Eight years ago a Carroll County High School student took her own life. Today, her mom is speaking to students and adults about the ways to prevent suicide.
Holly Dawson is the mother of Maddie Dawson, who died by suicide. “I don’t want any of you to feel the way Madison must have felt that day and not ask for help,” Holly said when speaking to CCHS students.
Holly has been an advocate for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention since she lost her daughter. She is also the organizer of the Out of the Darkness Walk, which will be held Sept. 23 at Point Park in downtown Carrollton.
Holly spoke to CCMS students last week and spoke at CCHS today as part of suicide prevention month. She emphasized to them the importance of seeking help for mental health issues and telling a trusted adult if a friend or family member is hurting or talking about suicide.
“We have to do a better job creating a culture that’s smart about mental health,” she said. “It’s OK to ask for help. There is always hope that you can feel better.”
Holly said she knew her daughter had anxiety, but didn’t realize how severe it was. She said, as a mom, she worried about lots of normal teenage issues for her daughter, but never suicide. “What I didn’t worry about was suicide, but I should have. Our lives were shattered on August 25, 2015.”
Holly talked to them about what mental health is and factors that can affect it, identifying the signs of a mental health crisis, how to start a conversation about mental health, how to get help and how to provide self-care.
“Silence is never safe,” Holly said. “Telling a trusted adult may save your friend’s life.”
In addition to providing information and resources to students, the district wanted to provide for parents as well. Laura Beth Neff, a guidance counselor at CCHS, said the goal is for the resources to be impactful and reach a larger audience of adults. The following links are resources for adults as well as the Power Point Holly presented to students.
A Resource for Parents and Caregivers.pdf