Many of you know Dez as the friendly voice weekdays on KS95.  She’s also a frequent TCL guest host and the voice of Twin Cities Live!  But you may not know that Dez lost her younger brother to suicide just four years ago.  She sat down with TCL to talk to us about the family tragedy that forever changed her life. 

Over half of all suicides occur in adult men like Dez’s brother.  The strongest risk factor for suicide is depression, which is a treatable disease.  In fact, eighty-percent of people who seek treatment for depression recover.  Dez and Dan Reidenberg, the Executive Director of SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, stopped by to talk about depression, suicide and the warning signs we should all be watching for.

Depression is a widespread epidemic today.  By 2010, depression will be the number one disability in the world.

Symptoms of Depression…
-Dramatic changes in mood
-Suddenly sleeping a lot
-Changes in appetite

Warning Signs for Suicide…
The number one sign is that the person starts to express suicidal intentions and people often don’t believe them.  Other signs include:
-Substance use or abuse
-Anger
-Trapped – feeling like there is no way out
-Hopelessness – there is nothing to live for, no hope or optimism
-Withdrawal – from family, friends, work, school, activities, hobbies
-Click here for the complete list of warning signs

If you or someone you know is suffering, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.  This is a confidential source of help and is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.  You can also visit SAVE.org for more resources and information.

The Fourth Annual SAVE Fashion Show will take place on Friday, May 29, 2009 at the Bearpath Golf and Country Club in Eden Prairie.  The show will feature local celebrities modeling clothing from Macy’s, and John and Rebekah will be among the models!  Tickets are $50.00 and all proceeds benefit the SAVE organization.  For more information, click here or call 952-946-7998.