Suicide isn’t something that happens only to other people, in other communities, in other schools. We may like to think the MHS community is impervious to such a tragedy, but the truth is, we’re not.

According to the National Vital Statistics System, suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens aged 12-19.

There are students at MHS who struggle with their own suicidal depression and students who have felt the pain of losing loved ones to suicide. Most shocking of all, society has little understanding about this complex issue and its effects.

Some might assume they could identify a suicidal person, or that they could say with absolute certainty that none of their friends are struggling in such a way, but most would be wrong. Suicide is not restricted by race, gender or age, and it can be hidden so well that even someone who seemingly has the perfect life- a loving relationship, devoted friends- could be falling part on the inside.

Suicide is a reality in today’s world, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. No one should feel so hopeless that they see suicide as their only option, and no one should have to endure the pain of a loved one taking their own life.

This is an issue so serious that when we learned that September was National Suicide Prevention Month, we knew we had to write about it, and we also knew this issue was so pressing it deserved more attention than a few hundred words most students would barely skim. So, we have decided to release a special edition of the Messenger later this month to allow us to take an in-depth look at suicide, its causes, its detrimental effects, and how it can be detected and prevented.

It is our hope that MHS never has to face the tragic loss of a student, and that everyone struggling with suicide and its heartbreaking effects can realize they are not alone and that there is hope and help available.