Public service announcement

Suicide rates among teenagers continue to be a leading cause of death and an ever-present issue in Fresno County.

In the local area, 10 teen suicides were recorded during 2013-2015, according to the Fresno Bee. However, in 2016 alone, there were 11. The situation in the Fresno and Clovis area has received additional attention due to a cluster of student suicides.

In light of the recent tragedies to local high school students, many are searching for potential reasons as to why anxiety, depression and other causes lead to suicide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is not just for those who are depressed or alone. Call 1-800-273-8255 in order to receive help or learn how to help others who are experiencing suicidal tendencies.  Make that call for help. There is hope for everyone. Start a conversation by approaching someone with, “Let’s Talk.”

Counselors are available on the FC and all local campuses to help provide support. Additionally, the first of a series of workshops led by local professionals were held on the FC campus in the Jackie Johnson, Feb. 6, from 6:30-8 p.m. for PARENTS only. The first is called, Session 1: Navigating the Struggles of Anxiety, Depression, and Self Harm was led by Stephanie Zimmerman, LMFT, addressed the strategies to implement those who are struggling, including how to cope with these issues.

The following suicide public service announcement was created and filmed entirely by The Feather Online video team. It explores the effects of teenage struggles on the vulnerable individual. The simple things we act out daily may strongly affect a teenage child’s life. The video is made to raise awareness of teenage suicide and encourage people to help depressed teens in their lives.

The project took a month of pre-production and two days of filming with two days of post production. While the video may not be for everyone, consider the application and be the reason why someone asks for help rather than contributing to their pain.

Disclaimer: This video contains mature content and may not be suitable for all ages.

For more information or help, there are people ready to talk 24 hours a day on the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

The Feather Online will be utilizing the hashtag #HopeLetsTalk on social media. If it is shared, please issue a disclaimer with posts.

The second workshop and next issue is healthy dating relationships in March. A date and time is not yet available. The third installment, safe driving and is tentatively scheduled for April.

Those who want a high resolution version of this video, please contact [email protected]. When posting this video, please consider using the hashtags: #HopeLetsTalk #BeThe1To

For more Feather articles, read Nick LeBlanc’s COLUMN: Overcoming struggles of diabetes.