Film director Bryce Mackie knows that what you don't know can hurt you.
Last year, the 18-year-old from Battle Creek, Mich., thought he had the perfect life.
He had everything going for him - great grades in school, a perfect girlfriend, great parents, success in athletics and popularity.
One day, for no apparent reason, however, Mackie found himself crying uncontrollably and he continued crying and feeling horrible for several weeks.
"For the first time in my life, I found myself thinking about suicide," he said.
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With no idea what was going on and no idea what to do, Mackie self-medicated with alcohol and illegal drugs and engaged in self-injury.
Fortunately, his parents noticed his behavior and helped him obtain the education and treatment he needed to manage his illness - which they eventually learned was major depression.
Mackie made an award-winning documentary of his real-life experience in a film called "Eternal High."
Mackie and his father, Tom Mackie, will bring the film to Cloquet on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. as part of a program on teenage/young adult depression and suicide called, "Everybody's Talking About It," at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC).
Pete Feigal, a national speaker, will also talk about growing up with a mental illness using lots of humor and art in his presentation.
Melanie Groves, mental health advocate, will share her struggles with depression, suicide, and eating disorders. Several of the speakers will visit area high schools as well.
These mental health issues affect people everywhere and Carlton County, unfortunately, is no exception.
In Cloquet alone, two high school students reportedly died by suicide this year. And many other teens in Carlton County have contemplated the idea, according to a 2004 survey of sixth-, ninth- and twelfth-graders by the Minnesota Department of Health. Specifically in that survey, ninth-grade girls had the highest percentage of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, with 29 percent saying they had thought about killing themselves and eight percent saying they had tried it during that previous year.
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"Adolescence has always been a time of tremendous change for people, and along with change comes stress," said Cloquet High School Principal Warren Peterson. "Today's youth are facing even more change, at a faster rate, and often with less adult support and supervision ... than in previous generations. Increasing mental health issues are an inevitable result. For our youth, understanding their own mental health issues is critical for success ... and in some cases, for survival."
Mackie and his father will speak at the Nov. 8 event and take questions.
"The stigma associated with mental illness and the overall lack of education regarding depression nearly cost my son Bryce his life," Tom Mackie said. "The stigma is as dangerous as a loaded gum because it contributes to students and adults avoiding treatment, which increases the risk of suicide. Now that we know these disorders are biological in nature, such as illnesses like diabetes, there is absolutely no rational reason students or parents should feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek treatment."
The Nov. 8 event is sponsored by Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Carlton County Human Development Center and the Outreach Center.
Anyone feeling suicidal should call 1-800-273-TALK.
Pine Journal Editor Lisa Baumann can be contacted at: lbaumann@pinejournal.com .
