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Teenage suicide I won't be a problem for you much longer. Do not ignore teenagers who talk about suicide. Each day, 18 American adolescents intentionally kill themselves. "Adolescents who attempt suicide often feel that no one needs them, that nobody cares," Arthur Rousseau, M.D., Public Information Committee, Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association, said. "Most suicide behavior among teenagers represents an attempt to resolve a conflict, to escape intolerable living arrangements or to punish important people in their lives. These youngsters are unhappy and confused. They have lost the ability to find alternative ways to deal with or communicate their pain and sense of failure." Dr. Rousseau added that for some teenagers, parental divorce, the formation of a new family with step-parents and step-siblings, moving to a new community and school, the breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or failure in school can be unsettling and cause feelings of stress. "Facing a world of increased tensions, competitiveness, pressures and demands from parents, teachers, and peers is, for some adolescents, too much to cope with and self-destructive behavior results," Dr. Rousseau said. The warning signs of adolescents who may try to kill themselves are similar to those of depression. Parents should be aware of the warning signs and seek professional help for their child if one or more of these symptoms occur because depression and suicidal feelings are treatable. Suicidal behaviors from adolescents may include a noticeable change in eating and sleeping habits; withdrawal from friends and family and from regular activities; violent or rebellious behavior; running away; drug and alcohol abuse; unusual neglect of personal appearance; radical personality change; decline in the quality of schoolwork; and, difficulty concentrating. Also, a teenager who is planning to commit suicide may put his or her affairs in order by giving away favorite possessions or throwing things away or may become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression. "Suicidal talk from teenagers need to be taken very seriously to prevent the tragedy of adolescent suicide, which has reached epidemic proportions," Dr. Rousseau said. "Sometimes a suicide attempt is simply a gesture. It is not a genuine effort to seek death. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary situation. It is a tragedy which can be avoided. I have often heard adolescents say, once conscience is regained, that they were glad they did not die. For the adolescent, suicide may be a way of saying, someone help me. With support from family and friends and professional treatment, adolescents who are suicidal can be restored to a more healthy path of development." ###### |
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