Stephenie St.Peter
3/3/2010 2:34 PM

I have signed this many times before starting a year ago as of yesterday. (3-2-10) The reason be hind which I started to continually sign the questbook is because exactly a year ago from yesterday Dennis saved my life. See I had planed to take my life March 12, 2009 and just ten days before that Dennis came to my school did his presentation, and reached me. So I am here today to renew my promise to never do bodily harm to myself and to never take my life or even thin of it.

Thank you again Dennis for saving my life from myself,
Love,
Stephenie St.Peter

Reply: Dear Stephenie - I'm so proud of you, and so glad that you are still with us! Thank you for staying in touch! Love Dennis

Mr. R
3/2/2010 9:46 PM

I am a teacher and you guys came to my school earlier this year. I thank you so much for what you had to say to the students (and to me) during your presentation. I know that you have touched so many lives out there. I have had some talk to me after hearing you and have heard how you have made a difference in their lives. I have even been able to read some of their comments here. Again, thank you guys so much for what you do.

A Frightened Mother
3/2/2010 4:44 PM

My ex-husband struggled with depression and drug abuse for years. He tried to kill himself many times and tortured me with threats of suicide regularly. The first time, I pulled him off the ledge of an 8 story building. Even now, 20 years later, I still have nightmares about dropping him. I had 3 wonderful children with him. After our divorce, he tried to kill himself on my birthday. I struggle with my own feelings of guilt for not being able to MAKE him want to live and I have a lot of repressed anger towards him. I doubt these feelings will ever go away. But my biggest concern is for my children. After discussing it with 2 mental health professionals, I told my oldest daughter about her father's suicide attempt because I thought she was old enough (15 at the time) to process it, and I needed her to know for her safety and her sister's safety. The other two do not know. I don't know if I should've told her because I know first hand how painful that information is to hear, but she has handled it with amazing maturity. My questions are: 1) should I tell the others (now 16 and 13); and 2) how do I protect them from what appears to be a genetic illness? I fear that this is a huge family secret and nobody ever benefits from secrets. And soon their sister will go away to college and I need the other two to be aware of this problem when they visit.

Reply: Dear Frightened Mother - Thank you for sharing your struggles. We suggest that you speak again with the mental health professionals you discussed your concern with initially, peace to you and your family through this.

justin perry
2/23/2010 12:00 PM

i just heard your song for the first time today, and i found it very touching. let me share a little about my backround and it may clear up why i thought it was so inspirational.

in novemeber of 2007 my dad committed suicide, he was my world that crushed me. I turned to my bestfriend we grew up together, we were as far he and i would have said we were brothers. Then the real kicker, january 31st 2009 i received a call that my bestfriend/brother Andrew bronikowski committed suicide. my world was again crushed, i just wish hope and pray, that awarness among society can continue to grow in hopes that it can stop the pain and heart ache left behind on those who dont leave this world early and abrupt.

andrew attended richmond high school and was a big part of everybodies life there. it was a huge loss to this world.

thannk you for your traveling inspiration

Reply: Hi Justin, thank you for posting - I'm very sorry for your losses. If you are in Macomb County, please think about checking out the Survivors of Suicide support group (586-307-9100 for info). For support outside of Macomb County, check out the following link: http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=FEE4D90C-A27B-456E-36DDF23261B4378D. Best, - Dennis

Brian Henke
2/19/2010 1:21 PM

Hello,
I just wanted to say thank you for coming out to Richmond last night.
Brian P. Henke, Trustee
Richmond Community Schools Board of Education

student
2/18/2010 7:00 PM

today was a tough day. it was my firt day of winter break. i had no plans, just hang around the house and relax. it was okay until i got a call from my mom telling me that i needed to do some laundry and she just started giving me all these orders. i understand that cleaning and doing laundry isnt a big deal. but when you get ordered to do it every day of your life since you were 10 it kinda gets to you.

Anyways she gave me things to do and i did them. then she comes home and yells at me some more to do more and more. and at this point im just annoyed. so when i come back upstairs to the living room where i was sitting before watching tv my dad had his suitcase and bags spread all over the couch. im not sure why this made me mad because i coulve just sat in a different spot. but i got mad and my mom started to yell at me saying it was their house and couch and they payed the pills. so she yelled at me for a good 5 mins. i went up to my room and went into my wood box.

my wood box is a hidden box in my room that has a razor lighter and everything that i want to forget. so i went into the box and got my razor and started to cut myself, wanted to take my life. i didnt care what would happen. i was just so unhappy.

but the i remembered know resolve. you came to my school at the beginging of the school year and you touched me. so i stopped. i put the razor away and came here to write. you make me feel like i dont have to hurt myself if i can write or just talk to someone.

so i want to thank you. you have once again saved my life when i had no one there for me. i apppreciate everything you have done to get the word out there.

Reply: So very glad to hear that you came here to write today instead of cutting. Keep coming back :)

a.student
2/8/2010 10:49 PM

i apoligize if when you presented at the IA if you thought the kids where a little stand-offish, becasue alot of us where actually touched by your presentation.
it made me think back to when i attempted to take my own life and how alone i felt and how sad a time it actually was for me. itsn nice to know that i was not alone...
your strength is inspirational and your story breathtaking. it opened my eyes to the fact that when i was about to commit suicide how much i actually just wanted someone to be there for me, and im possitive you just showing up that day and sharing your infromation with us helped at least one person.
so thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Student
2/2/2010 9:12 PM

I hope you know that when you sang your song at an assembly at my school, WWMS, you DID touch my heart.

I used to be suicidal, and the day i told my parents, they didnt believe me. It caused me to cut myself, and try stupid things, cause I thought my life wasnt worth living anymore. My parents are divorced and i have to say sometimes my step parents are very mean.

Every day at school my friends make fun of me. cause of my weight, my makeup, anything they can find. They think they're kidding around but the sad part is they think it doesnt effect me. I recently started having these thoughts again. Over summer, i had to go to a psychciatrist, and my mom thought i wasnt serious, that i would actually try. But i have. And now im scared. I try So Hard to not think these thoughts, but they always come crawling into my head. My cousin Michelle, who my mom named my middle name after, killed herself about a year before i was born.

There was a girl who went to the high school here, Tower, and she commited suicide a few days before school. One of my close friends sisters knew her. They were used to her coming over for breakfast in the morning. And now shes gone.

Everyday at school, I look around. I only have a few close friends, and i realized that if i died today, only about 2 of them would be sad. Others wouldn't really care, i guess.

I've tried to stop, but noone believes me, and they think im a liar. I have had serious thoughts recently, but i have been trying to stop. That song by Miley Cyrus, The Climb, has actually helped me through some tough times when i was depressed. It told me that theres always a challenge, and that its usually not worth taking your own life for.

There are kids in my school who go around saying they cut themselves, but i know that they dont. Because, from experiance, i know that if you do, you become afraid of letting people see your wrists. I used to hide mine with sweatshirts. I think its serious that kids think its cool to go around showing nothing off. Well its not.

Anyways, i just wanted to tell you that your song did touch my heart, and i wanted to thank you.

Thank you. :)

Reply: Student - thank you so much. You matter, and you ARE loved. It's OK to have these thoughts, but please make a promise to not act on them, and to NOT keep them a secret. Next time you are feeling this way, remind yourself that these feelings and thoughts will pass, just as they have passed before and pick up the phone and reach out for help... 1-800-273-8255.

Jenna Watson
1/29/2010 2:02 PM

hi. thankyou so much 4 cuming to our scool(WWMS) i believe it touched many of us kids in our lives. hearing your story was amaizing. im sooo sorry to hear that.my parents as well are divoreced and my dad moves alot and dont get to see him as much as i want. my mom is never home and wen she is...her and my brother are fighting. it becomes annoying and i gettt really sad but they are fighting 2 much the really dont notice..i have never losted anyone like u have but no matter wat loosing some one is hard. i think your songs and story touched many. thank youu so much.:)

Ashley Harger
1/29/2010 1:55 PM

WWMS! Thank you very much for going to warren woods middle school. You changed a lot of peoples lives. I'm very sorry for your lost... I ashley have never lost anybody by suicide. Only disease and old age. It was dramatic but I was ok. I've never actually thought of suicide and i don't plan on me hurting myself. I liked that song. It touched my heart and others. It helped me a lot. It reminds me of people i've lost years ago. - Thank you very much again-