GUILFORD — Our community is deeply saddened by the death of Leah Short, and our sympathy and support go out to her family and friends.
Suicide can be extremely difficult to understand. Why would someone take his or her own life? We feel sadness, sorrow, grief, guilt, anger, and disbelief - all at once.
As the father of a teenager in Leah's class, I worry about my own daughter. What do I really know about her coping skills or how she is affected by the stresses in her life? Does she share her troubles with someone who can help her? If suicide became a choice for Leah, how vulnerable is my daughter or her friends?
However, as the manager of a suicide prevention project, I have come to understand that there are usually many reasons a person ends up taking his or her own life.
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Research indicates that 90 percent of people who take their life had a mental health condition or a substance abuse problem. I do not know whether this was a factor for Leah.
The important thing is that those who are suicidal probably are not thinking clearly. They are in such emotional pain that they are unable to come up with other options. They just want the pain to stop.
Fortunately, most people with a mental health condition do fine with the right combination of therapy, medication, or support.
Through Umatter, we want to tell adults and friends that they matter because they can watch for warning signs and connect someone to the help he or she needs. We also want youth who are down or depressed to know that they matter to people around them.
Even if they don't feel it right in the moment, there are people who care about them, need them, and would miss them if they were gone.
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We can all watch for these warning signs of suicide:
• Threatening to hurt or kill oneself
• Looking for ways to kill oneself
• Talking or writing about death
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger
• Acting reckless
• Feeling trapped
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
If someone you know shows these signs, the situation is serious. Listen and show you care. Stay there while you call for help:
• 9-1-1 Emergency Services
• 2-1-1 Vermont Helpline
• 1-800-237-TALK National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Each of us has struggled at some point in our lives to know how we fit, what our purpose is, and how we matter in the Big Picture. The answers don't always come easily and it's OK to ask for help.
That's why friends, families, and a whole community surround each of us.
For me, there is hope knowing that we all matter in specific ways in our community, and when we feel the loss of someone like Leah, there are other people ready to support us.