Quote:
Originally Posted by Honeykiss1974
True - plus if he only went home for holidays or the occassional weekend, its easy "fake it" and act like everything is peachy keen when in fact, you're tormented inside.
|
I watched an interview with his roommates last night and they said that the whole reason they reported that he had been suicidal was because they knew he would be alone for the whole Christmas break and that he would have ample opportunity to attempt suicide, so they wanted to make sure someone knew. So, it sounds like he didn't even go home for breaks or anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SWTXBelle
But wasn't he committed to a mental health facility, where they said he was a threat to himself? That is kind of hard to ignore even if you are working a great deal.
I don't blame the parents - anymore than I do the school - but I do hope that one thing to come out of all of this is a discussion on how to prevent this kind of thing. Parents have to look for warning signs - schools have to discuss what to do with a student with these kind of issues. I remember earlier in the year a discussion of schools who made depressed students withdraw, so this is not a new issue.
When I was teaching college I had a student who would sit in the front row making a slitting motion to his throat whilst grinning manically at me. I've dealt with this problem on a VERY personal basis. He was also following me after class. I had my brother the police officer come and escort me a few times, and the behavior stopped. But the school was powerless to do anything.
I don't know the answer, but I know it is a discussion that needs to happen.
|
Even if he had been committed to an inpatient unit for 5 years, his parents wouldn't necessarily know. Admission to such a unit is highly confidential and the hospital isn't allowed to notify anybody unless the patient gives permission to do so. When family members would call the front desk at the hospitals where I've worked, the secretary couldn't acknowledge whether someone was a patient there or not. If they called to speak to the patient, they would be told "We cannot confirm that the person is here but if they are, we can give them a message". Sometimes the message was for someone who wasn't a patient there. Very very strict rules on this.
I can do without most of the sensationalism. I have been focused on the survivors and how they survived. This is the first time my kids have been old enough that I can't protect them from this media coverage so it has presented a new challenge. With 9/11 and Columbine, etc., I could keep them away from the TV. Now, they have internet access and stuff, so there is no way. I've turned it into an analysis of things you can do if you find yourself in a scary situation. So far we have:
1) The girl who pretended she was dead when the killer returned. Brilliant, and saved her life.
2) The class that went into a teacher's office and locked that door, since the classroom doors don't lock.
3) The class that moved furniture in front of the door so the killer couldn't get in the room.
4) Getting out through a window if the door is unavailable (could break some bones, but more likely to survive).
They have lockdown drills at school now, a new law this year (Michigan law? or Federal? I don't know). My son's drill happens to be today. Odd timing, but good practice. I think if people are aware of some things that could be done before they are in that situation, they will have more tools to draw from if ever in a similar situation.