I learned of the death of college student Carly Henley two days after her passing, on October 6, 2010. In the days soon to follow it became clear that scores and scores of people were wounded to the core by the loss. Wonderful evidence around the internet serves to almost suspend Carly Henley's personable allure, her impressive musical talent, and a short life the likes of which most anybody could envy.

Various reports tell of her short term struggle with depression of perhaps three months in duration. Significant in that was the introduction of anti-depressant drug Zoloft via prescription some two weeks before Carly took her own life.

Not lost on me now, finally, is the wording in the "Black Box Warning" with Zoloft, which states that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in persons younger than 25. Risk is especially heightened during the first two months of taking anti-depressants.

The labels on anti-depressant drugs in the U.S. were altered to reference young adults aged 18 to 24 just three years earlier - in 2007.

It is my belief, now, that Carly just happened to land among the small percentage of anti-depressant users who are susceptible to being so affected by a powerful drug such as Zoloft.

One need not ever have known such a remarkable woman to feel the pain all around at the loss of Carly Henley.


So many life lessons are so well represented by Carly Henley's compelling spirit. Let me see if I can help some to gain fuller appreciation for a woman who continues to inspire everyone who ever knew of her.



Another somber mark on the calendar


It has been nine years since Carly Henley took her own life when a college student at the University of Washington. 

Today I thought to look up one of Carly's former high school classmates and he continues to remember his late friend while working in the position of  "Senior Manager of Social Content for the National Football League".  That's quite the impressive, enviable and unique spot in the American work force.

On YouTube you can find a small snippet of this very same person, when a high school student, doing a sort of lip-sync to Carly Henley who is singing in the background off-camera.  Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJq28Ls9k0k


Among the more challenging aspects of Carly Henley's death is that it occurred right at the apex of the taking-off point for young adults who are likely destined for personal success. Carly's aforementioned high school classmate helps to facilitate just such an expectation for his own path toward such an enviable career. 

The truth is that nobody can really know just who Carly Henley might be at this moment had she not taken her own life, but we all want to envision the very best personal fulfillment for the image of  the sought-after person she was so long ago.  Not to imply that she wouldn't be every bit the person we would all project her to be, it's just that you never know.

I hope that lots of people so fortunate to have grown up around Carly Henley take the extra moments of reflection from time to time to recognize how precious life tends to be.  I'm sure many who once shared Carly's environs have inspired themselves through difficult times while considering something like:   "if that's the fate which came to Carly Henley, even though she seemed to be all things to all people, then surely I should put forth the extra near-term effort to solve my immediate crisis while recognizing that I am still at the plate, with many of life's pitches still on the way toward me  (something we all wish for Carly on October 6, 2019)"

 In a way it seems too simple, and too logical, to accept that Zoloft, and Carly's unique reaction to it, were basically the entire reason why everyone in her environs was made to endure one of the most difficult emotional assignments of their lives nine years ago today.  Surely if a clear-thinking Carly Henley had been able to know in advance just how many would be so wounded by her death, she would have taken steps to avoid that outcome merely for the effect on all others.

This corner seldom knowingly gets near enough to Zoloft and Zoloft stories in real life  to have altered much of anything over the past nine years.  I can only state bluntly that whenever I hear talk of Zoloft in 2019, I recognize this as serious business (and "time to LISten..." ).

 No doubt Zoloft must be helping plenty of people, and surely plenty more are taking or have taken Zoloft with it having no positive effect on them (with many just fortunate that Zoloft had no negative effect either).

I'm glad to have not  noticed over the past nine years that Zoloft has been extra-in-the-news for rashes of similar reations to it by vast numbers of other young people.  Hopefully medical science continues to learn more and more about such powerful drugs while steadily updating ways to maintain the positive benefits while significantly reducing the major risks involved.


When society loses a Carly Henley  -  that's when people notice the most.
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