Suicide attempt survivor meets SE Iowa youth on mission to end teen suicide

FAIRFIELD, Iowa — In 2018, Louisiana high school student Emma Benoit nearly lost her life to a self-inflicted gunshot wound that left her paralyzed.

“I didn’t have the mental capacity to really rationalize the weight that suicide carries. I didn’t know it was that permanent until it was almost gone,” Benoit told students in Fairfield on Thursday.

Now, after an unexpected recovery, she is committed to helping young people find hope.

Hosted by the Jefferson County Mental Health Alliance, Benoit spoke to students from Fairfield High School, along with colleagues from Maharishi Secondary and Cardinal High School.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Iowans ages 10 to 34.

Nationally, suicide claims the lives of twenty young people every day.

As a young adult, Benoit connects with teenagers as peers and shares her experiences leading up to her suicide attempt.

She describes her life as seemingly perfect, yet she struggled to admit the weight of her anxiety and depression to herself and her loved ones.

One day it became too much to bear.

In her documentary, Benoit interviews professors at Louisiana State University, who note that while teenagers are undergoing significant developmental changes, with limited life experience they face new pressures to help them cope.

“Feeling stuck is something you are never alone in,” Benoit said in response to a student’s question. “Every person sometimes feels stuck. But it’s really up to you to rise above the lies your brain may be telling you. Remind yourself that this too shall pass. Nothing in life is permanent.”

In the Fairfield Community School District, counselors can provide weekly sessions in partnership with the Great Prairie Area Education Agency, Sieda and River Hills to meet student needs.

Benoit emphasizes that the stigma surrounding mental health made her feel weak, causing her to bottle up her struggles, which ultimately led her to pull the trigger.

The district’s community support specialist, Agustin Harless, reminds students that they are not alone.

Harless said, “When I give advice, it’s often just: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s okay to be afraid, but reach out anyway. Everything good that has come to me is thanks to the help of others. It’s hard, but it’s important to lean on each other.”