For the last 10 years, Judi Maikoff has been helping educate teens on mental illness.
Maikoff says her own battle with mental illness and experience of its symptoms help her understand what someone may feel when they believe they have no more options.
"You're ill, you're irritable, you can be confused, you can be just not in a right state of mind, not in a positive state of mind and I think that's what led up to my suicide attempt that I had."
Maikoff works with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and says mental illness is more common than people think, with one in five adults in America experiencing mental illnesses in a given year.
Maikoff believes one of the most important things someone one can do is talk to someone if they are feeling any signs of suicide.
Although signs are not always clear, Maikoff says people should still try speaking with a family member or friend.
There are also several local and national hotlines. One local hotline is listed below.
1-800-273-8255
