Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope over Suicide

by DeQuincy Lezine, David Brent

Overview

As a teenager, DeQuincy Lezine nearly ended his own life, believing it was the only way to escape the emotional pain that was overwhelming him. Instead, Lezine was able to find expert psychiatric care, and went on to found the first university campus-based chapter of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.

Now a researcher at the University of Rochester's Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, Lezine has devoted his life to preventing suicide in adolescents, and he brings the wealth of his personal and professional experience to bear in Eight Stories Up. He starts by describing his deteriorating state of mind in college, using his own email archive to retell the episode that would nearly claim his life. He then offers hard-earned wisdom and practical advice to other young people who may be considering suicide. In straightforward, easy-to-understand language, and drawing on the psychiatric expertise of David Brent, MD, Lezine discusses the potential causes of suicide in adolescents, how to seek psychiatric treatment, and how to get the most out of professional help. He also surveys some of the therapies used to prevent suicide, how to talk to loved ones about suicidal thoughts, and how to stay healthy at home and at school. The result is both a remarkable memoir and a useful guide that will ease the isolation and hopelessness caused by thoughts of suicide, helping young people to overcome their troubles in a safe and healthy way.

Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically for teens and young adults, Eight Stories Up offers hope to young people who are at risk of suicide, extending a lifeline of support and guidance that can save their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195325577
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/14/2008
Series:	Adolescent Mental Health Initiative
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

DeQuincy A. Lezine, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Rochester Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide.
David Brent, MD, is Academic Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics & Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he holds the Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies.

Table of Contents

iForeword/iiPreface/ibOne: Crisis/bWalking into MadnessA Colossal Wave of DespairDeath on the MindThe JumpSaying GoodbyeOne of Many in a Desolate ClubMourning the ThousandsbTwo: The Background Story/bIntelligent and Spirited Child Meets Urban Black WorldTurbulent BeginningsThe Hidden Background Story: Biology and Genetics"Escape" From L.A.bThree: Inside the Suicidal Mind/bDarkening ThoughtsPainful EmotionsWarning Signs, ReduxPsychiatric Disorders Related to SuicideRiding Out the Wave of OddsbFour: Getting Help/bPsychotherapyPeer SupportMedication 101Paying for TreatmentThe Bottom LinebFive: Recovery/bHospital LogThe Immediate Aftermath of a Suicidal CrisisThe Road to RecoverybSix: Finding the Phoenix: Where I Am Today/bA Worse Than Average DayThe Big PictureRebirth: Starting OverRekindling Happiness From the AshesFind Your Inner PhoenixiFrequently Asked Questions/iiGlossary/iiResources/iiBibliography/iiIndex/i

Editorial Reviews

"Eight Stories Up is a practical, useful, and compelling book that should be in every high school library and on every therapist's shelf. Lezine and Brent have taken the complex, multifaceted problem of suicide and put it into language and examples that everyone can benefit from.Eight Stories Up clears up the confusion about suicide, answers the questions so many have, and sheds light on the practical, real-life struggle of one teen who overcame the demons, myths, and horrors of mental illness. As you walk through the author's life in this book, you will relate, learn, and develop your own insights to help get you through. What a fabulous book of hope and inspiration for anyone who feels their life might be over. Read Eight Stories Up and you will know that it is not!"—Daniel J. Reidenberg, Psy.D., FAPA, Executive Director (SAVE) Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, and Fellow, American Psychotherapy Association

"[P]owerful...In short, this book puts the complex, multifaceted problem of suicide into language and examples that everyone can understand and use. It should be in every high school and college library and on every therapist's shelf. Offering hope to suicidal youth, who typically feel that no one will understand their pain and who doubt that anyone cares enough to help, this book will inspire suicidal teens to seek help."—Choice

"Quix's direct experience as a suicide attempter, combined with his PhD education in psychological research, provides a unique perspective from which parents and professionals working with struggling teens can gain insight and understanding into the complex world of a suicidal mind."—Sue Blauner, author of How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention

From the Publisher