Despair and guns, a deadly mix for two Rockwall girls who had everything to live for
Lost all too often in the contentious debate about gun control is that the people most at risk for gun violence are the potential suicides.
An AP story in the front section of the Dallas Morning News quotes an Austin American-Statesmananalysis of more than 250 gun-related deaths between 2010 and 2012, pointing out that in more than a third of the suicides, drugs for mental illness were found either in the person’s bloodstream or at the scene.
In another story by Tasha Tsiaperas on the cover of the Metro page, we read about two Rockwall students who killed themselves with guns recently. There was no evidence or history of mental illness in either case, just momentary despair in one of the two cases that led to a quick, final solution. After the death of Hanna Clark, 15, on April 25, her devastated, suffering parents found a possible clue on their daughter’s text messages — she had broken up with her boyfriend a day or two before.
Tsiaperas quotes Hanna’s father as saying: “There’s no doubt in my mind that this was an impulse suicide … It has been a nightmare, an absolute nightmare, because she was everything to us.”
The mother of Brianna Escobedo, 14, who died May 22, still hasn’t been able to find a reason. Neither child, adored by their families, left suicide notes.
This all fits in with a compelling New York Times story that ran in February called To Lower Suicide Rates, New Focus Turns to Guns.
The heartbreaking story at the center of the article is the suicide of Kameron Reichert, 17, of Dayton, Wyo., who had killed himself with his great-uncle’s pistol. A popular football player and good student with a bright future, he was upset when police officers found him with a pack of cigars. The officers told him he would need to come to court to pay a fine and his parents punished him by taking away his cellphone. What may seem like a small thing to everyone in retrospect was evidently big to him at the time. Like Hanna, he might have given in to a moment of despair. The easy access to a gun turned that moment into an eternity of despair for all who loved him.
The New York Times article provides a drum roll of numbers that show these situations are more common than many realize. Nearly 20,000 of the 30,000 deaths from guns in the United States in 2010 were suicides, according to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national suicide rate has climbed by 12 percent since 2003, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death for teenagers.
Suicidal acts with guns are fatal in 85 percent of cases, while those with pills are fatal in just 2 percent of cases, according to the Harvard Injury Control Research Center.
The article also notes that states with the highest gun ownership rates have the highest suicide rates. A coincidence?
If you do think it’s a coincidence, then you shouldn’t be troubled by a May Mother Jones story about a new study that finds that nearly 20 percent of young people between the ages of 10 and 21 who are considered to be at risk for suicide have guns in their homes.
In any case, two lovely, loving young girls from Rockwall are gone. When Rockwall ISD hosted a meeting on suicide in the fall, only seven parents attended, Tsiaperas quoted a district spokeswoman as saying. Now so many want answers, they have had to move a Tuesday talk about depression and suicide to a larger venue.
They will talk about the signs of depression and suicide prevention, something which can read more about in my story about the suicide of yet another teen, 19-year-old Grant Halliburton, who had everything to live for. His mother, Vanita Halliburton has since founded the Grant Halliburton Foundation to address mental health education and suicide prevention. Grant, it should be noted, did not use a gun; he jumped off a building to his death.
They probably won’t talk about guns at the Tuesday forum and the role they play in making suicide too easy and final an option for vulnerable young people. And guns are certainly not the only means available for those who consider suicide, as Grant’s situation demonstrates. But it’s worth looking at the statistics and asking the question of whether we can improve our children’s chances of survival by making the means of their destruction a little less accessible.
The writer goes on to provide many resources for bullying victims and help
Suicide warning signs
• Sense of hopelessness about the future
• Drastic changes in behavior or personality
• Uncharacteristic impulsiveness, recklessness or risk-taking
• Expressions of rage, uncontrolled anger, aggressive behavior
• Preoccupation with death, dying or suicide through writing, artwork or talking
• Giving away prized possessions
• Loss of interest in personal appearance
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Withdrawal from friends, family and society
• Extreme anxiety or agitation; inability to sleep or sleeping all the time
• A recent severe stressor, such as real or anticipated loss of a relationship, unplanned pregnancy, victim of bullying or family conflict
• A previous suicide attempt or exposure to another’s suicidal behavior
Source: Grant Halliburton Foundation Offers programs that teach how to recognize the signs of distress or suicidal crisis in youths and find help. 972-744-9790
Additional resources:
Contact Crisis Line, with a general crisis line of 972-233-2233 and a Teen Help Line of 972-233-8336.
Texas Suicide Prevention Council: This group of local suicide prevention coalitions and statewide agencies partners with Mental Health America of Texas and the Texas Department of State Health Services on the Texas Youth Suicide Prevention Project. 1-800-273-8255
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Offers information and support on understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy and reaches out to those with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. 1-888-333-2377
Mental Health America of Greater Dallas: Offers programs to educate the public and promote the use of local and regional prevention, and recovery programs for mental health and preventing and treating mental disorders. 214-871-2420
National Alliance on Mental Illness: Offers access to services, treatment, research and mental health support. Click on NAMI Dallas for local programs including free support groups for those with mental illness and their families. 1-800-950-6264
PLAN of North Texas: Offers resources and services for adults with a serious mental illness and their families. 972-690-7526
askdrlloyd.com: Dr. Lloyd I. Sederer’s website answers questions from readers and offers blog postings aimed at helping people get the care they need to recover from a mental illness or addiction.
depression-screening.org: This online test from Mental Health America (1-800-969-6642), a national organization promoting mental health, can help you see if you are suffering from depression.
Half of Us: Offers an online resource for college youths with information and resources on mental health issues on college campuses and in college communities.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Offers hope, help, support and education for people with mood disorders. 1-800-826-3632
National Institute of Mental Health: Offers understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through current research. 1-866-615-6464
24-hour hotlines for those with thoughts of suicide or self-harm:
1-800-273-TALK (8255): The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
1-866-488-7386: The Trevor Project’s confidential crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.
1-866-672-5100 or 214-828-1000: The Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas.
911 or go to the nearest emergency room
Thanks to Nancy Churnin of the Dallas Morning News for this piece
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