by Ameena Hilmy
Suicide.
It’s the first thing that comes to a teen’s mind when colliding with
an emotion never felt before, so unbearable to them that they strive to
find a way out.
Teens think that ending their life would be the only possible way of
relief. It’s certainly appalling to think that teen suicide is on the
rise.
In my opinion, I believe that attempted suicide is a cry for help.
It’s a way of signalling that they feel overwhelmed with life along with
the stresses that come along with it. It is also a way of saying “I
can’t take it anymore!”
Attempted suicide is a direct indication of depression demonstrating
that they have feelings and thoughts that they cannot handle anymore.
 They try to solve that problem by ending their life. Everybody knows
that adolescence is an unsettling time with many physical, emotional and
psychological changes taking place. It is a time of confusion, anger,
despair and depression. It is a stressful development period filled with
major changes.
It affects a teen’s rational way of thinking and decision making. It
becomes a mission for parents. The reasons behind a teen’s suicide or
attempted suicide can be complex. But one basic theory lies under all
explanations: they were all trying to escape from a situation that
seemed impossible to deal with emotionally and they all wanted immediate
relief: dying.
Given below are some reasons for teen suicide:
1. Stress, confusion and self-doubt
2. Lack of parental interest
3. Domestic violence
4. Sexual abuse
5. Family alcoholism
6. Pressures of modern life
7. Personal loss, and Inability to handle hardships.
Suicide rates differ between boys and girls but it appears that girls
THINK and ATTEMPT suicide about twice as often as boys. Yet boys DIE BY
SUICIDE about as four times as girls as they tend to be more lethal and
daring.
Some of the risk factors for suicide include:
Impulsive behaviours, family history of suicide, firearms at home,
family violence, prior suicide attempt.
Warning signs include:
Alcohol and drug use, feelings of unwantedness, un-necessary risk
taking, withdrawal from friends and family members, loss of interest in
activities, difficulty in praising.
At some point in our lives, we will all feel stressed out,
overwhelmed and pressured from all kinds of situations but we should try
to cope with determination and hope. But what makes some people more
resilient than others? Why does a person see ending their life as an
alternative for escaping unbearable pain?
Death is known to everyone to arrive at anytime, and one way or the
other, we all seem to cope as time passes. But when a teen commits
suicide, anybody who hears about it would be affected. They will all
start thinking that maybe there was something they could have done to
prevent it. Ever experienced this feeling?
Here are some of the things you could do to prevent suicide:
Steps parents can take:
Keep harmful substances and firearms away from reach, Get
professional help if you have to, Give unconditional support and be
informed.
Steps teens can take:
. Take your friends behaviour and discussion of suicide seriously,
. Talk to an adult you can trust and . Encourage your friend to seek
professional help.
Remember, that no matter how bad life gets, it can’t be so bad as to
feel the need to even contemplate suicide.
Life has its ups and downs but it is the COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT
COUNTS.
As a Japanese proverb puts it,
“Fall seven times, stand up eight”. |
