Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people in the United States between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. Approximately 15% of those diagnosed with clinical depression die by suicide. In any given year, about 7% of the American population (13 to 14 million people) will experience a depressive disorder. Only about 20% of them will receive adequate treatment.

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in the spring of 2005 after being hospitalized for a suicide attempt. Today, I am grateful I failed. But anywhere from 1 out of 8 to 1 out of 25 suicide attempts in the United States are successful. These are not hopeless patients in mental institutions. These are every day people, just like you and me. They are our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our children and our friends.

I am often disgusted by those who consider suicide, or a suicide attempt, a “sin.” I have personally been told that my attempt merely occurred because I was a “weak person.” Those of us who have been down that road before and survived often feel embarrassed or pressured to keep it all hush, hush. I created this short film, “Sin & Lyle,” because I can no longer keep my mouth shut. I cannot expect to get better, or help others get better, if I do not share my story. We all need something to relate to in order to get us through the worst of times. We all need to know that we are not alone.

“Sin & Lyle” is neither fact nor fiction. But it is extraordinarily personal to me and those who worked on the project. This film is not a presentation of talent, a marketing tool, or a project for profit. It is merely a gift, a sort of support service, for those of us still struggling with a disorder (or disorders) in which we have no control over.

 

Thank you,

Julia Morizawa (writer/producer/director/actor)

Statement written in March, 2007

  

Sources:

1.) Price, Printess, PhD. “All About Depression®.” http://www.allaboutdepression.com. March, 2007.

2.) Deprex®. “Depression Statistics Information.” http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/Depression/statistics.htm. March, 2007.