Thank you for sharing this message, I lost my brother to suicide January 18th, 2009. and SPS has made a difference in my life. I thank each and everyone of the staff, they touch the hearts of many.

Half right:

“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” - George Bernard Shaw

“Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.” - Robert Francis Kennedy

Semper Fi!

As always beautifully written by a beautiful woman!

Before talking or writing about this subject the author and The Patch might want to look at this page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copycat_suicide

Talking and writing about suicide does not cause suicide. That is a myth.

Miss Weber have you read Cialdini on the subject? Just writing something is a myth does not make it so.

www.suicidology.org; www.sprc.org

Miss Weber I found this through the second website you posted. here is the link.
http://www.sprc.org/sites/sprc.org/files/event_materials/7A%201%20Norton.pdf

Research Shows An Increase In
Suicide May Occur When:
• The number of stories about individual
suicides increases.*
• A particular death is reported at length or in
many stories.*
• The story of an individual death by suicide is
placed on the front page or at the beginning
of a broadcast.*
• The headlines about specific suicide deaths
are dramatic (A recent example: "Boy, 10,
Kills Himself Over Poor Grades").*

Sometimes is it better left to ignore those who don't understand. Great article and I will pass it on! Thank you for caring about so many Stephanie. You have saved the lives of many and helped those who have lost someone to suicide. You are a blessing!

Ms. Weber thank you for writing this article. I along with Craig Bobowiec help start the Yellow Ribbon Walk in the Tri-Cities a few years ago after the loss of his step daughter. He held a benefit concert prior to the first walk and I brought up there the importance of talking about suicide. I myself have lost two family members. It scares people and as we see here some people are afraid of copy cat situations, but one thing I find interesting is for several years we tried to get the school district to talk about it with the students in a significant way, they would not and each year a child was lost if not more. Once the students came forward and showed they wanted to talk about it and the school finally implemented it they had success. Talking about it make everyone aware. Friends see signs and realize it is important to let someone know, those thinking about it are more aware of how it is truly final and the impact it leaves on those who love them. Bless you for talking about it.

YES - it helps if people talk about suicide. Talking about it can save lives. Talking about it with people like the amazing staff and volunteers at SPS is especially helpful.

I lost my son Joe to suicide and my life is forever changed. I chose to channel part of my grief into helping others deal with suicide and volunteered for a couple years at SPS. It is an amazing organization providing a very much needed service. Learn about suicide, talk about suicide, and donate if you are able - you can save a life.

Wow!!!! Im going to take the advice of Wendi and leaving the ignorant alone. Speaking about suicide does help and it does help others. Loving someone who has attempted but was saved at the very last minute is such a whirlwind of feelings, A- Im ever so grateful he was found, he belongs here. B- he can now help others, read the signs that others , as hard as they try to hid the fact they're not happy and try to help them. If suicide is not talked about people will die and that is NOT ok. I will figure out some way to raise some money... LETS TALK ABOUT IT!!!! SUICIDE PREVENTION BABY!!!

What Stephanie and SPS have done for so many in the area and by working the "Hotlines" is unmeasurable. Saving one life would have been worth the effort and I know they have saved hundreds. Since D303 finally woke up and implemented education and "Yellow Ribbon" programs in the dictrict, I do not believe they have had a single suicide. Prior they had at least 1 per year for 5 or 6 years straight. Letting those who are hurting know there are people to talk to, there are other options and answers rather than death does give them an opportunity see a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Educating all the rest of us also on how to deal with someone who is contemplating it is also so valuable. Who would ever think someone they know who ever take their life? I never dreamed of it and yet it happened in the blink of an eye. That trauma touches and changes so many people in the circle of the one who is lost and you are never quite the same. Please, each and everyone of you who has read Stephanie's story, needs to come to their rescue and help in whatever form or amount you can. Losing SPS would be a dire loss to the community and it shouldn't happen.

If "not" talking about suicide were the real physiological cure of the disease, I would become the most vocal of this non-vocal cure.

Amazement & confusion combine to leave me disheartened when I am reminded of how medically advanced we've become about every organ, joint, muscle, tendon and fascia covering in the body except the most important ... the brain. Suicide, depression, mania, bi-polarity, hoarding, schizophrenia, paranoia, etc., are real physiological diseases of the brain. Diseases that are still culturally embedded in myth, guess & Ostrich-like cures that serve the emotional IQ of the supposed "mentally healthy" people but do nothing to address the organ's physical reasons for the disease by the disease sufferers.

We MUST talk about it. It serves many purposes to talk about it. One is to educate our kids and let them know that this is never the answer, and that it would effect us who love them and would miss them. We don't want to live without THEM! They are THAT important! Second, if we talk about it, they become aware and in tune to their friends behavior, talk, etc about this subject. They will learn to see signs and maybe worry enough to say something to them or to someone else that might end up saving their lives, or at least giving them a sense that someone cares about them.

Great article. And timely. I found it interesting that there were multiple articles recently about the untimely death of a young, apparently much beloved DGN coach and when those of us who didn't know him or anything of the circumstances around his death asked about them were almost chastised for doing so.

When another commenter factually acknowledged that his life ended apparently as a result of suicide (and provided a link to a related article), someone actually asked why that comment wasn't removed. Of course, I recognize the importance of respecting privacy, family wishes, etc. (although noted that there was no mention of cause of death being kept private, etc. - so nobody knew if there were sensitivities or just sloppy reporting). I also recognize that a repeatedly publicized passing of a young and important person will inevitably invite questions about the cause of death. It seems that efforts to hide the fact or chastise others for asking simple questions only adds to an unnecessary and unfortunate stigma.

Ms. Weber,
I will continue to support SPS, I know the importance of this agency and can see the dedication the staff has. Please continue to update us on the status of the agency and how we can help. : )

My 19 yr old son died by his own hand. I don't think he did it because he heard someone talking about it. It seems to me that if a celebrity commits suicide it is all over the news-yet I have read that the news industry will not write about the suicide of a less known person. In Kenosha WI 5 high schoolers committed suicide at the same highschool during the same year. Maybe if the papers had reported on it the parents would have known what was going on at that school. Kathleen