OVERCOME
OVERCOME THE SYMPTOMS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DIFFICULTY TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >>
ABOUT. >> I AM NATALIE.
I'M 16 YEARS OLD.
>> MY NAME IS MICHAEL AND I'M
18 YEARS OLD.
>> REPORTER: THIS IS THE
GENERATION TO SPEAK UP.
>> I'M MARK.
I'M 17.
I'M 17.
I'M 17. >> LILY STRONG, 16.
>> REPORTER: THIS CONVERSATION
IS OVERDUE.
IS OVERDUE. >> IT IS A PART OF LIFE.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE WITH DEPRESSION AND
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. >> I HAVE A FRIEND WHO
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE WHO'S BEEN
ON LIFE SUPPORT FOR SEVERAL
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. >> WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE
SCHOOL, I HAD TROUBLES DEALING
WITH MY EMOTIONS AND DEALING
WITH ALL THE STRESS IN MY
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> REPORTER: TEENS, SOME WHO
HAVE LOST CLASSMATES OR
FRIENDS TO SUICIDE, ARE PART
OF THE SHIFT IN HOW WE TALK
ABOUT AN ISSUE OFTEN CLOAKED
IN SHAME.
IN SHAME.
IN SHAME. >> IF I CAN TALK ABOUT IT
COMFORTABLY, THEN SOMEONE I'M
TALKING TO FEELS LIKE THEY CAN
OPEN UP.
OPEN UP.
OPEN UP. >> REPORTER: THEY'RE GATHERED
AT U-DUB FOR THE DAY OF HOPE,
A KIND OF SHOW AND TELL OF
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES TO STOP THE SECOND
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR
TEENS AND PEOPLE IN THEIR 20S.
>> WE LIKE TO THINK THAT JUST
BECAUSE WE CAN'T SEE IT, IT'S
NOT THERE.
NOT THERE. >> REPORTER: AT A HIGH SCHOOL
IN SNOQUALMIE, MCKENZIEY DAVIS
AND IN THIS CASE COAL STRONG
--
--
-- >>
-- >> HOW
-- >> HOW DID IT FEEL TO SAY THE
WORD SUICIDE?
WORD SUICIDE? WAS IT AWKWARD?
>> REPORTER: THEY TELL THEIR
PEERS HOW TO SPOT SYMPTOMS AND
WHAT TO SAY.
>> ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT
SUICIDE?
SUICIDE?
SUICIDE? >> REPORTER: THIS IS A NEW
EFFORT MEANT TO TRANSFORM
CONVERSATIONS.
CONVERSATIONS. >> EVEN IF THEY ASK YOU NOT TO
IT WILL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
FIND THAT ADULT THAT CAN HELP.
IT'S BETTER TO HAVE A MAD
FRIEND THAN A DEAD FRIEND.
>> SOMEONE CAME UP TO ME AND
SAID YOU TAUGHT THAT SUICIDE
PREVENTION PROGRAM.
PREVENTION PROGRAM. THAT HAS HELPED ME.
I GOT A FRIEND HELP.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS
EXTREMELY POWERFUL.
EXTREMELY POWERFUL. >> REPORTER: AFTER THE BELL
RINGS FOR THE DAY, TEENS LIKE
ALEX ARE ON STAND BY READY TO
ANSWER CALLS AND TEXTS FROM
OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
GRAPPLING WITH THEIR EMOTIONS.
>> I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF IN
THAT I WOULD FEEL MORE
COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT
ANOTHER TEENAGER THAN AN
ADULT.
ADULT.
ADULT. >>
ADULT. >> REPORTER: THIS TEEN LINK
CENTER IS ONE OF JUST A
HANDFUL IN THE COUNTRY WHERE
ADOLESCENTS, NOT ADULTS, PICK
UP THE PHONES WHEN YOUNG
PEOPLE MAKE THE CALL FOR HELP.
LAST YEAR, TEEN VOLUNTEERS
ANSWERED MORE THAN 3700 PHONE
CALLS AND CHATS FROM OTHER
TEENS SEEKING HELP.
THIS CENTER IS STAFFED 365
DAYS A YEAR, EVEN ON HOLIDAYS.
LEE JOINED TEEN LINK AFTER
FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES TOLD
THEM ABOUT HIS OWN STRUGGLES.
HE HOPES TO HELP OTHERS
OVERCOME THEIR ANXIETY.
>> IT ALWAYS FEELS GREAT AT
THE END OF A LONG CHAT WHEN
THEY'RE LIKE WOW, I FEEL
BETTER NOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR TALKING TO ME.
>> THESE ARE RESOURCES ALL
TEENS NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO.
>> REPORTER: TEENS ARE HELPING
LEAD EFFORTS TO EXPAND MENTAL
HEALTH RESOURCES.
HEALTH RESOURCES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, ELSA MARSH
AND SOME OF HER CLASSMATES MET
WITH LAWMAKERS IN OLYMPIA WHO
ARE CONSIDERING A NEW
REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE
DEVELOP AN ONLINE TRAINING
PROGRAM TO HELP EDUCATORS
RESPOND TO DISTRESS IN
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS. MARSH LOST ONE HER FRIENDS TO
SUICIDE WHEN SHE WAS JUST 13.
>> THIS IS A HEALING WAY TO
TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND
PUT IT INTO SOMETHING BETTER.
>> I CAN'T STAND BY AND WATCH
IT HAPPEN.
IT HAPPEN. >> IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE
PERSON TO DO THIS.
>> REPORTER: THEY'RE LEADERS.
>> WHAT WE DO NOW WILL DEFINE
THE FUTURE.
THE FUTURE. >> THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO
START.
START.
START. WE
START. WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO .G.
>> IT'S TIME FOR US ALL TO
STAND UP AND PLAY OUR PART.
>> THERE ARE ALSO SOME
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS HAPPENING IN SCHOOLS.
AGAIN, DRIVEN BY STUDENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, OVERLAKE SCHOOL,
A PRIVATE SCHOOL, IS TESTING
SOMETHING CALLED A HEALTH
PASS.
PASS.
PASS. THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO GET
OUT OF A MATH HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT, NO QUESTIONS
ASKED.
ASKED.
ASKED. SOMETIMES STUDENTS STRESS OUT
HOPE WHEN THEY HAVE A LARGE
WORK LOAD AND THAT ONE EXTRA
HURDLE, THAT ONE EXTRA
ASSIGNMENT CAN SOMETIMES JUST
SEEM LIKE TOO MUCH IT.
CAN PUT THEM OVER THE EDGE.
>> 3700 CALLS.
I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT
NUMBER.
NUMBER.
NUMBER. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
CURRICULUM IS.
CURRICULUM IS. THERE A COMMON CURRICULUM?
>> THE 29 SCHOOLS USING THE
FOREFRONT CURRICULUM ARE USING
A RIGID CURRICULUM THAT
INVOLVES PARENTS, TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS. THERE'S A STRUCTURED WAY EACH
OF THEM GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
USING DIFFERENT PROGRAMS.
MANY ARE FINDING OUT WHEN
YOUNG PEOPLE --