The inner world of a suicidal youth : what every parent and health professional should know / Millie Osborne.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The morning that became Electra -- Pain -- Her own words -- Parents -- Belonging -- Rage within: depression's fifth dimension -- Reprieve -- Sabotage -- Pretender -- Never born -- Awake.

Electra is a well-loved, beautiful, highly intelligent teenager. Yet, as is not uncommon, she becomes so depressed she contemplates suicide, considering it for years until she finally takes action. Electra's diary, discovered after her death and presented here by a psychiatrist, reveals her first-person reflections through to her fatal college year, showing how thought distortions are caused and how they chip away at self-esteem and the will to survive. In addition to enlightening professionals and aspiring professionals, this work will empower parents to identify and address growing dimensions in their children's development, and understand the struggles they face.