Will's Choice: A Suicidal Teen, a Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Recovery

by Gail Griffith

In the early hours of March 11, 2001, seventeen-year-old Will ingested a near-fatal dose of his antidepressant medication, an event that forever changed his life and the lives of his family. In Will's Choice , his mother, Gail Griffith , takes us down the very personal road each of the family members traveled to renew Will's interest in life and to regain their equilibrium in the aftermath of his self-destructive act. Griffith intersperses her own finely wrought prose with dozens of letters and journal entries from family and friends, including many from Will himself, allowing us to bear witness to Will's attempts to explain what even he cannot fully why he did it. A memoir with a social conscience, this book not only examines one family's struggle to overcome depression and an attempted suicide, it lays bare the social, political, and economic challenges that American families face in combating this most mysterious and stigmatized of illnesses. In Gail Griffith, depressed teens have found themselves a formidable new advocate. And in the evocative and fiercely compelling narrative of Will's Choice , we all discover the promise of a second chance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health, Memoir, Psychology, Biography Memoir

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sharla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is simply one family's story so I can not fault them for doing everything within their means to save their son from his acute depression. However, this family had more resources than many and could afford to send their son away to private, pricey residential treatment facilities. As that's not an option for many families of struggling teens, this particular story might not be all that helpful in a practical sense.
It made clear, though, that the ravages of depression can be as serious, and as deadly, for children from well-to-do families as for children from families of fewer means. This may offer parents some small comfort that their child's struggles are not their fault.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kind of disturbs me. Certainly Gail Griffith writes well, and she makes a wonderful case for the use of antidepressants in young people, which is why I gave the book four stars. (Antidepressants have saved my own life.) Obviously she loves her son and wanted what was best for him.

But I don't understand why Will had to go away to the therapeutic boarding school. It seems very much as if he was sent there for his parents' peace of mind more than anything else -- his mother wrote that she was so terrified that he'd make another suicide attempt that she wouldn't let him be alone in the house or go out with his friends. But his attempt was an impulsive act which he deeply regretted; he said the happiest moment of his whole life was the moment when he woke up alive. And unlike with many other depressed people, his truly was a chemical problem, and his doctors agreed it was a matter of getting him on the right medication -- something that unfortunately took nearly a year. He also didn't have the usual behavior problems that accompany depression (drugs, running away, delinquency etc), so I don't understand why the school was necessary.

I also find it kind of disturbing how dismissive Gail was of Will's opinions and feelings. She put entries from his diary in the book with commentary about how immature they sounded. The fact that he didn't want to go to the boarding school, hated it once he arrived, resented his parents for sending him there, and repeatedly begged to be allowed go home was, according to her, more evidence of immaturity. When he broke the school rules by writing and calling his girlfriend and friends back home, Gail was appalled, and I'm still not sure why. Yes, I suppose he shouldn't have broken the rules, but wishing to remain in touch with one's friends is normal teenage behavior.

Gail said one of the reasons she sent Will to the school was so he could be around other depressed kids and not feel alone, but his girlfriend at home had depression and Gail wanted him to stay away from her for just that reason. Inconsistent, much? At any rate, he stayed at the school for ten months. That's only about half the length of an average student's stay (according to their website), an indication that there wasn't all that much wrong with him. But it's a lifetime for a seventeen-year-old boy.

I'd love to know whether Will, who'd be in his mid-twenties now, thinks whatever he got out of the school was worth the time and trouble and money. Gail wrote that he doesn't like to talk about it. I can see why.

[Alisia Russomanno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wills Choice was an intriguing book that allowed me to have a different perspective on the reality of mental health. Before reading, I thought I knew a lot more about the subject than I did and it truly gave me some insight. The only issue I had with this book is that at some points I felt the author added a bit too much detail to the point where I felt like I was just reading a page full of facts. It felt very repetitive and boring at some points.

[Elisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to learn about mental health issues, suicide in particular, I chose this as an example of a first person narrative about dealing with a child's suicide attempt. The author, who struggles with depression, as does her son, writes movingly about her personal experiences, as well as about her research into the general issues of mental health care for adolescents. I appreciated the author's honesty in talking about her family and her son's willingness to share his own journal entries. While this book may not help everyone to understand the suicidal urge for young people, it helped me to see how families struggle to help teens with serious mental health struggles.

[ReD · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

[Ernesto]

this book was boring to read it had no good content in it its garbage because it had no action or suspens they talked to much about medical problems and how he will wnted to kill him self

[Melody Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read! I loved that we got to see both perspectives, from the Mother trying to figure out how to help her child to the perspective of the child going through it. Good mix of stats and information with personal stories to keep it very readable.

[Shannon Parkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of extraordinary bravery from a family supporting their son. In this book, Gail Griffith helps to dispel the myths about those who attempt suicide. Gail Griffith describes how families can find support for those lost in the pain of depression.

[Jerod David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, lots of good stuff in it and the author is a wonderful writer and very passionate about the topic. At times it seemed to wander a bit aimlessly though between the story of the author's family and detailed medical asides.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was endorsed by NAMI.

Merged review:

"In the early hrs of 3/11/01, 17 yr old Will ingested a near-fatal dose of his antidepressant meds, an event that forever changed his life and the lives of his family. His mother takes us down the very personal rd ea of the family members traveled to renew Will's interest in life & so regain their equilibrium in the aftermath. Interspersed w dozens of letters & journal entries from family, friends, & Will himself. Examines the struggle to overcome depression & the soc/pol/econ challenges the Am family face combatting this stigmatizing illness to discover the promises of a 2nd chance."

Excellent.
Note: Endorsed by NAMI Dir of Adolescent Action Ctr.

[Jesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time reading this book... I really 'enjoyed' reading about the actual things her family were going through but she would go off on so many facts that I would lose interest. I ended up skipping chunks of purely factual info... I know quite a bit about depression so it felt repetitive for me to read.
This would probably be a good book for people who don't know much about depression.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delves deep with in our mental health system for what it is, for a mother who missed the warning signs that her son was suffering inside mentally. That no one is immune from situations like this. It can happen to anyone. The struggles and lengths she goes threw to save her son from the terros inside. doing anything from outpatient treatment to hospitalization to residential treatment. and against all odds he comes out of this stronger then ever.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very informing novel. I was a little dissapointed only because I was expecting something way different. Its about a mother that has a son that almost succeeded in over dosing. It tells about different ways that you can help your child if they have depression. Different kinds of meds and programs. Not entirely for a teenager if you ask me. But it was still very informative.

<3

[Karen Mayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good... one of the suggested books to help parents dealing with their child's depression and suicidal urges. There are MANY books explaining the writers' OWN experiences with their diseases and recoveries, but FEW books written by caregivers, telling their own side of the story, how they deal with their loved ones, helping them recover, etc.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very eye-opening account of how the mental health care profession in our country operates. Also enlightening is just how much we don't know about clinical Depression. Gail Griffith is very honest and open about her family's struggles to help her son heal after his suicide attempt, as is her son, who contributed letters, journals, and even a chapter to this book. Highly recommend.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. This is a must read for any mother who has to deal with her child's suicide attempt, because it is a lonely struggle that only another mother in the same situation can understand. This book validated my frustration with how terrible the system was in dealing with such an attempt and how awful most professionals were at communicating what was happening with my child.

[itzy:33 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. This book got me into psychology and taught me sososo much!!