Contact: Georgia Clarke

A widely recognized photographer and suicide-prevention advocate will share the work of her national Live Through This project during an Oct. 8 program at Mississippi State.

Free to all, Dese’Rae L. Stage’s presentation on surviving a suicide attempt and related matters will begin at 6 p.m. in the Bill Foster Ballroom of the university’s Colvard Student Union.

Stage’s nine-year struggle with self-injury and an abusive relationship ultimately led to a suicide attempt. After recovering, she went on to found Live Through This with the goal of openly addressing what for many is an unmentionable subject.

The project features a collection of portraits and accompanying suicide-attempt stories told by survivors. It also encourages distressed individuals to seek help immediately while aiding others in spotting the warning signs during daily interpersonal encounters. For more, visit www.livethroughthis.org.

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, resident, Stage is a frequent speaker at institutions of higher learning and other organizations nationwide. She has been featured in numerous publications and on various broadcast news programs.

The MSU Connection Project, a multidisciplinary program that works to help prevent suicides, is a primary sponsor of her visit.

Funding for this and related campus programs is made possible through a three-year, $304,000 Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant from the federally supported Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For more, see www.samsha.gov.

Kim Kavalsky said suicide “is the second leading cause of death among college students.

“We know suicide is preventable so it is vital that we raise awareness on this issue by educating the community on warning signs and discussing the suicide prevention resources available,” MSU’s mental health outreach coordinator added.  

Michael Nadorff, an MSU assistant professor of psychology, praised Stage for “breaking down the walls of stigma and shame that keep those who have considered or attempted suicide hidden, and in doing so is demonstrating that there is hope, and that recovery is possible.”

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

The campus mental health outreach program is part of MSU Counseling Services that may be reached at 662-325-2091 or www.health.msstate.edu/scs.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.