Suicide

Teen Suicide

Suicide is a major issue among teens. In 1990 alone we lost more than 13 out of 100,000 teens to suicide. This number increased by 15% less than one year later. When suicide is discussed in schools students take it very seriously because they know that at least two people in their class will attempt suicide.

When there are suicide prevention discussions most feel their is no hope. “Youth still see psychiatry as a pretty scary system,” says Lynn Chiarell, satellite program coordinator for Youth Net (Youth Net). “When you look at what happened at Columbine, it’s pretty obvious those kids had real problems but everyone just ignored it. We want to prevent that from happening here at Youth Net.” When suicidal teens see that there are people who care, they feel they have someone to talk to. Most teens that are thinking about suicide won’t talk about their feelings. This is why it is important that if someone brings the issue up you talk to them and ask them about their feelings and tell them you care. If we can get more people to at least consider suicide being an open issue it is a big step in teen suicide prevention.

Every teenager has mood swings and habit changes. But when a teen seems to be depressed for more than two weeks, serious depression could be setting in (APA Online). “ Young people who have attempted suicide are at greater risk of future attempts. Listen for hints like, “ I’d be better off dead” or “ I won’t be a problem for you much longer” or “ Nothing matters; It’s no use,” so you can tell if your teen is suicidal. Many suicide cases are by teens who abuse alcohol or drugs. Some teenagers “clean house” by giving away favorite possessions, cleaning their rooms or throwing things away before committing suicide. Some of the most dangerous times of a teen’s life is when he or she has suffered a loss or been publicly humiliated, Loss of self-esteem, the break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. When this happens suicide is often a reoccurring thought. When you know that something like this has happened you should talk to the teen about how they feel.

Young people in today’s society have it tough. They deal with divorce, death and illness. Teens have to deal with complex decisions and peer pressure every day.