Stories of the Mind (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Facing Suicide - full transcript

(light music)

Lonely. Really lonely.

When you're depressed, man,

the only thing you can
think about is yourself.

I did have a lot of
people there for me,

but I was just pushing
them away, you know,

not even giving them a chance.

(rhythmic music)

The community has the role
to play in preventing suicide.

You can come around
that individual

to remind them they're worthy.



There is help, there's a
way through any challenge.

If you're thinking
about killing yourself,

just know that you're loved,
know that you're cared for.

Today might be hard, but
tomorrow's a new day.

Well, do they know I'm
Navajo? It's all good.

(soft pensive music)

(whistle blasting)

(players screaming)

(crowd screaming)

- [Narrator] From all
appearances 18-year-old
Greg Whitesell

was having an awesome year.

(crowd cheering)

A standout point guard,
Greg was co-captain

of a legendary high
school basketball team,



the Arlee Warriors,

the pride of Montana's
Flathead Indian Reservation.

(crowd cheering)

What do you call a
guy with a rubber toe?

[Greg] Roberto!

That's the thing about Greg.

He's the only class C boy in
the entire state of Montana

to ever play in
four-state championships.

No other kid's ever done it.

He started, he played
in all four of them.

[Narrator] In 2017,
the Arlee Warriors

won Montana's fiercely contested
division C state title.

[Crowd] Arlee! Arlee!

[Narrator] In 2018,
Greg and his team

were expected to make
lightning strike again,

using their secret weapon, a
super fast brand of the sport

sometimes called
Indian basketball.

Native rancher, Zanen Pitts,
coached the Arlee Warriors

through their most
winning seasons.

Indian basketball, it's
extremely poetic to me.

I love the way that kids
understand the rotations,

how they understand how to
transition with the ball

to get it out, and that
everyone's constantly in a flow,

and it's kind of
like herding Buffalo,

and you can get behind
a big bull Buffalo,

and then bringing him out of
the mountains or something.

There's lanes. And you
gotta see those lanes.

It's like basketball.

Like I'm constantly
telling these boys, like,

put more pressure to push
your defender this way

or to take pressure off
or to get the basketball

in front of the defense.

(crowd cheers)

[Narrator] As a standout
basketball and football player,

Greg held nothing back.

[Guy] Let's go!

[Zanen] He played with fire
in his eyes at all times.

[Raelena] You know,
he's had many concussions

through football, basketball,

and the doctors would
say, okay, you know,

let him rest, and
stuff like that.

But then he would get released.

But you know, as a mom, I
would always be afraid. Scared.

[Narrator] Athletes have a
lot to fear from concussions.

(whistle blasting)

When Greg got the head injury,

it put him into a state of
depression in a really bad way.

And he always has been a person

that can get kind of emotional.

He can get really
aggressive and really timid

in drastic measures quickly.

But he also is super
caring and super loving.

[Narrator] To Greg's
mom, her son seemed fine.

I didn't know
he was depressed.

I should have saw the signs
'cause he was always in his room

and just kept to himself.

But you know, I didn't
think anything of it.

You know, I thought,
oh, he's a teenager,

just going through it, and
you know, he's just teenager.

'Cause I have five kids.

[Narrator] That year
mental health issues

took a heavy toll on the
Flathead Indian Reservation.

Montana's suicide rates

are nearly double
the national average.

Greg Whitesell's depression hit

as suicide spiked
in the town of Arlee

and surrounding communities.

There would be 20 deaths
in just 12 months.

(drum banging)

(man vocalizing)

Some in the community drew
strength from traditions.

(group vocalizing)

(person vocalizing)

(axes hitting)

- As long as your
bottom straight, then
you're good to go.

Hello, committee.

(group cheers)

Thank you, creator, for
bringing us all together today.

We're gonna make some, we're
gonna do some moccasins.

I'll help you wherever
you want help.

When we do something like this,

we do it with really good hearts

and good thoughts on our mind.

And I kid you not, you start
making a design like this

and you start thinking
thoughts about somebody

that aren't very nice,

I don't know about you
guys, but my needle knots

in about 30 seconds.

(Kathy laughs)

And it's like, okay,
get rid of that thought.

Have some good
thought, good medicine.

(gentle music)

Put it together. This is
what you're gonna sew.

And there's the moccasin.

[Narrator] Making moccasins
is a traditional craft

that encourages
sharing feelings.

[Patty] Don't waste-

- [Narrator] The suicides
on the reservation

were foremost in many
people's thoughts.

He didn't wanna afflict
his anger and those emotions

on anybody else.

He thought he was sparing
us that, you know?

I miss him.

When those cops went
out to my house,

I kept telling, "You
need to go get him."

I wasn't sure what
he was gonna do.

I tried to impress that
on his pastor that I said,

"You know, it's no accident-"

[Narrator] For Michelle
Matt, everything changed

the day she asked a friend
to look for her brother.

And he was driving
up behind the house.

He saw my brother walking.

He got out and he yelled.

He said, "John,
where are you going?

Where are you going, John?"

And he kept following him. And
John, he said, kept walking.

But when he got there,
my brother had...

He was already dead.

(somber music)

That moment though,
I tell you what,

the moment I saw was that was...

It just hurt. It hurt so bad.

Oh God, it was awful. (sobs)

(birds chirping)

[Narrator] Almost
everyone knew someone

who had taken their own life.

They were dear friends and
neighbors, parents, schoolmates.

Who wouldn't be saddened by
such tragic news day after day?

Greg Whitesell was close
to many who had died.

He too, developed thoughts
of killing himself.

[Anna Whiting Sorrell]I could
cry now thinking about that,

because he should have
been protected from it.

He comes from a great family.

He was, you know, this
successful basketball player.

My husband and I have
been in this gymnasium

watching him play, and
he was my favorite.

(crowd cheers)

[Narrator] When
teens are suffering,

they are more likely to
confide their feelings

to their friends than to adults.

Peers have a unique
opportunity to step in

and make a difference.

Greg's friends
were no exception.

One night, Greg sent a text to
two of his closest teammates.

(uneasy music)

They raced across
the reservation.

[Thomas Joiner, PhD]Suicide
is a catastrophe for families.

And I don't think catastrophe
is an exaggeration.

I think it's very
apt to call it that,

because it just shocks and
stunts individuals and families.

They are confused and feeling
searing emotional pain

for months, if not years,
sometimes even decades.

And this reverberates
throughout generations.

The CDC is approaching suicide
as a public health crisis,

because the rate in the United
States has been on the rise

since about 1999.

[Narrator] Across the US,
suicide kills more people

than car crashes and twice
as many people as homicides,

about 47,000 a year.

For scientists, doctors, and
that raises a crucial question.

Okay.

[Narrator] How can
we identify the people

who are most at risk and
how can we help them?

We have to develop
a stabilization plan.

So you never have to go

through an awful
night like that again.

Suicide is ubiquitous.

No socioeconomic group,
no subculture is immune.

(rhythmic drums music)

In the US, the largest
number of suicides occur

among middle aged and
elderly white men.

In rural areas, many of
those men are farmers.

Welcome Dr. Michael
Rosmann, farmer, psychologist

to have a little two-hour
meeting here about a subject

that's important and often
overlooked sometimes.

So we'll turn over to him,
and thank you for coming.

-Thank you, Darren.
-(audience applauds)

Oh, you people are
very kind. Thanks.

This morning, we're going
to talk a little bit

about how farmers view
their stress level currently

and your wellbeing.

The signs of distress
begin with worry.

Worry makes us gear up
to deal with the threats.

If the stress does
not remit or decrease,

then we just completely
wear ourselves out

to the point that
depression sets in.

(gentle music)

Chris and I got married
on a fall September day.

The sun was shining. It was
a beautiful, beautiful day.

It wasn't too hot.
Wasn't too cold.

Kalee was born in
September of 2006,

and then we had Kahne
in November of 2008.

Everybody buckled up?

And then it took me some
work to convince Chris

to have our third child.

And Kolbe came in
November of 2013.

I felt like when we
were living in town,

my dreams were reality.

We had the perfect family.
We both had day jobs.

We had our evenings
and weekends holidays

free to spend
together as a family.

Life was great.

(upbeat rhythmic music)

But Chris had an itch
to want to start farming

because he had
grown up on a farm.

And I was very reluctant,

because I was happy with
the life that we had.

We eventually moved to the
farm in February of 2017.

(gentle music)

Oh look, the baby lambs.

The farming was difficult
from the moment we started.

Here's where we put the
sows that are gonna be bred.

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!

(light music)
(sheep bleating)

Lots of good memories
spent with Chris in here.

Lot of long days.

Just the joy of seeing new life

when we'd have the baby lambs.

Had so much joy.

I do feel Chris present
when I come here.

It can be overwhelming
emotionally at times.

But other times
it brings me joy,

'cause it reminds me
of how hard he worked

day in and day out.

Such a hard worker.

What do you think is the
most stressful circumstance

that can cause farmers the
greatest amount of stress?

Anybody wanna take a crack at
that and say what you think?

Financial burden.

Chris's main worry
was the finances,

and how bills were
gonna get paid.

He didn't make it apparent
to me about being depressed

until probably the
first part of May.

(uneasy music)

(sheep bleating)

(Amber sighs)

Chris would send
me text messages,

Snapchats just about being
sad and how he felt worthless

and he didn't know how
things were gonna work.

One of the last Snapchats
that I received from Chris

was a picture of him
tightening his belt

to the last belt loop.

He had lost som much weight.

So what are the key
symptoms that we look for?

For suicide, the first is
when we become so upset

for at least three weeks that
we have not laughed at all.

We've not done anything
that gives us pleasure.

A second danger signal is
a feeling of hopelessness.

Chris was worried
about losing the farm

and not being able to
pass it on to his kids.

Chris would've been the
third generation farmer

and he did feel pressure
of wanting to succeed,

because his grandpa and his dad

both had succeeded at farming.

[Narrator] Rural
communities across America

face a critical shortage of
mental health professionals.

Chris was lucky.

His family found help
and he was treated

at a behavioral health
center for four days.

(thunder booming)

Then he insisted on
returning to the farm.

(thunder booming)

The night before he died,

we had just finished
up with chores.

Such a long conversation.

I never imagined
it'd be my last one.

(gentle music)

(phone rings)

So at 8:12, my cell phone
rang and it was our neighbor.

And Jim said to me,
"Chris is breathing.

He's really slowed down."

I said, "What do you mean his
breathing is slowed down?"

And he said, "Didn't
Carol call you?"

And I said, "No,
what's going on?"

He said, "Oh, Amber,
Chris shot himself."

(solemn music)

I remember crying to
God, "I need a miracle."

'Cause I knew he wasn't gonna
make it with what he did.

This was the hardest thing
I've ever done in my life

to this day was to tell my kids

that their dad was
never coming home again.

(woman vocalizing)

Chris is gonna miss
out on a lot of things,

graduations,
weddings, grandkids.

But I know he's keeping an
eye and watching over us.

(audience applauds)

[Michael] And
thank you very much

and enjoy the
Shelby county fair.

[Narrator] Each year,
some 15 million Americans

think about taking their lives.

Many thousands, like
Chris Dykshorn, do.

But many thousands more are
pulled back from the brink

by someone who steps in to help.

[Michael] What do
you wanna see Dave?

Well, it's kind
of a half circle.

So maybe we just head down
to the tent or the show ring.

Okay.

(phone rings)

Hello, This is Mike Rosmann.

One person I know was
so distressed that
his wife called me

and she said, "Can you come
right over and help me?"

That was the low of my life.

But I probably didn't sleep
any of the night before.

So I was exhausted
physically and mentally.

I couldn't think straight.

I remember yelling, "Lord,
I've gotta have some help.

I've gotta have some help."

[Michael] That that's
a darn good animal there.

[David] Yeah.

[Narrator] Dr. Rosmann
made a house call

and listened to Dave
describe his pain.

Together they came up with
a plan to help him, fast.

And then we
found a way for him

to get into the hospital
immediately for evaluation.

And he remained there for
several days of treatment

that has followed up

with occasional
reliance on medications.

When I think about
what would've happened,

if I had not gotten help, no
way would I be alive today.

I don't know what
would've happened

to end my life or whatever,

but I know that I
wouldn't be alive today

if I hadn't gotten help,

because I couldn't
live with that pain.

If I run into somebody

that I'm seeing some
signs of depression

or any mental health issue,

I would try to get them
in a personal conversation

'cause I've led people
to that same hospital

that I know too, that
had real good success.

[Man] How you doing?

[David] Enjoying the fair?

[Man] Yep.

[Michael] Not as much
bad weather, really.

-[David] Not, that's right.
-We've had fewer tornadoes out.

Dave, don't jinx us-

(Dave laughing)

(people talking over each other)

He has learned how
to turn his turmoil

into an act of
benefit to others.

He wants as his
life's work partly

to keep other people from
becoming so depressed

that they contemplate
ending their lives.

[Narrator] Dave's
story and many like it

show that suicide can
sometimes be prevented

with interventions and support

from family and professionals.

And scientists hope
they can point the way

to helping people earlier,
before they're in a crisis.

That's 15 million
Americans in 2019

with serious
thoughts of suicide.

[Narrator] It's a
complicated challenge,

because suicide results
from a mix of causes,

which are often different
from one person to another.

But one factor is
almost always present:

a mental health
condition like depression

or substance abuse disorder.

There are other
risk factors as well,

things that relate to
impulsivity, aggression,

experiences from the past,
adversity, trauma, abuse.

So it is really
important to understand

that suicide has
multiple risk factors

that converge,
that come together,

and it's not really
ever going to be

one issue that causes suicide.

[Narrator] Suicide's many
causes make it hard to identify

who is at risk and
how to help them.

Scientists are investigating
these questions

from different angles, probing
human behavior, trauma,

and the role of
drugs and alcohol.

For neuroscientists, there's
only one place to start:

in the human brain.

My name is John Mann
and I'm a professor

of translational neuroscience

in the departments of
psychiatry and radiology

at Columbia University.

(light music)

So we started examining
the biology of depression

through collecting the
brains of individuals

who died by suicide.

This is the front of the brain,

here's the back of the brain.

We cut the brain into big slices

about the thickness of my hand.

And then we cut very fine slices

that we mount on the slide.

So the tissue
dries on the slide,

and then we can do a variety
of things in order to study

what is exactly going
on, structural and
functional changes

in the slice of brain of
people who have depression

and people who die by suicide

in order to determine
exactly what's wrong.

[Narrator] Slides dyed blue

show the cellular
structure of the tissue.

Other slides indicate the
presence of serotonin.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter

that is involved
in regulating mood,

decision making, and sleep,

three important
components of suicide.

Specialized nerve
cells, or neurons,

release serotonin
into the brain.

Too few of these neurons,
scientists once thought,

make depression and
even suicide likely.

They were in for a surprise.

For years we
thought the depression

is due to a deficit
of serotonin.

And when we actually went

and tried to count
the number of neurons

and look at the
amount of serotonin

that was in those neurons,
we found to our surprise

it's the opposite that you
have more serotonin neurons

than the average person.

[Narrator] But
why did these brains

have more serotonin neurons?

And why didn't those
neurons relieve depression?

Mann and his colleagues
think they have the answer.

To overcome a serotonin deficit

that could result in
depression or suicide,

the scientists suspect
the brain creates

more serotonin
producing neurons,

but in depressed and
suicidal patients,

the strategy doesn't work.

The neurons produced
by their brains

don't function correctly.

This is part of the brain

where all the serotonin
neurons are located,

and you can see the
serotonin neurons,

they're these black blobs
on both sides of this cleft.

We can use the computer to
count the individual neurons

in every section systematically
all the way through.

[Narrator] When they
counted the neurons

and mapped their location,

they found another
twist in the story.

In one part of the brain

the irregularity is
related to depression.

In another part, the
irregularity is connected

to thoughts of suicide
and suicide attempts.

People with a brain profile
that favors depression

may never consider suicide.

A lot of patients
with the abnormality

causing suicidal thoughts

probably won't die
by suicide either.

But when someone has
both abnormalities,

Mann found something surprising.

The two abnormalities combined

indicate the brain of a person

who may be at increased
risk for suicide.

And brain differences like
these may help explain

why people in a crisis suffer
from a kind of tunnel vision.

They see fewer reasons
for hope and few options

other than suicide.

The world is more
threatening, more critical,

and less helpful
and understanding.

And then they're more
vulnerable to criticism,

which is why you see
reports that bullying,

critical comments at
school have driven somebody

to try and take their own lives.

And you may think, why
would they have done that?

It's because what you
see is not what they see.

[Narrator] Mann
is well on his way

to applying his
discoveries to save lives.

He'll look deeper into the
brains of living patients

with 3D scanning techniques.

He hopes to catch
abnormalities in the brain

before they can
threaten someone's life.

But a big question remains:

where did the risk of suicide
come from to begin with?

(water murmuring)

If you were thinking
about suicide or if you

or someone you know is in
emotional crisis, please-

- Call 988.

[Narrator] Call
or text 988 any time

for confidential
free crisis support.

(cheerful band music)

What many have long suspected

has been confirmed
by researchers:

suicide runs in families.

Some of the evidence comes
from studies with twins.

In one study, researchers
looked at 176 pairs of twins

in which one or both
died by suicide.

They made an
important discovery.

The risk of suicide was
higher in identical twins

who have identical DNA.

The findings can
only mean one thing.

Some of the risk of suicide
passes through genes.

About 50% of the risk
for suicide is heritable.

You look at the Hemingway
family, for example,

and the genogram of
that particular family,

and there's depression and
suicide and alcoholism,

a family just
plagued with tragedy

and way too many suicides.

So if you are someone who
has a family history of suicide

and you have some genetic
loading for suicide risk,

you may not know that

because we haven't become
very sophisticated yet

as a society about recognizing
like we do for heart disease.

We're much better at that.

[Narrator] Most people with
a family history of suicide

never try to take their lives.

But those who have inherited
a risk must be vigilant

about additional risks
in their environment.

Scientists know that it's
genes plus life experiences

that add up to suicide.

There are a number
of risk factors

that are both
internal and external,

a family history of suicide,

a prior suicide attempt,
substance abuse.

And then there's these other
pieces like unemployment,

economic problems,
financial problems,

relationship problems,
legal problems.

All of these are risk factors

that put you at greater
risk of suicide.

Again, it's
important to remember

that most people can survive
and live through those.

Some can't.

A significant proportion
of the risk is genetic,

but a significant
proportion of the risk

is also environmental,

due to experiences
that modify their genes

in a process that
we call epigenetics.

[Narrator] As we age, the
genes that we were born with

are modified by our
choices and life events,

like what we eat, where we
live, and our levels of stress.

(train rumbling)

The discovery that experiences
can change our genes

was revolutionary and
explains a lot about suicide.

It means that trauma,
like an abusive childhood

or alcohol use disorder, can
influence gene expression

and contribute to
suicidal behavior.

In Montana, Greg Whitesell had
no family history of suicide,

but he had suffered
recent concussions,

and the tragedies on
unfolding around him

added to his depression.

Fortunately for Greg, he was
part of a close knit community

in a rich, sustaining culture.

(gentle pensive music)

(man drumming and vocalizing)

Shot Barry, here we go.

[Narrator] Today, Greg
Whitesell and Darshan Bolan

are two years out
of high school.

They reminisce about
the best and worst times

of their lives.

Do you miss high school,
bro? You miss high school?

Yeah, I do.

This is so (indistinct).

I wish I would've got more
outta high school, you know?

Yeah, I wish I actually
tried in high school.

That's what you think.

You know, you're like,
I wish I actually tried.

I wish I could go back.

(both laughing)

Yep.

You know, there's not a
lot of things to do here,

but there's a lot of back roads

and there's a lot
of mountains, so

it's just nothing
better than that.

(upbeat music)

We got news, bro.

Really?

Oh, we talk about everything.

Bro, what-
Yeah. Yeah, dude.

I, so-
Dude,

I would've been
like, bro, calm down!

About our feelings,
about last night's game,

about us playing ball.

I mean nothing's off the
boards with us, you know,

we're not afraid to
talk about our feelings

or anything like that.

(both laughing)

She hit me though.

So I was just checking,
see where she's like.

We gotta come up here in
the winter again, man.

That's so fun.

What's up?

We'll never stop
wearing a hat, dude.

It's pretty hard.

(doors slam)

Therapy, bro. Like a hard reset.

And can you do on your phone?

This is my hard reset on
my life to come out here.

Take in everything.

(cow mooing)

What do you call a
cow with no legs.

Um...

A walrus?

Ground beef, bro.

[Darshan] Oh. (chuckles)

Bet you didn't know that one.

A walrus? I don't even
know what a walrus is.

[Darshan] Those big,
those big freaking-

- [Greg] A hippo?

[Darshan] No, not
a hippo. Walrus.

[Greg] What?

[Darshan] Yeah. They
got like the big fangs.

Oh, from Ice Age?

Age. Yeah, it swims.

Yeah. It swims.

It has like no legs.

Is he right? Sound the truth.

(crowd cheers)

[Narrator] In the
winter of 2018, Greg, Dar,

and the Arlee Warriors should
have been on top of the world.

(crowd cheers)

They were expected to be
state champions again,

but a lot more was riding on
the title than just a trophy.

The suicides on the reservation
numbered in the teens,

soon to reach 20.

Watching the Warriors play

gave the community a
few hours of relief

from the ordeal outside the gym.

For the players, it raised
the stakes even higher.

(crowd cheers)

Their success started to
excel at such a fast rate,

it created a lot of
pressure on them.

(judge whistles)

It was hard on those
boys that definitely know

that they got to where they
didn't want let anybody down.

I remember the Arlee
Warriors right in the beginning

of those suicides, and
we're trying to encourage

and be supportive of
the basketball team
and support them.

♪ There we go,
Warriors, there we go ♪

And it was like, we got
to just step out of that,

all that sadness and
just be in a place

that we could just
do what we love

and that's watch basketball.

Watch our Indian
kids play basketball.

(crowd cheers)

[Narrator] The Arlee
Warriors had become a light

against the darkness that was
overtaking the reservation.

Suicides came faster than
caregivers could deal with them.

(light switches clicking)

(siren blaring)

[Responder] Unit two
to respond. Suicidal.

(indistinct) by
himself at this time.

[Narrator] Anna
Whiting Sorrell

was the reservation
health official

in charge of community response.

I convened people together
in my office saying,

"What are we going to do?'

And then there was
another suicide.

And before, I don't even
know if we ever said,

"I think we're in an epidemic."

I mean, so we went from
one to two to three

and then I remember 17 and
18 and them being together,

and we reached out to what
we thought were the experts

and really found that
there wasn't really much

out there for us
to hang our hat on.

[Narrator] As the
suicide crisis deepened,

the Flathead Indian Reservation

suffered a common
problem in America:

not enough access to mental
health professionals,

and those who needed help,
hesitated to ask for it.

- All of us have
trouble reaching out
and asking for help.

But I also think for
Native people, it's deeper.

My grandma had polio when
she was young, and she,

I loved her, she died
when I was five years old,

and we have no idea if she died

of a intentional
drug overdose or not.

She was 42.

My mom died at 57 from cancer.

She had been recovering
from her own substance abuse

for maybe 10 years.

And I bring that up
because I don't think

that people really understand
the deep historic trauma

that Native people
have gone through.

[Narrator] Historical trauma
is the psychological harm

inflicted upon individuals
and even whole cultures

by harrowing experiences
like slavery, the Holocaust,

and violent colonization.

Through our genes that
trauma can be expressed

in alcoholism, mental
illness, even suicide.

(person drumming and vocalizing)

Historical trauma,
contributes to why Natives

have a suicide rate up to 10
times the national average.

If you can't teach your
own kids your own language,

think about the
trauma about then.

If you can't teach
'em your religion,

if you can't teach
'em your songs

or the music that you love,

that's our most intrinsic
belief system, right?

(woman humming)

(gentle reed music)

I would say that returning
to our cultural ways

is our only way out to get

to the health and
healing that we need.

And that is really what will
prevent the next suicide.

(wind swooshing)
(uneasy music)

I knew we're gonna
gonna fall for that.

Shot.

I've known about 10 people
who have killed themselves.

I was already kind of in
a bad space, you know,

I was already going through
some things off the field.

It was just really hard
time going on in my life.

Lonely, really lonely.

When you're depressed, man,

the only thing you can
think about is yourself.

And the only thing you can
think about is, you know,

what's killing you and
what's eating you up inside.

And you know, I did have a
lot of people there for me,

but I was just pushing
them away, you know,

not even giving them a chance.

(gentle music)

[Narrator] But in the
end, Greg pulled through.

His text reached two close
friends and teammates.

You know, two seconds
after I sent that text,

it felt like my two friends
were right there, you know.

It's just, it's
crazy to think about,

'cause I know I wouldn't be here

if they would
didn't come through

and if they didn't
knock on my door.

[Narrator] One of his
rescuers was Darshan Bolan.

Yeah, like imagine just like
driving up here by yourself

and being able to
look over that.

Have you came over here
by yourself before?

Yeah. A couple times.

I don't think we lost the game.

Well, peer to
peer communication

can play a really important
role in youth mental health

and suicide prevention,
because among youth

who are experiencing
suicidal thoughts,

about half of them are
not telling anyone.

Among those who do,
two thirds of them

are only telling a peer.

They have a gut
feeling about it.

Their friends are telling them

about the hard stuff
going on in their life.

[Narrator] Often
friends are concerned,

but unsure how to help.

[Raelena] Should we
set the table outside?

Yeah. What do
you need out there?

Come on.

[Narrator] Fortunately,
Greg's friends knew

they needed to reach him fast.

Later, his mother took
him to the emergency room.

He began therapy, ending
his suicidal crisis.

And so, unlike some-20 others
in his community that year,

Greg didn't take his life.

That's my back door.

Remember that last week
I threw it way up there

and it landed up
in the tree there.

-Yes.
-(Raelena chuckles)

Woohoo.

That's mine, sir.

Let go, let go.

How many (indistinct)
you make mine?

Okay.

Um, no.

It's got good.

In my head, I was only
worried about myself,

but my mom would be living the
rest of her life without me.

(pensive music)

You know, my pain would
be just be ending,

but everybody else is around
me would just be starting.

If you're thinking
about killing yourself,

just know that you're loved,

know that you're cared for.

Today might be hard, but
tomorrow's a new day.

You never know what's
gonna happen tomorrow.

[Narrator] If you are
thinking about suicide

or if you or someone you know

is in emotional crisis, please-

- Call 988.

Call 988.

[Narrator] Call or text
988 anytime for confidential,

free crisis support.

But yeah, we had the same
fight song as Notre Dame

and we just changed the words.

That's why when I hear
Notre Dame's fight song,

I think about Hunter Huss.

[Narrator] For those
who thought about suicide,

friends can be a powerful force.

And so can family.

In Gastonia, North
Carolina, Fonda Bryant

and her son, Wesley literally
stroll down Memory Lane

in the neighborhood where Fonda
and her relatives grew up.

This is where I know you
think your mom came here grown,

but this is where many a day
that when Spankie and Tut

would come to when we
were just little kids,

and we'd come up here and
hang out with grandma.

That was your great-grandmother.

And we'd come up here,
sit on the porch and talk.

But we would just come out
here and just run around.

And grandma still chopped wood

and something that
you would've loved,

she fixed biscuits every day.

But she-

- (indistinct) would
make them every day.

Because back in the day
that's what they made.

She still had a wood stove and
I never will forget one time,

she tried to put a TV
dinner in a wood stove

and burn my TV dinner slap up.

Yeah. I think that's what
a whale sat right there.

Yeah. That's the whale.

I didn't know they
put something on here.

It says, "Be happy, for
every minute you are angry,

you lose 60 seconds
of happiness."

I would take a picture of that.

That is really something.

Remind me of doing better when
I'm not having a good day.

So when I was growing
up in Gastonia,

one of my classmates, Lisa,
never will forget her.

I had on some shoes
that had holes in them.

And I had put some cardboard
in it to keep the dirt out.

Well, you know, when you
walk, your whole shoe comes up

and people can see it.

So Lisa asked me to
walk in front of her

so she could make
fun of my shoes.

And I could hear the kids
laughing in the background.

And that really, really hurt me

'cause it hurt me for the fact

that I had to go
to school like that

and it hurt me because
I felt like my mom

was doing the best
that she could.

So Lisa set the tone for
my reason why I love shoes.

And I didn't even realize that.

It took me years
to kind of realize

why I love shoes so much.

These are really nice, 'cause
they're kinda like heels,

but they're not, and
they're very comfortable.

They got the little sparkly
stuff across the foot.

I actually have
these in two colors.

This pair is just, it's
kind of self-explanatory,

and thank God they
were marked down.

The color green for mental
health stands for hope.

So of course, I had to have
a pair of shoes with green.

I think probably the onsite
of depression maybe started

when I was around 15-16.

(airplane swooshing)

My first suicide attempt was
when I lived in Savannah.

My mom was, whew, it was
difficult living with my mom.

I mean I lived with her,

but then I moved up
the street from her,

and first off, I didn't
even wanna live in Savannah.

When I moved down
there, I hated it.

So altogether, probably
about two times

where I actually had a plan

and two times where I
seriously thought about

this would be the
best way for me.

Well, I guess, if I can have
people to visualize the pain,

I've had wisdom teeth
removed, abscessed tooth,

open heart surgery,
hysterectomy, knee surgery,

you could put all the pain
together from all my surgeries

that I've had growing up
and combine them together,

and it would not touch the pain

that I felt on
February 14th, 1995.

I had just had it.

And my mind was telling me,

"You know, if you
just take these pills,

if you just go to sleep,
everything will be over with.

Your son will be better off.
Nobody's going to care."

And that's how I felt.

But before I did that,
I said, man, you know,

somebody's gotta
know about my pain.

And I called my Aunt Spankie.

We grew up three years
apart, always been close,

and I simply said, "You
can have my shoes."

That's all I told her.

Hey, Spankie.

Hey, I didn't know you
got your yard done,

your thing done like that.

I knew you were gonna do it.

I knew you were
gonna change stuff.

During the course
of the conversation

she said, "You can
have my shoes."

That was an instant indication

that there was something wrong.

'Cause we are
serious about shoes.

And I eventually asked her,

was she planning to hurt
herself? And she said yes.

But then she went into
action like a super hero.

She took out the papers for me

to be involuntarily committed.

There was a knock at the door

and there was this big
Black CMPD police officer,

Charlotte Mecklenburg
police officer.

"Are you Fonda Bryant?"
And I said, yes.

He said, "I came to take you
to mental health facility."

And I'm like, "No, you're not."

I just did what I did.

I didn't stop to think
about who would be affected

or who would be mad or...

I guess I really didn't care.

(uneasy music)

[Narrator] Fonda
fought the policeman.

She gave up only after
her son, then 12, pleaded,

"Mom, you need help."

There used to be
two service providers

Black Americans did not want
showing up to your doors.

One was a psychiatrist.

The other one was
a police officer.

And the concern was they
both can lock you up.

Then you have the history of
violence among Black Americans,

particularly in police custody,

where individuals were suggested
that they hung themselves,

they killed themselves.

So these sort of
history plays out

into the common experience
of Black Americans

and have an impact
on their perceptions

about mental health services.

[Narrator] After her traumatic
experience, Fonda got help.

I've got your
caseworker. How about this?

How about we let you sit in
the car and get you warmed up.

[Narrator] And today
efforts are being made

to have law enforcement and
mental health practitioners

work together more closely.

[Fonda] Why didn't
he call Wesley?

[Narrator] Although
Spanky had helped her

through the crisis, Fonda's
depression didn't let up.

We don't realize
something as simple

as brushing my teeth,

combing my hair or
taking a shower, takes-

- [Narrator] Strong forces
had converged in her life

to bring her to the
brink of killing herself.

They were forces
one psychologist

has spent his professional
life trying to understand.

You and Morgan are in a
postdoc office together.

[Narrator] Thomas Joiner
is a clinical psychologist

and researcher who studies
the behavior and beliefs

of people who die by suicide.

His examination of
hundreds of patients

inspired him to create
a groundbreaking theory

through explaining why
people kill themselves

and to help identify
those who are at risk.

- It feels like a
bear is squeezing the
life outta you and-

- [Narrator] It's called
the interpersonal theory

of suicide, and it
suggests how social

and psychological conditions

can combine with tragic results.

And she asked me again, "Are
you going to kill yourself?"

And I said, yes.

The interpersonal theory
of suicide in a nutshell

points to three
processes that are key.

And the idea is that when
those three processes

all converge in the
same individual,

that's when death by
suicide becomes likely.

[Narrator] The first process
is perceived burdensomeness.

That's the idea that one's death

will be worth more than
one's life to other people.

The perception of
this feeling is true,

though in reality it
is almost never true.

Her depression
convinced Fonda Bryant

that her beloved son
Wesley, then a child,

would be better off without her.

The perceived
burdensomeness is the idea

that everyone would be
better off if you were gone.

That's the perception.

It's important to underline
that word perceived,

because they're
mistaken about that.

[Narrator] The second
process in Joiner's theory

is called thwarted
belongingness.

That's the idea that you
are alienated from others

and hopeless that
you'll ever reconnect.

You might need to
redo the barb wire.

[Narrator] Though
he was surrounded

by a loving family and friends,
Greg Whitesell was racked

by feelings of
loneliness and isolation.

Thwarted belongingness
is really just a long way

of saying loneliness.

They feel disconnected
and alienated.

Even if the exterior world
around them is people.

For instance, they're popular,
say, high school students

or college students who
are objectively popular.

And yet they feel very lonely
and die by suicide at times,

leaving everyone so puzzled.

How could that be?
They were popular.

And those two things,
burdensomeness in
low belongingness,

when those co-occur,
misery results

and suicidal desire results.

[Narrator] According
to Joiner's theory,

the desire to die by suicide
results from the combination

of feeling that you are a burden

and feeling intensely lonely.

But he argues that a suicide
requires a third ingredient,

the capacity to go
through with it.

Suicide's hard.

It's very fearsome,
physically difficult.

It's really, really
against our natures

to stare death in the face.

And yet that's what
suicide entails.

Some people are able to
do it. Others are not.

And when somebody has capability

and they're miserable enough

because they feel so
much like a burden

and so alienated from others,

that's when those three
processes come together

and that's when we see
these tragic catastrophes.

[Narrator] A deeply
personal catastrophe

prompted Thomas Joiner's work.

When my father was
56, he died by suicide.

This theory, this
day to day work

really is not about my
dad's suicide anymore.

What it's about is the fact

that tomorrow in the United
States over 100 families

are going to be bereaved by
this, a hundred just tomorrow.

And then, the next day.

And then, the next day after
that. And so on and so forth.

And that's just in
our one country.

That's a human tragedy,
and I want to prevent that.

(light tense music)

[Narrator] Caregivers
and scientists

seek to stop preventable
tragedies that strike every day.

Others focus on public
health strategies

that keep people from
ever considering suicide

to begin with.

Everyone engaged in the fight

agrees about the
importance of one thing:

seeing the signs of a
suicide before it occurs.

I think the biggest
sign to look out for

is if they're just
not themselves.

I mean, if you can
definitely tell that,

you know, they're
acting different,

they're not talking as much,

they're kind of
isolating themselves.

That means now they're
really in their rooms, right?

They're really
locking themselves up.

All the things they
used to bring them joy

don't bring them the
same level of joy.

And at all times they
might begin to express,

and this is
important, "I'm fine."

"I'm fine."

Anybody talking about a
sense of being hopeless,

like there's no hope
anymore for them,

there's no future for them

or that there's no purpose
for them to be alive,

no reason for them,

they don't have anything left
to contribute to their family,

to their friends, to
society, or to the world.

(bat hits)

[Man] There you go.

The community has a role to
play in preventing suicide.

Teachers have eyes on our
youth for more hours of the day

than probably most other adults.

Parents know their kids

and their kids'
patterns of behavior

and what makes them tick.

Coaches are around our kids.

You can come around
that individual with
greater attention

to what they may be going
through and to remind them

that they are loved,
they're worthy.

There is help, there's a
way through any challenge.

[Narrator] An aware,
engaged community

may the most important defense
of all against suicide.

Greg Whitesell's friends
quickly reacted to his text.

Fonda Bryant couldn't hide her
signs from her aunt Spankie,

and Spanky instinctively did
something experts urge us to do

when we suspect someone
is a danger to themselves.

Ask the question.

Ask the question,

"Are you thinking about
killing yourself?"

The critical thing is
to ask them directly,

ask them very clearly, Are
you thinking about suicide?

Do you just want to die? Do
you not wanna live anymore?

And I know that's really hard

and I know people
don't do this often

and they don't like to do it,

they're uncomfortable with it.

Even doctors don't
like to do it.

If you open the door

of asking whether
someone's come to the point

where life isn't worth living,

where they've considered
dying by suicide,

then there are a series of
things that you can inquire

about, in terms of, have you
reached out to anyone else?

Is there, you know, family
or friends or others

who can help you?

Do I need to walk with you
to the emergency department

in the extreme?

(uneasy music)

[Narrator] For a suicidal
person, the emergency department

can be the first step on
a journey to wellness.

It's where those at risk

can be directed to
life saving treatment.

But emergency rooms can
be overwhelmingly busy.

Too often, patients in crisis
are offered little counseling,

then sent home.

If they seek counseling,

it can take weeks to
get an appointment.

That leaves a big gap
between the crisis and care.

Scientists developed a life
saving tool to fill that gap.

It's called the Safety Plan.

My colleague Greg
Brown and I developed

a safety plan intervention.

And that intervention
is used to help people

who become suicidal to get
through a suicidal crisis

without acting on
their suicidal feelings

and suicidal thoughts.

[Narrator] The safety
plan is a worksheet

of coping strategies that a
suicidal person can follow

to get through an
emotional crisis.

So there are six steps
on the Safety Plan.

And the first step is to
identify warning signs.

[Narrator] Warning signs
are thoughts that tell you

you're headed for
emotional trouble.

A patient may think
life isn't worth living

and nothing will
ever get better.

Friends and family would
be better off without them.

So now we're gonna identify
what your warning signs are

so that you know that you
need to grab the Safety Plan

and start using it

so that you don't make
a suicide attempt, okay?

[Narrator] For
people in crisis

problems can trigger
dangerous impulses.

Patients must plan to
distract themselves.

We have them identify
what are the things

that they can do
just by themselves,

because a lot of times
people get suicidal at night

when they are by themselves.

That will take their
mind off their problems

that will engross
them, distract them,

even just for a little while.

And so they're
really simple things.

It could be something like
playing with their dog.

(light cheerful music)

[Man] Boy. Good boy.

You know, usually
when I'm running,

I'll put on some music,
put on a podcast,

and when I'm out for a
ride, I'm kind of in a zone.

Suicidal impulses
or suicidal urges

can be a very short duration.

The idea is that by doing
these simple coping strategies,

that we are actually
even going to shorten

that period of time
that a person has

the strong suicidal urges

and the urge to act
on suicidal thoughts.

[Narrator] The coping
strategies can stop an urge

in its tracks.

What I always say is time,

the passage of time
is your friend.

[Narrator] The safety
plan moves from self-help

to asking for help from friends.

And finally, talking
to a therapist.

Often self-help
alone does the trick.

Are you willing to
do that? Fantastic.

[Narrator] The last
step encourages patients

to think about the
thing they love most.

The one thing that
is most important to me

and worth living for is.

So what is that for you
when you think about it?

My kids, Jack and Sarah.

Okay. So why don't
you write them down?

The whole idea behind it is
that we want people to learn

how to cope on their
own as much as possible.

Of course we want
them to reach out

when they need to reach out.

We have people on the plan
that they reach out to,

but it's their own
initiation for doing it.

[Narrator] The Safety
Plan is only the beginning.

For many patients the next
step is to seek counseling

for their suicidal thoughts.

Sadly, some people
die by suicide

before they can receive help
or even make it to the ER.

That's because deadly means
of suicide are all around us.

Firearms take an
especially tragic toll.

In the US, the majority of
gun deaths are not homicides.

They're suicides.

More people die by
suicide from guns

than all other means
of suicide combined.

(clock ticking)

The thing that we understand
that suicidal crisis

is usually one to 10 minutes.

One to 10 minutes.

If you have a lethal means,

it's more likely
to result in death.

So if you have a firearm, you
have a 95% chance of dying.

If you don't have a firearm and
use some other means, right,

you only have about five
to 10% chance of dying.

So the means matter.

If you are in a
gun-owning home,

that is a very important
aspect of suicide prevention

is to think about those
firearms and making sure

that they're stored safely

and securely,
ammunition separately.

And during periods of crisis,

I would even go
so far as to say,

tried to have firearms outside
of the home environment.

[Narrator] During
a crisis experts say,

unload guns and take
them to a trusted friend.

And don't stop there.

Lock up or dispose
of prescription drugs

and over the counter medicines.

Lock up or dispose of
common household poisons.

How else can you
prevent suicide?

Learn the signs, experts say,
so you can recognize them

in family, friends,
and colleagues.

Ask the question: Are you
thinking about killing yourself?

And never, ever leave
someone in crisis alone.

Science has proven
these steps save lives.

But what about preventing
suicides in an entire community?

That would require coordination
among multiple health

and education services.

(light music)

It may sound utopian,
but there are places

that show suicide prevention
can work on a national level.

In response to one
of Scandinavia's
highest suicide rates,

Denmark took steps to
bring suicides down.

(alarm rings)

I get up at around
nine every morning

and make a pot of coffee.

From there, I start
doing my research.

I'm a writer, write
a lot of articles.

I'm a very curious person,

and I love to, you know,
embrace new knowledge.

I love to study different things

and kind of be a nerd about it.

[Narrator] Troels Torps'
life wasn't always so orderly.

In his teens, he began suffering
from extreme depression,

and later, hallucinations.

Isolated and feeling like
a burden to his family,

Charles found himself
in a dangerous spiral.

I don't think that I
actually wanted to die.

It was more a feeling of
just kind of getting relief,

kind of just make it all stop.

Just stop.

[Narrator] Troels tried
to kill himself three times.

Then, he grabbed a lifeline.

He let his father take him
to a psychiatric hospital.

Copenhagen's Amger
Psychiatric Center

is one of 19
government run clinics

devoted to people who
have attempted suicide

or are thinking about it.

At the clinic, therapists
like Titia Lahoz

explore patients'
dangerous thoughts.

(Titia speaks in Danish)

(patient speaks in Danish)

(both speaking in Danish)

Free psychiatric care in Denmark

strikes a big blow
against suicide.

So does reducing access
to dangerous medicines.

Medical doctors
became much more aware

of prescribing those

and prescribing them
in smaller amounts.

Making sure that people who
had severe mental disorders,

they didn't have
large quantities

of dangerous medication at home.

[Narrator] Means
restriction discourages

other forms of self-harm.

Firearms are
strictly controlled.

And barriers prevent people
from stepping onto train

in metro tracks and jumping
off bridges onto tracks.

Blocking lethal means
of suicide is crucial,

because if suicidal people
are stopped in their attempt,

they often drop their
plans to harm themselves.

Denmark tries to
head off self-harm

long before hospitalizations
are necessary.

(children laughing)
(light music)

From a young age Danish
children are encouraged

to talk about their
feelings, not hide them.

At many schools, they learn
the good behavior game.

This classroom contest
teaches self-control

and emotional moderation.

While it's a simple game,

it promotes lifelong
mental health.

The teacher divides the
class into two teams.

Whenever someone misbehaves,

like talking to a friend
or leaving their seat,

the other team scores a point.

Children learn to recognize
the desire to act up

and to control it for the
benefit of their team.

(teacher speaks in
foreign language)

There are studies
that have shown

that the good behavior
program is actually linked

to a lower risk of suicide.

So from that sense,
it's a good initiative.

(light guitar music)

-Today, I live a modest life.
-I would say, a simple life.

And that's how it
should be for me.

(audience applauds)

(Troels speaks in
foreign language)

[Narrator] Troels modest
life has not made him shy.

He shares his story of
survival and resilience

as an ambassador
for a government
sponsored organization

called ONE OF US.

In ONE OF US, we fight
stigma by promoting inclusion

and combating discrimination
related to mental illness.

And we do that with big
corps of ambassadors,

and ambassadors in ONE
OF US are all people

WITH lived experience
of mental illness.

[Narrator] Stigma costs lives.

People who die by suicide
usually don't seek help

or even share their
intentions beforehand,

often due to the
shame and disgrace

associated with mental
health conditions.

(Troels speaks in
foreign language)

Troels is a really excellent
ambassador in ONE OF US,

because he worked
through so many

of his very serious
mental health problems

in a way that he is
able to share it today

and share it in a
very reflected manner.

(Charles speaks in
foreign language)

(audience applauds) &

(truck honking)

(tractor rumbling)

[Narrator] In a country as
vast and diverse as the USA,

creating a national suicide
prevention system like Denmark's

would pose significant
challenges.

But experts argue that
we need to improve

our fragmented system

to make a real dent in
America's suicide crisis.

More funding and
better coordination,

they say, could make a
significant difference.

Meanwhile, in families and
communities across the country,

hope emerges from
unexpected places.

(light hopeful music)

Arlee, Montana, winter 2018.

All eyes are on the Warriors
as they prepare to defend

their title C
division championship.

But first, the team
punches a big hole

in the stigma
surrounding the disease

that's been killing
their community

by making a video
for social media.

We the Arlee
Warriors are dedicating

this divisional
tournament to all families

that fallen victim to
the loss of a loved one

due to the pressures of life.

We want you all to know
that you'll be in our hearts

and in our prayers as
we step on the form

to represent our school
community and our reservation.

(crowd cheers)

And then after that, they
ran out and played an epic game

and we won and, you know,
the fairy tale continued.

So we get on the bus that
night and we're going home.

And my wife says, "Look,
how many views this has!"

So I look at it and it's
got like 100,000 views.

I'm like, whoa, this
isn't even that good.

[Narrator] That video
spawn more videos.

And then a grassroots
suicide prevention campaign

called the Warrior Movement.

-[Together] Together we rise.
-Join the Warrior Movement.

[Narrator] Greg and
his fellow athletes

visit schools around the state

to spread powerful
messages of hope and unity

in the face of suicide.

Our message is one of
courage, togetherness, and hope.

I've been faced
with depression

and without the help
for my two best friends,

I wouldn't be standing in
front of you here today.

(drum banging)

[Narrator] As
for Fonda Bryant,

she puts her hard
won knowledge to work

as a suicide reduction activist.

If you have a friend, a
family member, coworker,

Check on 'em.

It's the best deterrent.
How are you doing today?

More behavioral clues, giving
away prized possessions.

Y'all heard what I said.
I called my aunt Spankie.

My shoes were my
prized possession.

And I told her she
could have 'em.

Oh my goodness,
look at your shoes.

Keep in mind that
some of my shoes

I cannot get to right now.

Yeah. I like these.

And they got a
very unusual heel.

Yeah.

I don't think I
should say out loud

how many pairs of
shoes I actually have.

Ultimately, I really get hope

from those that are
really close to death,

that we can keep alive,

that we can see that finding
a way to connect with them

keeps them alive.

And sometimes that
is through therapy

and sometimes it is just
through a good listening ear.

Sometimes it is by
checking in with them

when they most need it
and being there for them.

Here we go! Here we go!

Chris is still with us
in a very big sense.

I never want my kids
to forget their dad.

I am looking forward
to seeing my kids grow

and I don't wanna miss out
in any part of their life.

Seeing my kids grow up
is what gives me hope,

hope of a bright future
for each one of them.

Hey, guys.

What gives me hope in the
field of suicide prevention

are the young people.

You know, I've got a
lab of 20 to 30 students

who are on fire.

They are so excited to
be part of the solution,

to be doing research
and learning about this

and going on to academic careers

or going on as clinicians
or working in the field.

I am really, really
proud to be a Salish woman

sitting in this chair today

that somehow I can help
communicate to a broader world

to understand how this
epidemic of suicide

has impacted my own family,
certainly my community,

my tribe overall.

And I am so indebted
that people are willing

to hear our story and help
us get to a place of hope.

The way that you start
a contagion of hope

is to start spreading
stories of recovery,

of spreading stories
of resilience,

of spreading stories of hope,

because people don't
think that you can recover

from many different types
of mental illnesses.

And you can.

(inspiring music)

[Narrator] If you are
thinking about suicide

or if you or someone you know

is in emotional crisis, please-

- Call 988.

[Narrator] Call
or text 988 anytime

for confidential
free crisis support.

You're gonna go that
faster on this bump?

Uh-oh!

It's enough!

(both scream)

They not even look.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪