In the last two years, 12 people in the Fort Dodge area have died by suicide, adults and teenagers alike, according to records from the Webster County medical examiner, Dr. Dan Cole.
It is an act that can never be fully explained.
The question "why?" can haunt family and friends long after their loved one takes his or her own life.
Members of the Fort Dodge community are coming together to discuss ways to educate people about suicide and resources that can help.
Troy Schroeder is one of 10 to 12 people who have been meeting and created a support group for parents and kids. Schroeder said 70 people showed up at the group's first meeting.
"Obviously, community-wise, we've had a number of suicides over the last year, including young people," said Schroeder, who said he struggled with feelings of depression as a teen. "Basically, our goal is to educate as many kids and parents about how to talk to each other about such a difficult topic."
Schroeder said the group, Have Hope, Save a Life, Save a Dream, offers an open forum for people to talk about how suicide has touched their lives, or just to learn more about the warning signs and resources.
"A few of us in the group lost our best friend to suicide two years ago, that's sort of what sparked this," Schroeder said. "We've had a lot of support so far, and at the first meeting we got a lot of feedback from parents and teenagers about what they want to get out of the group. They gave us a lot of ideas that we'll talk about at the next meeting."
The group's next meeting is set for from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 19 at the AFES building on South 12th Street and Second Avenue South. The building is across from Sacred Heart Church in the former Sacred Heart school building.
Sheila Freeman is another Fort Dodge resident who is partnering with various members of the community, including school administrators, council members and others, to try to prevent others from taking their lives. Her 18-year-old son died by suicide in October 2009.
Besides helping parents through similar situations, Freeman and Angie Peterson organized the first Fort Dodge Out of the Darkness Walk, which was held in June. The walk is a national event held to break the stigma that surrounds suicide victims, survivors and families.
Freeman said 255 people attended the walk and more than $22,000 was raised.
She is attending a round table meeting today with city leaders, school principals and other community members to discuss creating educational programs throughout the community.
"There are a lot of myths surrounding suicide," Freeman said. "One of the biggest myths is that directly asking someone, who you believe is suicidal, if they have thought about killing themselves will cause them to die by suicide. That's not true. The best thing a person can do for someone who is contemplating suicide is to ask the question directly and open that dialogue."
She added that some of the programs she's proposed for use in schools would discuss other life issues with students as well, such as bullying and anorexia.
"As adults, sometimes we think that some of the issues youths deal with aren't a big deal, but those issues are a big deal to them," Freeman said.
She is also hoping to create a crisis program for the entire community to create awareness of the signs of suicide and how to help.
"A lot of people show signs; they just aren't recognized right away," she said.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable mental illness, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
Freeman said she worries that the stigma surrounding mental health illnesses prevents people from talking about the problem and seeking medical care.
"People need to talk about it," she said. "Especially, with what we're dealing within our community."
In addition to the Have Hope, Save a Life, Save a Dream group, Freeman is working to complete training to lead a suicide survivors group in Fort Dodge.
She said she wanted to offer a place for people to talk about their experiences. She hopes to have the group started by the end of October.
"Sometimes people shy away from victim's families," Freeman said. "It's a hard subject for people to talk about, sometimes because they don't want to bring up their own pain."
"The ultimate goal would be to come up with a community crisis line," she added. "At least there's a national crisis hotline for people to get help, and that number is 1-800-273-TALK."
Contact Lindsey Mutchler at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net
