This is why I want to be a counselor.

There are so many people hurting, and it breaks my heart.

Statistics:

• 20% of teens will experience depression before adulthood.
• 8.3% of teens suffer from depression for at least a year at a time.
• 20-40% of teens will have more than 1 episode within 2 years.
• 70% of teens will have more than 1 episode before adulthood.
• 2% of teens will have dysthymia.
• 15% of teens with depression eventually develop bipolar disorder.
• 20-50% of teens who suffer from depression have a family member who does as well.
• 30% of depressed teens also develop a substance abuse problem.
• Less than 33% of teens with depression get help.
• 19.3% of high school students have considered killing themselves.
• 14.5% of high school students have made actual plans.
• Girls think about suicide twice as much as boys, but boys are four times more likely to die by suicide.
• 60% of all suicides in the US are by gun.
• 1% of the US population have self-abusive behavior.
• 1 in every 200 girls between 15-19 years old cut themselves regularly.
• Among people between the ages of 15-24, there are 100-200 suicide attempts for every 1 suicide completed.
• About 1 in 3 people who self-harm for the first time will do it again.
• 3 in 100 people who self-harm over 15 years will kill themselves.

If you or someone else you know is thinking about suicide, TALK TO SOMEONE. If you feel like you have no one to talk to, call 1-800-273-TALK for 24 hour suicide prevention and support.

References:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/depression.html#

http://www.teendepression.org/stats/teenage-depression-statistics/

http://teensuicidestatistics.com/statistics-facts.html

http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-health/cutting-stats-treatment.html

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-a.pdf\

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/depression/self-harm.aspx

5.16.11

I feel like I'm a morning person. It's my moment for myself. I don't have to worry about what the day will bring. But I feel that if I woke up next to someone as amazing as you, my mornings would be so much better. It wouldn't be just my time. No, it would be our time. Our time to just be with each other, not worrying about what we will have to face. There might be times when I would wake you up by kissing you. You might do the same.

Sometimes I might make you breakfast, but don't expect that every day. I might be a woman, but I'm not going to spend all my time in the kitchen for you. And if you want an omelet, you might want to make it yourself. Or teach me how to do it, because I've never been very good with those. Or maybe you'll make me breakfast. But I look forward to the days where we make breakfast together, because cooking is much more fun when you have a partner. We'll make a mess and then we'll eat and clean it up. We might read the newspaper. We might laugh. We might just watch tv.

There will be times when we will have all the time in the world. There will be times when our morning is rushed. But I seriously can't wait for our mornings together.