SPOKANE, Wash. — If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
Saprina Schueller, the wife of the former principal of Coeur d'Alene high school, wrote a blog post on her website Troy's Story detailing the complicated factors which lead to her husband dying by suicide, and urging people to remove the stigma around talking about mental health, concussions and opioid addictions.
Troy Schueller, then the principal of Coeur d'Alene high school, died by suicide on March 21, 2018. But according to Saprina Schueller many still don't know the mounting struggles Troy was experiencing ever since a bus he was on crashed and left him with a serious concussion and chronic pain that would plague him for the rest of his life.
Saprina believes Troy had undiagnosed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a disease caused by repeated head injuries. The symptoms of CTE don't present immediately, making it difficult to spot, and cause degeneration in the brain as well as memory problems, personality or mood changes, and suicidal thoughts, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Troy returned to work quickly after his injury, and refused to finish therapy for his concussion, which he didn't believe helped, according to Saprina. After a couple years, the couple received a settlement from Worker's Compensation for the concussion he sustained during the wreck, which they both believed he had recovered from.
Saprina detailed how admitting to being in pain and taking time to recover were looked down upon in their home of Saint Maries, Idaho, which may have kept Troy from admitting to or seeking help for the struggles from his concussion.
By the time Schueller became the principal of Coeur d'Alene high school, he had been dealing with chronic pain for the better part of two decades.
After Troy passed, Saprina learned he had been struggling with an opioid addiction to manage his pain, which jeopardized his position at CHS.
Saprina recalls in his note to her that he "died from chronic pain" and felt like he no longer had any options.
Saprina believes the permanent effects of CTE, his struggle with opioids, and the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction all contributed to her husbands death, and talking more openly about these subjects could save other's lives, especially in Idaho.
Idaho ranks among the top 10 states for the highest number of suicide deaths per capita, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, with Coeur d'Alene ranking in second for suicide rates in Idaho.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
Editor’s note: KREM normally does not cover suicides, however an exception was made for this story as it greatly impacts the Coeur d’Alene community.
