‘Dare To Live’ Program Brings Message Of Hope To Potentially Despondent Teens

Thirteen years ago, Michael Miller watched medics cut down the body of a 16-year-old boy who had hanged himself in a barn.

As a fire department chaplain, Miller had seen many suicide victims. He’d counseled many shattered families. But this time, he’d finally had enough.

“I decided something had to be done,” said Miller, who quit his job, wrote a book and hit the road. He created a non-profit organization called “Dare to Live,” and has traveled all over the country talking to students about suicide.

“We need to talk to these kids before they attempt it,” said Miller, who brought his message to West Valley High School Thursday.

Valley Fire Chief Pat Humphries, who worked with Miller years ago in Vancouver, Wash., paid three-fourths of the fee to bring him to the Valley.

“I’ve seen it so much in my work,” said Humphries, who was impelled by a Spokane Valley High School student’s attempted suicide last fall. The teen remains in a coma.

“I’ve dealt with at least four other kids who have talked about suicide” this year, said Doug Grace, principal at Spokane Valley High, the alternative high school operated by the West Valley School District. “It’s not an epidemic, but it’s here.”

Miller’s message focuses on depression and the warning signs of suicide. He assures students that everyone has been blue or depressed, and that it’s OK to get help. He explains that depression isn’t just caused by disappointments or sad events. It can result from a chemical imbalance, a reaction to medication or drug and alcohol use.

Miller knows about depression first-hand. He suffered with it for five months, not realizing it had been caused by a new medication for migraines.

“I got within 14 hours of killing myself,” he said.

Luckily, a friend intervened and insisted he see a doctor.

As a fire chaplain and counselor, Miller learned that depressed people often give out warning signs before they take their lives. But friends and family, he said, often don’t recognize them.

Miller told West Valley students what to look for, including sudden changes in appetite or behavior, loss of interest in friends and excessive fatigue. A depressed friend might be unusually irritable and start taking a lot more risks.

Someone considering suicide may be preoccupied with death, show feelings of worthlessness and start giving away their prized possessions, Miller said. Their grades may drop and their drug and alcohol use increase. He challenged students to step in if they think a friend is hurting.

“A lot of my friends were paying attention,” said West Valley senior Brian Blood, who chatted with fellow students after the assembly.

“I started to tear up a few times,” added Sara Crockett, 16. “It’s not like the stories are far-fetched.”

“Usually,” said Stephanie Leveque, 16, “You don’t talk about it until it happens.”

, DataTimes