If you or someone you know know is struggling mentally, here is a list of resources to find help:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255)
HOPELINE Text Service Text HOPELINE to 741741
Veterans Crisis Link 800-273-8255 (press 1)
LGBTQ+ Crisis Line 866-488-7386
According to the CDC, one in four young adults have considered suicide in the last month.
Center for Suicide Awareness founder Barb Bilgake thinks that number is an underestimate.
"I would probably say more like one to three," Bilgake said. "Because of this stigma, of we don't talk about it, you know there's that element that people aren't going to disclose."
Carson Molle is a senior at Seymour High School who survived a suicide attempt in eighth grade, now sharing his story in an effort to save lives and educate others to do the same.
"I had life saving surgery down at Milwaukee Childrens Hospital," Molle said. "I spent six weeks there recovering and had multiple reconstructive surgeries for my face."
Molle says that the coronavirus pandemic makes stressors like social media and peer pressure a heavier burden for teens to carry.
"I feel like kids nowadays, you know young adults and teens have a lot of pressure on them because we're supposed to have things figured out by the time we're young and you're supposed to know what you're doing at all times," Molle siad. "A lot of that like you said is due to social media and Tik Tok."
Carson's father Matt, a teacher and football coach at Seymour, says opening up a safe space to talk honestly about issues is the first step to finding a solution. He thinks it's important for parents to not blame themselves for failure, but put their child first.
"If you feel like you're just at a point where as a parent you're just intuitively getting that feeling, then I would go ahead and ask it and say 'hey if this is something that you know that you're feeling and I cant help with this, let's talk to someone who can,'" Molle said.
"Honestly, my relationship with my parents is so much stronger now because of it and I think that's a really important thing when you're talking about mental health in young adults," his son said.
Carson Molle uses Tik Tok and YouTube to share his story when he isn't giving lectures at local schools. His goal is to open the doors to discussing mental health when so many shy away from the conversation.
