1. Depression and Suicide Awareness
Introduce myself, catechist, teen faith and parish leadership team, LCPC, NCC
Depr/Suicide training: master’s training, Shelter and Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
Bernie Rupe, LCPC, NCC

2. Quiz
If you hide your depression, it will not affect you and your behavior True or False
Ignoring depression helps it to go away True or False
Only teens get depressed True or False
Recognizing you are depressed will help you overcome your depression True or False
Being depressed is your own fault ‘cause you are a weak person True or False
Suicidal thoughts are common in teens True or False

3. Kevin Breel
Video removed so that I can it – it is at ed_comic?language=en
Post video comments: Kevin says we need to speak up and shatter the silence. That is why we are here. We are here to shine a light on this challenging issue.

4. Facts Almost 40,000 US deaths happen each year attributed to suicide.
That means there is 1 suicide every 13 minutes in the US
16% of teens have seriously considered killing themselves.
1 in 13 (6%) teens have tried to kill themselves in the past year.
For every documented death attributed to suicide, there were 25 attempts.
Twice as many people die of suicide as homicide and more die of suicide then car accidents.
4 – each class

5. Suicide Myths No one can stop a suicide, it is inevitable.
Confronting a person about suicide will only make them angry and increase the risk of suicide.
Only experts can prevent suicide.
Suicidal people keep their plans to themselves (85% don’t, 50% of teens communicate intent to family members).
Those who talk about suicide don’t do it.
Once a person decides to complete suicide, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.

6. Ray

7. Jake

8. Delia

9. What causes depression, anyway?
There really isn’t one single cause. Depression is caused by a mix of things such as:
Genes – some families are more susceptible.
Brain chemistry- the chemicals in your brain are off.
What has happened to you – life!
You bottle things up and don’t share your struggles.
You get in a bad rut with negative thinking.

10. What could depression look like in teens?
Lack of focus/concentration (Ray, Delia)
Anger (Jake)
Easy irritation – critical of self or others (Jake)
Loss of confidence
Low energy
Difficulty getting along with people (Delia)
Lack of enjoyment in life/hard to be positive (Ray)
Lose interest in things you used to enjoy
Some will use alcohol or drugs to try to cover up their depression (Jake)
Loss of hope*
It can look like a lot of things.
Teen depression is a serious medical problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how you think, feels and behave, and it can cause emotional and physical problems. Issues such as peer pressure, academic expectations and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs. But for some teens, the lows are more than just temporary feelings — they're a symptom of depression.
Teen depression isn't a weakness or something that can be overcome with willpower — it can have serious consequences and requires long-term treatment. For most teens, depression symptoms ease with treatment such as medication and psychological counseling.

11. What if I am concerned about someone killing themselves?
Ask them directly if they are thinking of taking their own life.
Express your concern
Tell an adult (parent, school counselor, catechist)
Call 911
Don’t wait – do something right away.
Really, don’t wait, tell someone now.
Don’t let things sit for days, please take action now (got it?).
Maybe we see symptoms from previous page – maybe a friends uses words such as no one would care if I wasn’t around.

12. Questions to Use
Use these questions to encourage your friend to share (try not to give the easy out – i.e. are you ok?):
You seem down today, what’s going on?
I noticed you have been missing a lot of class and I am concerned.
You seem easily irritated the last few weeks. What is bothering you?
If you are concerned someone may hurt themselves, be direct, but don’t lead (i.e. you aren’t suicidal, are you?):
Are you thinking of killing yourself?
Do you have thoughts of hurting yourself?

13. Role plays

14. What is the upside and downside of getting help?
Someone could get support for dealing with their problems.
You could save someone’s life.
The Downside
You will disrupt your friend and your friends family’s life.
Your friend might be mad.
You could even lose your friend.
Is it worth the risk of the downsides to get the upsides?

15. What if I have lost someone and/or I am having a hard time?
Call TALK (National Suicide Prevention Hotline)
Talk with your catechist or school counselor
Go to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The Catholic Church’s LOSS (Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide) program has different programs, one of which meets at our church and another is for teens Cathoiccharities.net/loss
Check out the books After and After a Suicide: Young People Speak Up.
These are in your teen handout
Take out phones and put in hotline

16. Jesus Is Your Safety Net from Fireside Catholic Youth Bible
No acrobat would even dream about climbing to the high wire without a safety net securely fastened below. Without it, any fall or misstep would almost certainly result in tragedy. So, before ever approaching the ladder (knowing that sooner or later they will fall), he or she always makes sure that the safety net is in place.
In this delicate balancing act we call life, are you prepared to fall? Whether it is a temporary loss of balance- like breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, or something as tragic as a fall in mid-air, like the death of someone you love, you need to know that there is a net below you. Christ will always be there to catch you, no matter how hard you fall.
Trust in Christ. When it feels like you are falling, even when it seems like things are out of control, remember, don’t worry, He will catch you! Luke tells us “Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?” Christ is always in control, even when it doesn’t feel like it to you.
All you need to do is turn your life over to Him, get in the act and live your life to the fullest. Never forget, Jesus loves you. In the warmth of that love, no hurt will ever last too long, no pain will ever be too severe and no challenge will ever be too great for him to overcome.

17. Money spend on suicide research
None of these have more deaths than suicide (breast cancer is about equal)

18. Prevention
Prevention may be a matter of a caring person with the right knowledge being available in the right place at the right time.