Stress Management
Turning Around The Hopelessness In Teen Suicides
Suicide is among the top ten leading causes of death
and has no regard for age, sex, or ethnic background. Suicide is among
the top three causes of death among the young population of today’s
society. As difficult as those statistics are suicide is among the top
five causes of death among the pre-teens. Suicide is nothing to laugh at
any age but the thought of someone so young with so much to live for is
even less appealing.
Teen suicide is getting worse every day all around
the world. Many people ask why such youth would want to take their life
for or what they possibly have to be stressed about. Many teens feel the
pressure to be the best in grade, best in sports, and to be popular.
These ideals can be very overwhelming and cause anxiety and stress.
There are the teens that have been severely abused and neglected and are
now seriously depressed.
Teenagers and
pre-teens have a very rough time trying to adjust their life from
children to growing adults and the world sometimes is not all that
forgiving. Teens are sometimes hardest on themselves and there are those
who cannot handle the struggle and this is not the time in their lives
when they are communicating with their parents so it is very difficult
to see when they are moving into a dangerous state of mind. More than 50
percent of high school students have entertained the idea of suicide at
one time or another. More than 5 percent admit to trying it at least
once.
Some signs to watch for:
A) Personality changes
B) Trouble
with friends (girl or boyfriend)
C) Becoming isolated and withdrawn
D) Schoolwork
quality changed
E) Trouble concentrating
F) Choosing behavior that is
contrary to how they are normally
G) If this is a daughter, is she
pregnant
H) Has there been attempts to run away from home
I) Begin
using drugs or alcohol
J) Physical complaints
K) Eating or sleeping
patterns changed
Even if you remotely think your teenager may be
considering harming themselves in any way, you better talk to them. Many
a times your teenager may talk to someone else because they do not want
to disappoint you. Make sure you know what is going on with your teen.
Reassure them that no matter what you love them and want them to live.
Offer to get them help and stay with them through the crisis. If you
need to call your local crisis hot line or emergency number and have
your child placed in protective care so they can hurt themselves. Prove
to your child that life is worth living tell them there is a brighter
world out there and it has much to share. Watch and listen to your
children. It takes more than words to hear what really is going with
them.