Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope over Suicide (Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands' Adolescent Mental Health Initiative) [Paperback]

DeQuincy Lezine (Author), David Brent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2008 | Series: Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands' Adolescent Mental Health Initiative

As a teenager, DeQuincy Lezine nearly ended his own life, believing it was the only way to escape the emotional pain that was overwhelming him. Instead, Lezine was able to find expert psychiatric care, and went on to found the first university campus-based chapter of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.

Now a researcher at the University of Rochester's Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, Lezine has devoted his life to preventing suicide in adolescents, and he brings the wealth of his personal and professional experience to bear in Eight Stories Up. He starts by describing his deteriorating state of mind in college, using his own email archive to retell the episode that would nearly claim his life. He then offers hard-earned wisdom and practical advice to other young people who may be considering suicide. In straightforward, easy-to-understand language, and drawing on the psychiatric expertise of David Brent, MD, Lezine discusses the potential causes of suicide in adolescents, how to seek psychiatric treatment, and how to get the most out of professional help. He also surveys some of the therapies used to prevent suicide, how to talk to loved ones about suicidal thoughts, and how to stay healthy at home and at school. The result is both a remarkable memoir and a useful guide that will ease the isolation and hopelessness caused by thoughts of suicide, helping young people to overcome their troubles in a safe and healthy way.

Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically for teens and young adults, Eight Stories Up offers hope to young people who are at risk of suicide, extending a lifeline of support and guidance that can save their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[This book] is a fountain dually flowing copiously with anecdotal data and technical information about suicide. Laypersons thirsting for better understanding of suicide may be quite satisfied by the book's intellectually nourishing contents. And its contents may, as well, be very healthful to those thirsting professionally for better understanding of suicide, including: psychiatrists, child psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, behavioral therapists, psychiatric nurses, neurologists, suicide prevention experts, social workers, pediatricians, primary care physicians, school nurses, drug counselors, paramedics, and mental health advocates."--Metapsychology Online Reviews

"For those of us who have gotten caught in the rip current of depression, Eight Stories Up is a tether, a lifeline, with which we can begin to pull ourselves back to shore."--Brent Runyon, author of The Burn Journals

"Eight Stories Up is a practical, useful, and compelling book that should be in every high school library and on every therapist's shelf. Lezine and Brent have taken the complex, multifaceted problem of suicide and put it into language and examples that everyone can benefit from.Eight Stories Up clears up the confusion about suicide, answers the questions so many have, and sheds light on the practical, real-life struggle of one teen who overcame the demons, myths, and horrors of mental illness. As you walk through the author's life in this book, you will relate, learn, and develop your own insights to help get you through. What a fabulous book of hope and inspiration for anyone who feels their life might be over. Read Eight Stories Up and you will know that it is not!"--Daniel J. Reidenberg, Psy.D., FAPA, Executive Director (SAVE) Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, and Fellow, American Psychotherapy Association

"Interspersed with the poignant and personal experience of his own near-suicide, Lezine offers education and hope for others who may be thinking of ending their lives."--Bev Cobain, author of When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens and Dying to Be Free: A Healing Guide for Families after a Suicide

"Eight Stories Up is a powerful and important book. It offers hope to those without it and provides clear, practical suggestions for individuals and family members whose lives are hit by suicidal despair. I cannot recommend this book highly enough."--Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of An Unquiet Mind

"A candid account of life's trials and hopes,Eight Stories Up is an engaging narrative perfect for any adolescent who may feel lost or alone. Infused with facts and resources, DeQuincy Lezine's gripping story of his depressed adolescence and chronicle of recovery brings us into his world and lets us all know we're not alone. With an honest view of his life and experiences, Lezine teaches all adolescents how to choose hope over suicide."--Alison K. Malmon, Founder and Executive Director, Active Minds, Inc.

"Quix's direct experience as a suicide attempter, combined with his PhD education in psychological research, provides a unique perspective from which parents and professionals working with struggling teens can gain insight and understanding into the complex world of a suicidal mind."--Sue Blauner, author of How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention

"[P]owerful...In short, this book puts the complex, multifaceted problem of suicide into language and examples that everyone can understand and use. It should be in every high school and college library and on every therapist's shelf. Offering hope to suicidal youth, who typically feel that no one will understand their pain and who doubt that anyone cares enough to help, this book will inspire suicidal teens to seek help."--Choice

"Lezine's survival offers hope: Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he maintains his health and spirits. When youth workers and other caring adults place this lifesaving guide in young people's hands, they are introducing a wise and caring friend."--Youth Today

About the Author

DeQuincy A. Lezine, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Rochester Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide.
David Brent, MD, is Academic Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics & Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he holds the Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (April 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195325575
• ISBN-13: 978-0195325577
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Death & Grief > Suicide
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Child Psychology > Psychology
  • #28 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eight Stories Up, May 7, 2008

By 

Elizabeth J. Mcdermott (Norwalk, Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope over Suicide (Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands' Adolescent Mental Health Initiative) (Paperback)

Having lived through my own pain of suicide, Eight Stories Up is insightful and a great reference for any adolescent or their families who may be caught up in the vicious cycle of suicide or suicidal behavior. It was a pleasure to meet Dequincy at a fund raiser for Laurel House in Stamford, Connecticut. After hearing his story, I realized that we both had something in common, I too used to size up buildings on the campus of the school I was attending and the only thing that kept me from jumping was the thought that if I lived through it, I would be paralized and I could not live with that.

I highly recommend this book to anyone facing the issues mentioned in the book or if they suspect that they have any mental health issues.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to save young lives..., May 6, 2008

By 

Jay Boll - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope over Suicide (Adolescent Mental Health Initiative) (Hardcover)

After meeting DeQuincy Lezine, hearing his story and reading his book, I have no doubt that he will save young lives. His memoir of his own experience with near suicide provides an insider's look at the feelings, thoughts and circumstances that can lead to a decision to end one's life, the interventions that can be made to prevent this tragic occurrence, and the healing that takes in the recovery process. The book is written for a teen audience , but is an equally valuable resource for adult family members of teens at risk and professional caregivers. More than just a memoir of one person's descent into hopelessness and subsequent recovery, it is also a guide for identifying, understanding and grappling with the issues and pressures that can result in teenage suicide. In less than 200 pages, the book covers a lot of ground. It is very clearly written and DeQuincy's personal story is seamlessly interwoven throughout the text with more practical information about suicide prevention, treatment and recovery. Included in the back are a glossary of terms, bibliography and a resource section with phone numbers and addresses for hotlines, organizations for suicide prevention and mental health advocacy, self-help groups and information services. This book would make an excellent addition to any high school or university library, as well as to the bookshelves of families, friends and helping professionals.

3.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to like it..., August 2, 2011

By 

D Provencher "D Provencher" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope over Suicide (Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands' Adolescent Mental Health Initiative) (Paperback)

I really wanted to like this book. I appreciate the concept behind the book and genuinely was excited to read it. However, I found the intertwining of factual story and "self-help" notations quite distracting. After only the first chapter, I admit I gave up. I did however choose to keep it around should my adolescent son choose to read it. I may have unfairly expected too much as I did not find it to be the compelling story of "hope" that I had wished for it to portray. All in all, a very "low level" read likely most appropriate for a teen or mother. Definately not appropriate for someone learning in the psychology field or with any sort of educational baseline of psychology.