if needed.” A student suggested that it should be something discussed every semester “to raise awareness not just on suicide and depression, but other mental issues.”
The goal is to create an environment that is safe for students to come forward and talk about their issues, an environment where people feel safe and supported. We want to end the silence on suicide. Give a voice to those who are too scared. Let them know that it is okay to talk about how they feel. Show them that they don’t have to be strong on their own, that there are people just like them, going through the same situations, and that there are friends willing to help.
Take a stand. Make a change. Start talking.
*For more information visit the student services office and talk to one of our school social workers. They’re here to help. Or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.