All Of The Reasons
As Suicide Awareness Month approaches, remember that you are loved
September is National Suicide Awareness Month and we are bringing light to this hard hitting subject.
September 26, 2018
The reasons to live will always outnumber the reasons not to. There’s a new club coming to Liberty called Come Together that proves that.
Come Together is letting students learn how to help other students and their friends with things such as mental illness. Come Together is also a safe space for students to gain support without judgement. It tackles the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“Teens help themselves support each other for the stress of life,” Educational Support Counselor Ms. Rustemeyer said about the club. She is the sponsor for Come Together and said that all members will receive a training on mental health to be well prepared.
The Wentzville School District is also making advances in suicide prevention training. Every student in 5th through 12th grade will receive classroom lessons for suicide prevention. The district’s goal is to become a “trauma informed” school district. All staff are being trained better to recognize signs of suicide and focus on supporting students.
Out of 712 students who took a survey at Liberty alone, 14.2 percent of students said that they have contemplated suicide just in the past year. You are not alone if you are suffering from mental illness or have suicidal thoughts, reach out to someone.
Call 1-800-273-8255, text 741741 for help.
Senior Braden McMakin is a student that can verify it gets better. When asked why he joined Come Together, he said, “It holds a special value because it hits close to home. I have a past with counseling. I know what it is to be on the other side.”
“Personal examples are kind of a factor, if you say you’ve been in a place a person is in now and you made it out…it’s reassuring,” McMakin said.
When asked how her life was affected, junior Lydia Hart said, “It will always be there but thankful knowing there’s people there for me.”
McMakin and Hart both attest that you don’t have to go through it alone.
Come Together is looking for new members and anyone can sign up. If interested you can sign up all September (national suicide prevention month) in the guidance office. They will reach out and have an introduction meeting coming up. You are not alone.
