This is an edited version of the July 8, 2002, chat about suicide with Debra McPhee. It deletes times and extraneous material and corrects typographical errors to make the questions and answers easier to understand.

About the series Sunday: • Getting to the heart of suicide • Her days are no longer so dark Monday • Watching for warnings • Teen's death devastates loved ones Tuesday • Columnist Mike Zitz tells of coping with depression and thoughts of suicide before he got help. • Good grief! Charlie Brown had a secret • Transcript from yesterday's chat with Debra McPhee • Graphic: Suicide rates • Cruel world • Information about suicide • Help for survivors • Suicide hot lines

ChrisM: Hello, Debra, and welcome

brian: what's the best way to deal with the grief surrounding last weekend's fatal car accident?

DebraAMcPhee: brian, the best way is to take care of yourself first! what are ways you comfort yourself under stress? is it talking with a trusted friend? Getting some extra sleep? taking a day off from work? making meaning of someone's death helps to clarify the ground for grief and bereavement. have I led you astray?

ChrisM: Obviously, this tragedy is going to affect lots of teens who knew the kids in the accident.

brian: How do you handle family and friends who minimize what you're feeling by telling you to "cheer up" or "snap out of it"?

RoseAnn: How can you tell the difference between just being down and being depressed?