Analysis Of Killing (Myself) Softly: The Quiet Tragedy In Mesa County

In the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons between the ages of 10-24 [1]. In addition, a large percentage of adolescents consider committing suicide. The Centers for Disease Control found that 16% of students in high schools nationwide reported seriously considering suicide, while 8 percent reported trying to take their own life [1]. One of the difficulties in addressing the issue of suicide is the stigma attached to it. People are unwilling to discuss it publically. [1]

On October 5, 2016, Fowlerville High School freshman, Brendan Kangas, committed suicide. His whole school and community was struck with grief, previously unaware of Brendan’s battle with depression. The next day school was held on schedule, and it was a very unproductive day. According to the faculty, kids were crying in classrooms, and uninstructed teachers did not know how to handle the situation (Brent). Many Fowlerville students have struggled academically, unable to cope with the news of Brendan’s death. Fowlerville was not prepared to handle such a crisis and administrators were unaware of the effect Brendan’s suicide would have on the school. Since then, several other students in Brendan’s community have attempted to take their lives as well (Brent). Suicide has not only a problem in

Suicide is a very sad subject for all those who have had a relative or friend who went through it. However, suicide doesn’t only go across teens minds it also happens to adults as seen in the article, “Survivors of Suicide Loss”. Jessica is the daughter of a man who went through suicide and she says, “The emotions that ran through me are close to indescribable, as I had never felt such pain. How this could have happened, and most importantly, how could this have happened to me and my family.” This is a case where the suicide was caused by depression. At the end of the day we all have to just try and be closer to those we care for and

“ The top mission for the counseling center on campus is keeping their students’ safety, so after a couple times I talk to my doctor about “suicide”, they told me if I keep the dangerous idea, they would contact hospitals,” said Danny, “I know their dilemma, but I just have much pressure when I knew I would be hospitalized. Then I tried to digest the bad feeling by myself.”

From experts on this issue, to the civilians in the public, it is expressed deeply that suicide should not be hidden from any person, including children. It is said that, ¨Each day in our nation there are an average of over 5,400 attempts by young people grades 7-12,¨ (The Parent Resource Program). The thought of a lovely girl named AnnMarie Blaha may come into mind, who took her life in 2013, and was a fifth grader at Meadow Ridge. Nothing can compare to the tragedy of why AnnMarie decided to commit suicide, and the sadness that overwhelmed the school districts was unbearable. From learning about AnnMarie’s story, it can show that like most parents of children who commit suicide, AnnMarie’s parents who had no idea of their daughter’s unknown situation. I confronted my parents, asking them certain questions dealing with this difficult topic. The first question I asked was, “Do you know where to go if you believe your child is thinking of suicide?” Unfortunately, neither one of my parents were able to answer question, because like parents of suicidal children, the thought has never crossed their minds. Since AnnMarie’s death, the importance of educating children and teens of suicide has grown tremendously, and a Prevention Law called, ¨AnnMaries Law,¨ was signed by Governor Bruce Rauner to require ¨the Illinois State Board Education and local school boards to create policies ensuring that students receive age-appropriate lessons youth suicide and prevention¨ (Chicago Tribune). Multiple websites describe the traumatizing death of AnnMarie, but one in particular called, ¨AnnMarie’s Foundation, A Life to Remember,¨ provides resources, hotlines, facts, and notifies the community of warning signals that may be given off by any person. The raise in education is highly needed in all communities. In

Suicides in Montana continues to take the lead amongst the greatest in the nation; unless there is more awareness and prevention it will continue to take the lives of Montanans’. This drastic self inflicted pain does not have to be the last option. Every day is the beginning of a new day; a new page in the book of life. Darkness must not prevail! It must stop taking the lives of friends and family; in order to start saving the lives of Montanans’.

Healthy People 2020 is a government site that identifies health concerns based on statistics observed and collected over a ten-year period. Mental Health and Mental Disorders is one of the many health concerns or topics listed on their website and has been further subcategorized into objectives and goals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2015). The first objective listed under this topic states “reduce the suicide rate” (HHS, 2015). The goal of this objective is to “reduce the suicide rate by ten percent” (HHS, 2015). Suicide is prevalent among varying age groups, ethnicities, and genders (HHS, 2012). It is an increasing problem prompting Healthy People 2020 to label it as a Leading Health Indicator or an extremely important issue (HHS, 2015). To meet their goal, Healthy People 2020 partnered with the U. S. Surgeon General and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP) to create a plan that can be utilized throughout the nation. Their plan focuses on removing the stigma associated with mental health and mental health disorders while simultaneously building supportive communities with increased access to care, creating a standardized model promoting the collaboration of health care professionals in order to increase identification and data collection of high-risk patients and provide continuity of care, and ensuring the education and the adequacy of patient support systems.

Another prominent grant was the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. This grant centers around the goal of reducing suicides and suicidal tendencies through increasing training and resources for states, tribes and

Skagit Herald report, Skagit Valley REACH (Recovery, Empowerment, Advocacy, Community and Hope) Center support people who suffer from history of mental illness and substance abuse. They are based on peer counseling, career support, crisis intervention classes, social gathering, and/or just safe place to come and stay. One of the program members at the center who is in recovering from addiction had a mental health crisis, suicide ideation. Her response was to get to REACH center right away because she knew the place can keep her safe. She states the center has been a life-saver. Now, she is in the process of becoming a certified peer counselor for the center. The center is a self-help recovery center for people with mental health and recovering from addiction. The center puts emphasis on Wellness, Recovery, Action Plan (WRAP) which is a group intervention for adult with mental illness. The plan teaches key concepts of recovery, helpful tools during crisis, post crisis plan, and assist in creating advance directives. (Demay, 2014).

As far as students are concerned feeling sad and alone all the time is normal. Students at Desert Mirage are expected to be at school by 7:30 and learn all day. In school I have learned how to find slope, read left to right, and disagree the "right" way. Every couple of months a counselor comes in and tells the class and I that we can share our problems with them, a complete stranger. In my entire life, no one has ever made an effort to honestly educate me about suicide, so I have learned nothing about the matter. I don't know what to do if a friend or even I was considering suicide and I don't know how I could reach help.

In court, innocence is easily defined. To define innocence is to define guilt; one is either guilt, or not guilty. Discovery is displayed, also known as evidence, and a final decision, based on the assumptions of the jury or judge, is made. However, outside of a courtroom, innocence is not so black and white. No person, at any part of their life, or any trivial circumstance is completely, or purely innocent. Everyone holds at least some variation of guilt and innocence when involved in a situation.

He said, “Granted he’s no sacred cow, therefore he’s open to attack and criticism. I doubt he’d ever see that Saigon moment when people realize that something has gone wrong and that, they will lose or fail.

Have you ever known someone who’s committed or tried to commit suicide and thought, “I wish I would’ve done something, said something, to stop it from happening?” I know I would ask myself that question everyday if I hadn’t. A few years ago, a good friend of mine thought her life was so bad she wanted to end it. I did the only thing I could think, and told the nearest teacher. It may sound so childish or stupid, but it worked. Luckily, she’s still alive and well. I’m here to make sure you can make the difference and help a person who might be, or is suicidal. Just think of what would happen if you didn’t try to help.

Three people in my life have completed suicide; my uncle, my mom’s late fiance, and my step brother on my dad’s side, within four years of each other. I’ve witnessed each parental figure in my life become compromised by grief and the inevitable pain accompanying it, and I’ve seen the way depression can plague someone so deeply, even without the ending of suicide. The prevalence and growing numbers of deaths by suicide calls for a revised manner of education on all mental illnesses and the preventative measures one can take to reduce risk. Initially, when I heard of the Suicide Prevention Week Keynote event with Jamie Tworkowski (founder of ‘To Write Love On Her Arms’) I was thrilled. Hosting such an event on a college campus, presenting to a population greatly affected by mental illness, is demonstrative of the steps that should be taken toward raising awareness. Any opportunity for a comprehensive view on mental health and its significance is one to be taken advantage of. However, as the night proceeded, I did take note of several things that would improve the layout of any future events, as well as further deepen an individual’s comprehension of mental illness.

     Hemingway's "The Killers" illustrates that unexplained violence is an integrated part of society.  To acknowledge the cruelties of life is to come to terms with horrifying events that can not be denied.  A person may lack the maturity to cope with everyday life if they do not realize that evil can exist in any given society.