Suicide should never be an option!

I listen to 97.1 ZHT Morning Zoo every weekday morning. I love the DJs and the stuff they talk about is interesting. Yesterday they talked about a friend of the show who was in a therapy session with her daughter and the therapist said something horrible to the daughter. The daughter is in her 20's and was sexually abused by a family member when younger. She has attempted suicide on multiple occassions. The therapist was prescribing her some medication to help her and she asked him "What do I do if this medication doesn't work. " The therapist completley serious tells her "If they don't work then you take 20 of these pills and kill yourself." WHAT!!!!! This girl is now inpatient at some mental health facility on suicide watch. That "doctor" should have his license revoked!!!!!

When I was 9 my cousin committed suicide. He was 30 years old and he died the day before his 31 birthday. Since I was so young my mom didn't tell me the actual cause of death. She told me a few years later when I was a teenager. I also have other family members that have attempted suicide. I myself have contemplated it in the past. Suicide is a permanent solution for temporary problems. I wich no one would ever put their friends and family through the pain and anguish of a suicide.

Because of this issue that recently came up on the radio station's morning show I am going to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me. It is NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Salt Lake City, UT at Spring Mobile Ballpark (was Franklin Covey Field) on September 26, 2009.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Visit my personal walker page to sign up: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/SLC/Raegans. It features a link to my team's page there where you can see who else is walking with me. There is also a link so you can donate directly to me online. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, formerly the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A+" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability.

Thank you in advance for your support.