Lambert High teens launch nonprofit

Some days she would come to school feeling happy. Other days it seemed she was drowning in helplessness. At first, her friends thought the girl was displaying typical teenage angst and they teased her about being so moody.

blamed it on stress,” said Siri Gandreddi, 17, a junior at Lambert High School in Suwanee. Gandreddi and the girl had been friends since meeting in high school. They had traveled together for competitions and developed a close friendship during the summer, but by sophomore year Gandreddi said her friend seemed different.

The teen’s erratic behavior continued for months, then it got worse. She started partying a lot. There were drugs involved. If anyone tried to help her she would break off her relationship with them. Gandreddi and her other friends struggled with what to do.

“We felt like if we told her mom that she was partying, it would just backfire and make things worse. It took us a while but we realized at one point it wasn’t in our hands,” Gandreddi said.

They shared their concerns with their friend’s mom, who was worried about her daughter’s increasingly reckless behavior. After persuading her daughter to visit a psychologist, the teen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Gandreddi and her friendsare convinced that trip to the psychologist saved their friend’s life and the experience prompted them

to take action.

“We started to research more and learned there are 5.7 million people in American right now who are diagnosed with (the disorder),” Gandreddi said. “We wanted to save lives and reduce the suicide rate for this disorder.”

Manic Depression Suppression is their effort to spread awareness, raise money and support individuals who are dealing with the disorder. Through the nonprofit they plan to host monthly support sessions and give presentations at related events. They are also developing an app that will

help suffers manage their moods.

The youth suicide rate in Georgia declined last year to 42 deaths after hitting a five-year high in 2015 and 2016 with 51 deaths each year, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. Most at risk are children ages 15 to 17.

Gandreddi said her friend was under a lot of pressure and had feelings of worthlessness. While many teens suffer under the weight of societal and parental expectations, both academic and social, it can be particularly tough for teens with an undiagnosed mental illness.

CONTRIBUTED Siri Gandreddi, far right, 17, and three friends from Lambert High School created Manic Depression Suppression, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading awareness about bipolar disorder, after a friend was diagnosed with the illness.