Dead serious: breaking the cycle of teen suicide : a book for teens, adults & educators

Foreword

I'm not a stranger to suicide

Teen suicide: dead serious

Here's the thing

A parable: As told to me by Scott LoMurray, sources of strength

Why a second edition of Dead Serious?

Middle school kids

Three big takeaways

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: When it's someone you know

Kevin's story

Reactions to suicide

Denial

Blame

Guild

Anger

Grief

Search for answers

Healing never goes in a straight line

Strategies: resources

Chapter 2: Behind the statistics

Youth risk behavior survey

The teenage brain

Sleep

Don't you know? It's all academic

Homework: The 10-minute rule

Social media: 9 hours a day

Loss: Death

Loss: Divorce

Loss: Support

Moves are tough

Economic stress

When things do wrong in childhood

Sexual/physical/verbal abuse

The facts

Chris's story

Strategies: Where to find help

Chapter 3: Anxiety and depression

Anxiety disorder

Strategies: What can you do to be less anxious?

Strategies: Some cool apps

Depression

Sign of depression

Some major risks factors for depression

What causes depression?

Professionals treating depression

Advances in treating depression

Depression on the rise for teenage girls

Strategies: What can you do to feel less depressed?

Self-harm: Cutting

Strategies: If you're a teen cutter

Chapter 4: Exploding the myths/ recognizing the warning signals

A quiz

Exploding the suicide myths

Joe and Jeff's story

Ron's story

Tim's story

Jeffery's story

Steve's story

SOS: Suicide warning signs

Six general general warning signs

Acting out

Alcohol and drug abuse

The opioid epidemic

Teens mix prescriptions with other substances

Passive behavior

Changes in eating habits

Changes in sleeping habits

Fear of separation

Strategies: Where to get help an introductory list

Specific warning signs

Abrupt changes in personality

Sudden mood swings

Risky behavior

Decreased interest in school and poor grades

Inability to concentrate

Loss or lack of friends

Final distress signals

Loss of an important person or thing

Hopelessness

Obsession with death

Making a will/giving away possessions

Strategies: What can you do?

Chapter 5: Suicide survivors

Every suicide leaves an estimated six or more "suicide survivors" people who've lost someone they care about deeply and are left grieving a struggling to understand

My mother's story

Bev and Ron's story

My sibling story

Strategies: Join a suicide survivor's group

Strategies: Read a book

Chapter 6: Over the edge : Interviews with suicide attempters

Kate's story

Kurt's story

Natalie's story

Chapter 7: Bullying : A power play that hurts

What is bullying, anyway?

Myths and facts about bullying

Climbing the social ladder

What we know about bullying and suicide

David's story

13 reasons why

Witnessing bullying

Bethanne's story

Callan's story

Cyber bullying: Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide

What's the solution?

Strategies: ways to stop/react to bullying

Chapter 8: LGBTQ: overcoming the stigma with resiliency and pride

An abridged glossary of terms

Doing just fine, thank you

Milanka's story

"Gender-expansive" children and young adults

Not a level playing field

Being outed

Rejection by family and friends

Physical safety at school and beyond

August's story

Homelessness

Ali's story

Substance abuse

Suicide

Sky's story

On being transgender: It's not a disorder Hope

Strategies: valuable resources

Chapter 9: Connections

Josh's story

Dylan's story, take 2

Strategies: Listening

Your friends are the first to know

Strategies: Mirroring ("Mirror on the wall . . .")

Strategies: When a friend won't talk

Strategies: Paying attention to nonverbal clues

Strategies: How to ask good questions

Suicide prevention programs that make the grade

Strategies: Suicide hotlines

Fire within

The Trevor Project: "Saving young lives: in the LGBTQ community

Strategies: Where to get help

Sources of strength: Peers rule

SOS Spinoffs: We have your back

What now?

"You've got a friend."