Suicide Awareness

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Creatively Maladjusted

You are probably wondering what Martin Luther King Jr. has to do with suicide. King struggled with bouts of severe depression. He even jumped out of a window at the age of twelve. Ultimately, King embraced what he termed creative maladjustment, which he describes above in a clip from a longer speech. Being able to adjust oneself to a cruel and unjust world should not be a point of pride, contends King. When we feel that we have lost hope may well be for a good reason:

the circumstances around us seem intolerable. But those circumstances will inevitably change, and if those circumstances seem unlikely to change just with the passage of time -like institutional racism- then our hope can be found in changing those circumstances in the world around us.

Feeling suicidal is a response to an intolerable set of feelings or circumstances. But we can reach out, get support, take action, help others, or even help the world like Martin Luther King Jr. did. In short, when we use our feelings of maladjustment creatively to make our world better, those feelings will change. We might want to fight for in change the world, our country, our school, or just to make the circumstances in our lives for the better. Thankfully, Martin Luther King Jr. survived into adulthood and he was able to bring about change for millions of people both during and after his lifetime.

Kevin Hines: Lived to tell

Kevin Hines was nineteen, and he couldn't think of what to do with his feelings of despair other than attempt suicide. Amazingly he lived. The video at the right tells a bit about what happened to him, and this video series contains the steps Kevin takes to address his own mental health problems and stay positive.

Creative Maladjustment in action

Talk To Someone Now
If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

If you or Someone you know...

The most important thing to remember is DON'T STAY SILENT. You deserve support and not to be in pain, and people want to help. If you have a friend who is talking about suicide or mentioning it from time to time, don't stay silent. Let someone know before it's too late. You can always talk to teachers and counselors at our school. We want to help kids; that's why we are here.The website to the left offers guidance for people in these situations.