Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2019

55 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ReadMPM.com feature drug available to local residents at no cost. “Politicians missed the boat on opioids,” Wilson commented. “I’m hoping that because we’re having this discussion, it won’t happen again.” Nanci Steadman Shipman, a Mount Pleasant resident who lost her 19-year-old son, Creighton, to an overdose in 2016, later started WakeUp Carolina, a nonprofit “dedicated to the awareness and education of, and recovery from, substance abuse in our community.” “I am an expert in my personal experience,” she told panel members and attendees at “Our Community, Our Children.” “My whole family made a promise to him that we would tell our story. Our children are our future. Our children are our hope.” MENTAL HEALTH AND TEEN SUICIDE Dr. Bob Malcolm, who is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC, said the theory that talking about suicide will make it worse is nothing more than a myth. He pointed out that 10 to 20 percent of people who try to kill themselves will try again, adding that factors and emotions contributing to suicide attempts include psychiatric illness, family history, substance abuse, lack of purpose, anxiety, feeling trapped, hopelessness, anger and mood changes. David Kalergis, who is with Lowcountry Family and Children, cautioned parents to “be mindful of the perfect child — the All-American with a full ride to Princeton.” He said all children need to be brought into the conversation about teen suicide. And Mount Pleasant Police Department Inspector Chip Googe encouraged parents to keep tabs on what their children are doing on their cellphones. “Parents need to know. They need to make sure he’s not being cyber-bullied or cyber-bullying. Kids live in their phones,” Googe said. He added that if they feel uncomfortable talking about suicide or bullying, they can do so anonymously through the department’s Safe Campus app. Kalergis said it’s a serious warning sign if a teen actually has a plan to commit suicide rather than just talking about it — say, for instance, he mentions taking pills that his dad keeps beside his bed. “Sometimes we see the warning signs and wait to act because there’s a stigma,” he said. “If my child needs therapy, I’m not doing a good job as a parent.” Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie summed up the purpose of “Our Community, Our Children” in a single sentence: “The heart and soul of Mount Pleasant is how we take care of each other.” *Live Music Nightly 1150 Queensborough Blvd, B Mount Pleasant, SC 843.388.5114 BAR & KITCHEN Open 11am Daily Serving Food ‘til 12am on Mon 11pm Tuesday-Saturday 10pm Sunday Serving Drinks ‘til 1am Mon-Sat 12am Sunday SUSHI THAT ROLLS HARD. EST. 2009 SUSHI SPORTS TACOS *Sunday Brunch 11-3 4399 McCarthy Street North Charleston, SC 843-471-1670 Mon- Sunday 11 AM -11 PM brunch on point. HAPPY HOUR DAILY.