What We Can Learn About Teenage Suicide and How We Can Stop It
Many people out there right now reading this article may know someone who has lost someone they loved to suicide or lost someone themselves. Suicide is not a thing to joke about for example when I hear someone say "I just want to kill myself" after posting something they didn't like or seeing a post about someone who looks really good saying "I'm so ugly. I'm just going to kill myself" is not okay at all. Suicide is a real thing and it is really bad, it's someone who is our friend killing themselves because they feel like they don't belong.
In 2012 studies showed that 10.9% of suicides were by teenagers the ages of 15-24. Teen suicide is third leading cause of teenagers death with 5,000 deaths per year, males making up 85%. However, attempted suicides outnumber those of actual suicides. While males tend to go more violent ways of ending their lives and often are more successful, females actually attempt it more often than their male counterparts.
There are many risk factors that can lead to suicide including mental heath or it may be inherited in some cases, which can be controlled. However, there are some cases like physical illness that cannot be controlled, but if you recognized the signs of suicide that you can control you can be the one to save yourself or someone you care about.
The risk factors below are to be taken very seriously and should not be joked about no matter what. The factors for every suicide are as followed:
Previous suicide attempt(s)
Psychological and mental disorders, especially depression and other mood disorders, schizophrenia, and social anxiety
Substance abuse and/or alcohol disorders
History of abuse or mistreatment
Family history of suicide
Feelings of hopelessness
Physical illness
Impulsive or aggressive tendencies
Financial or social loss
Relationship loss
Isolation or lack of social support
Easy access to methods/means of suicide
Exposure to others who have committed suicide
The following are ways to the reduce the potential for suicidal behavior:
Psychological and clinical care for physical, mental, and substance abuse disorders
Restricted or limited access to methods/means of suicide
Family and community support
Support from medical and health care personnel
Developing problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills
Religious and cultural belief systems that discourage suicide
Yes, I know there is a lot to take in but remember that you can save someone with this information. Every person has the chance to save a life but only if they know what to look for and how to save them.
Depression is a factor that leads one to suicide. To fully understand it its the feeling of hopelessness, loneliness, and worthlessness. You personally might feel sad or lonely sometimes, but depression has a larger and longer impact on a person. There are five factors of depression and if someone shoes at least one of these signs try to help them. The factors are:
Feeling down, depressed or sad most of the day; feeling irritable and angry
Loss of interest in daily activities
Significant weight loss or weight gain; a decrease or increase in appetite
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Feeling very nervous and hyper; feeling sluggish
Fatigue or no energy
Feeling worthless or unnecessarily guilty
Difficulty concentrating and/or indecisiveness
Either recurrent thoughts of death without a specific plan or a suicide attempt, or a specific plan for committing suicide
If you feel any of these please talk with your parent, older sibling, older cousin, teacher, guardian, or someone older that you trust so they can help you.
Methods of committing suicide varies from person to person but the leading factor in teens is by firearms. If you know or live with someone who keeps and owns guns have them lock them up and put them somewhere you cannot get to. Other methods are asphyxiation (suffocating oneself), drowning, cutting arteries, overdosing on medications or illegal drugs, and carbon monoxide poisoning.