From Annie's Mailbox (used to be Ann Landers.)

Dear Annie,

Yesterday, my wife and I were called to our son's school to talk to the crisis prevention officer. We were told our 16 yr. old son had attempted suicide. You can imagine our shock. Where were the signs, the clues?

We have a high honors achieving son, an athlete with friends, a Boy Scout and a member of the National Honor Society. He's all a parent could hope for. There have been no arguments, no rebellion, no drugs, or alcohol, no staying out or running away, no complaints about school or home. I'm involved in his life, attend his athletic events and am his scoutmaster. While he is not exactly verbose, we do talk.

There was a recent breakup with his first girl-friend, and that apparently was the trigger. When I talked to him about the breakup, he said, "I'm OK. We're still friends." But the continued contact between them was more than he could handle. He needs to learn how to cope with emotional loss because it's bound to happen in some form again.

Many parents sit in judgement, saying, "How could they not know?" All I can tell them is that some kids hide it very well. My son is now in secure treatment. We'll have consultations and together find a way to rebuild trust and communication.

What I would ask of anyone, but especially teens, is this: If you hear, read or know about someone who is talking about suicide, tell someone responsible. You're not ratting out a friend. You're answering their cries for help and you might just save a life. To parents out there: There can never be too much communication.

Dad