Northwest suburban teens battling depression find reasons for hope
For Elizabeth Bailey, an 18-year-old senior at Buffalo Grove High School, the bottom line is simple: “There is hope, and there are people out there who can help you.”
Bailey, of Arlington Heights, revealed her struggle with depression during an innovative program called “Hurricane of Hope,” devoted to raising awareness of teen suicide, depression and anxiety Saturday at the Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights.
“I was really sad all the time,” Bailey said. “I felt overwhelmed. Rejected. I thought I had no one there for me. I felt worthless. I had no value. People would be better off if I was just dead.”
It was Bailey and an unlikely ally — Prospect High School senior Jessica Giambarberee of Arlington Heights — who came up with the idea of holding a rally to promote awareness and understanding of teen depression.
“I’m the optimistic one,” Giambarberee said. “I see the bright side of things, and I wanted to spread that. I’ve known people who were depressed. I wanted to help. Even though stress can bombard your life, there are ways to deal with it without suicide being an outcome of that stress.”
Bailey and Giambarberee took their idea to Prospect High School Principal Kurt Laakso, who had already been considering a teen depression awareness program.
“We’ve all been aware of someone who’s chosen to end his own life,” Laakso said. “When someone succumbs to that demon, it’s a form of surrender. The human spirit wants to battle on, wants to find a better day.
“The challenge is that we often don’t know what to do, how to support someone in need. What we’re trying to do today is to find a way to deal with that. That’s why we had a public event.”
Laakso said that the day’s keynote speaker, Harper College adjunct professor Frank J. Klawitter, summarized it best during his speech “Weathering the Storm,” that suicide brings permanent consequences for temporary circumstances.
“I didn’t see any hope,” Bailey said. “I didn’t see any purpose at all. But I did it! I now see that I have an awesome purpose in life. Because of it, I must help others. You can use your story to change someone else’s life. That’s very motivational.”
As graduating seniors, Bailey and Giambarberee’s hope is that “Hurricane of Hope” will continue next year.
The program boasts a simple acronym for its purpose — A.C.T.: Acknowledge. Care. Tell.
“It’s healthy for all us to get this out of the darkness and into the light,” Laakso said, “so we can find ways to support each other. Seeking to understand each other is a form of love.”