CHARLOTTE, N.C. — According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year-olds.
The National Suicide Hotline transitioned to the 988 number two years ago to give people support from an easier-to-remember number, but other resources are still needed -- especially for teens.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.
A Charlotte-area college student told WCNC Charlotte she was suicidal as a teen and experienced the need firsthand.
She struggled to find help, but there’s now hope thanks to a new facility that’s seeking solutions in the growing teen health crisis.
Hopeway, the nonprofit treatment center Landry Mazzarell said saved her, has opened a new facility, working with kids as young as 12 who battle depression, anxiety, eating disorders and more.
"It was super frustrating to know that there’s not much help out there," Mazzarell said. "I felt like the world was ending, it was very scary for me."
For two months, she said she was hanging on by a thread and considering suicide.
She was 17. But to get help, she needed to be 18. That’s because the mental health treatment center her family chose only cared for people 18 and up.
"It was really scary -- I truly didn’t know if I was going to make it through," Mazzarell said. "I had a hard time moving forward, I was just counting down the days, waiting and waiting. I was very sad a lot of the time."
She was a high school senior at the time, and two months from her 18th birthday when she would be old enough to be admitted to Hopeway, where adults can live on campus and get intensive therapy.
"Most of my friends were struggling too, and to know that everyone I talked to said I’m anxious, I’m sad and to know how many of my friends were struggling in high school and to know there are limited resources -- it was incredibly scary," Mazzarell said. "Two days after my 18th birthday, I walked into Hopeway and started my treatment."
She said it not only changed her life, but likely saved it.
"I walked in barely having any hope, being very scared," Mazzarell said. "And I walked out having a plan on how to stay alive."
Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei runs Hopeway, which just this year opened a new clinic, specifically for ages 12 to 18 treating an array of mental health and eating disorders.
"There's no words as a mother, I cannot imagine that to hear her story I almost cried thinking there was this poor girl needing help and there was nowhere to go and she had to hold on for two months to come in at her birthday, the fact that we can do this now and serve those kids is life changing," Kuroski-Mazzei said.
She said this new clinic can help make a positive impact for teens who need help.
"The crisis is overwhelming," she said. "There are so many people struggling right now and not enough services, so the ability to increase access that is affordable is the key we’re trying to meet right now."
Landry is now 21, a rising senior at Appalachian State University and a fierce advocate for mental health. This summer she’s interning at a therapist's office.
"Advocating for mental health means a lot to me," Landry said. "I don’t think a lot of people talk about it and I know talking about it saves lives, because it saved mine. I'm doing amazing. I may not know all the answers but I know I’m on a good path and I'll be OK in the long run no matter what I face."
Landry is also very involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) both on campus at App State and with their national programs.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.