Senator tells son's story in hopes of saving lives

OREM — U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, shares the story of his late son, Garrett, in hopes that others will open up about mental illness and suicide so that more lives might be saved.

A visit this week to Utah Valley State College was important for Smith because Garrett was a student there when he took his own life Sept. 8, 2003.

Back then, Garrett Smith, 21, was taking general education classes at UVSC after returning from an LDS Church mission in England.

His father describes him as generous to loved ones and people he barely knew. As the senator writes in his book, "Remembering Garrett: One Family's Battle with a Child's Depression," Garrett Smith was shy, loved food, his dog and time spent in England.

Garrett had been plagued by depression and bipolar disorder for years. Although he had a high IQ, he struggled with dyslexia. School was difficult. He required extra help and struggled to get average grades. It eroded his self-esteem, his father said.

He used alcohol to self-medicate and took his life prior to the beginning of his second year at UVSC, using whiskey, sleeping pills and a noose around his neck.

UVSC's mental health center tracks suicides in two-year increments, and during 2003 and 2004, eight students took their lives, including Garrett Smith.

To address the issue, UVSC received a $75,000 grant from the Garrett Smith Memorial Bill, sponsored by Gordon Smith and signed by President Bush in 2004.

The grant money will be used to hire a project director for suicide prevention and awareness and to research suicide among students, said Jack Jensen, the mental health center's director.

The problem with mental health, the senator said, is that people who need the most help often are ashamed to seek it. The stigma needs to be removed, Smith said.

"If you're in a severe bout of depression, you should feel it's OK to get help," Smith said.

People who are suicidal often talk or joke about ending their lives. They withdraw, experience changes in eating and sleeping habits. They have trouble concentrating. They give away possessions and use alcohol or drugs.

"As I read those today — and I learned those only after losing Garrett — Garrett had every one of those," he said.

People should not judge a person who is thinking about taking their life. They should not keep such a fact a secret, even if they are a trusted friend, but seek help from a crisis intervention expert, he said.

"That's how you can remember Garrett," Smith said. "That's how you can help bring issues of mental health out of the shadows of society's discussion. That's how you may save a very valuable life."

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com