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Danielle Boehler Mrs. Mazany AP Literature December 4th, 2013

Teen Suicide & Suicide Prevention Senior Project Final: Suicide is a growing problem among many young people. Teens who dont know how to cope with the difficulties in their lives may turn to suicide as a way to end their problems. They may not realize that there are other ways to address what is causing them pain. There are many ways you can tell if someone is suicidal and also many ways that you can help them, professional help is also available in certain cases. She talked of suicide indirectly every day. She made comments about how the world would be better off without her, how being dead would be better than living in this awful place, and how she wished she could just kill herself. I never thought anything of it I guess. Then, one morning she was as happy as I had ever seen her. She looked at me and said, you know I really do love you, right? I asked her what was wrong because that was unusual for her and she said she was just fine. I assumed it was nothing and carried on with my daily schedule. I never could have imagined losing my sister, but later that day I experienced that pain when I found her lying lifeless on the bathroom floor.(Schleifer) The way society views suicide has evolved over time. At one time, committing suicide was considered to be a disgraceful act. In parts of Europe, there was a time when people who killed themselves were buried at crossroads. This was intended to draw attention and shame to

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the suicide. Many religions also condemn suicide. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam consider it morally wrong. For many years, suicide was considered a crime in the United States. As the reasons why people commit suicide have become better understood, anti-suicide laws in many states have been removed. Today, suicide is outlawed in only two states. People have found that punishing someone who has attempted suicide only adds to his or her depression, which could lead to another suicide attempt. Over time there have been more efforts to help people understand why someone would commit suicide, but sometimes when people hear about suicide they may think about copying suicide victims. No matter how troubled a suicide victim may have been, their death never helps anyone. In most cases, a suicide attempt is really a cry for help. People who commit suicide often believe that their problems are too big and scary for them to ever solve. But no matter how big a problem may be, there is always a better solution, and help is always available (Schleifer). There are many reasons that one may contemplate suicide. It is not possible to list all the reasons why teens decide to take their own lives, but some of the most common causes are: feeling rejected, abandoned or alone, having a low self-esteem, feeling ashamed and unworthy of forgiveness and pressure at school, home or with friends. Having problems with alcohol and drugs is another common reason many people contemplate suicide. Many people who let suicide cross their mind feel very hopeless and have extreme depression or a sadness that does not go away and has no clear cause. Often, teens that kill themselves have had upsetting experiences of some kind. Young suicide victims may explain their feelings in notes they leave behind. Some of their reasons may include: breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, doing poorly in school, or not being accepted for a job or by a college, being gay and feeling guilty or afraid of not being accepted, and divorce or other family problems such as drugs, alcohol or sexual abuse. Having a

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serious physical injury or illness is also another popular reason along with being responsible for an injury of another person or having committed a serious crime. The most common and well known cause of teen suicide is possible the death of a parent, close friend, or other family member ("Suicide in the U.S."). Someone that may be contemplating suicide nearly always shows warning signs of their unpleasant thoughts. Some phrases someone who is suicidal may say have a wide range, from my life isnt worth living, nobody understands me and everyone would be better off without me, to Id be better off dead. Not only will people planning to commit suicide make certain remarks, they will also carry out activities that correlate to their departure. They may give away personal belongings of either personal or monetary value, obtain a weapon, sleep too much, or have a significant change in weight. Withdrawing from family and friends and loss of interest in usual activities are also common of someone that is suicidal (Schleifer). According to government data, 70% of people who commit suicide tell someone about their plans, or give some other type of warning signs. Over 30,000 Americans die each year due to suicide, but over 800,000 Americans attempt suicide. While women attempt suicide three times more than men, men are nearly four times more likely to be successful. Throughout the nation, 38,364 suicides had been successfully committed in 2010. Making that an astonishing 105 deaths by suicide per day nation-wide. 4,600 of those deaths were between the ages of 15-24 and about 13 deaths per day. An average of 1 person kills themselves every 13.7 minutes. It is the third leading cause of death for young people behind car accidents and homicides. In 2010, 713,000 people visited the emergency room due to self- inflicted injury. Suicide has be committed in many ways but the most popular are from fire arms, suffocation including hanging, and poisoning, also known as overdosing. Altogether these methods claimed the lives of 35,484

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people in 2010. There are twice as many deaths due to suicide than HIV/AIDS. 1 in 65,000 children ages 10 to 14 commit suicide each year. It is estimated that there are at least 4.5 million survivors in this country. In 2004 it is estimated there were 811,000 suicide attempts in the US ("Suicide Facts"). There are many common myths about suicide. One of the most common myths is that young people who talk about killing themselves never really do. Eight out of ten suicide victims told someone that they were planning to take their own lives before actually attempting, take them seriously. Another common myth is that if someone really wants to commit suicide, no one can talk them out of it. People who are thinking about suicide often do not truly want to die. They need someone to show them that they care and understand. They need to know that they are not alone, even though they may feel like they are. A person who seems to get better after trying to commit suicide will never try to kill themselves again is another myth. People who have tried suicide before are at a higher risk of trying again. This does not mean that everyone who failed the first time will try again. But it does mean that anyone who had attempted suicide will need a lot of care and support afterwards. There are certain steps in the suicide prevention process that should be achieved when dealing with someone suicidal. The first step is to recognize your own boundaries. In no way are you responsible for another persons health or well-being; you are not a trained professional. Step number two is to be direct. If you suspect a friend is depressed and considering suicide, dont hesitate to ask your friend about this directly: "Are you having thoughts of hurting yourself?" If they say yes, ask the following three questions: Have you thought about how you would do it? Do you have what you need to carry out that plan? When will you do it? If you fear

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immediate harm, get help! It is better to risk offending someone than to risk losing that person as a friend. Call 911 or your local suicide hotline. Listen and be non-judgmental. Allow your friend to express his/her feelings without getting into an ethical debate about suicide. Dont ask why? or act shocked, as these responses can create distance and defensiveness. The third step in this process is to express your concern and support. If it is natural to you within the context of your relationship with the person, mention what you value about them and share your hope that they will reconsider. There is no right or wrong thing to say as long as you are speaking out of love and concern for that person. The fourth step is Offer realistic hope. Let your friend know that alternatives are available without providing glib reassurances; downplaying the complexity of the circumstances can add to the persons sense that no one understands. Only make promises you can keep. For example, tell your friend that you are willing to talk and stay with them for one hour, not all night. Dont allow yourself to be sworn to secrecy. Remove means. If possible, remove the persons access to means of hurting themselves by taking away knives, pills, or other lethal weapons. The fifth step is to call a suicide hotline. Consult with someone from a local or national suicide hotline. With permission, put your friend on the line. Involve others. No one should have to handle these issues alone. Do not hesitate to contact your friend's family members, other friends, therapist, or even to involve the police if necessary. Dont forget to take care of your own needs. You may find your interactions with your friend to be stressful and emotionally draining. Be sure to seek support for yourself from your other friends, family members, or a professional. Most important of all, do not assume responsibility for another persons health, happiness, or life. Balance being concerned and

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supportive with your own needs and be constructively candid about this balance with your friend as necessary (How to Prevent a Suicide). Did you ever realize how much your body loves you? Its always trying to keep you alive. Thats all you body has to live for. Your body is making sure you breathe while you sleep, it stops cuts from bleeding, fixes broken bones, and finds ways to beat any illness you might get. Your body literally loves you so much. Its time you start loving your body back. So if you yourself are considering suicide, remember there are many other ways to cope with the problems you are having. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide is a topic that my family has become unfortunately familiar with during my lifetime. On a crisp autumn morning, October 31st, 2007, my aunts lifeless body was found in the fetal position on the bitter ground of her apartment building. When we received the autopsy, we found out that her drug addiction had concluded her time here on Earth. Because of an overdose on the prescription pain medication, Lorcet, the woman that meant the most to me would no longer be in my life. For six years after my aunts death I had trouble discovering who I was. Losing half of the whole heart you once had is hard, so I went to a counselor twice a week to help me through the grieving process. Even though she is no longer here, her memory will live on forever, in my heart. I want to spread the word about suicide and show people that there are many other ways to cope with their problems than ending their life. Suicide does not rid of the sadness you feel, it simply gives it to someone else. If I can help even one person on the verge of suicide decide that their life is worth living, I will have fulfilled my purpose. In 2014 I have entered myself in a walk sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This event is called: Out of the Darkness Community Walk. Every fall,

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family members, friends, and colleagues walk 35 miles together in hundreds of communities across the nation to prevent suicide, raise awareness, and end the stigma that surrounds depression and other mental disorders. Net proceeds from the Out of the Darkness Community walks benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the leading national not-forprofit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. More than 82 cents of every dollar that is raised is used to: educate the public about mental disorders and suicide prevention, fund scientific research, and provide programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk, and involve them in the work of the Foundation. Even with all the ways of helping, suicides can and will still occur. Every one and a half hours someone under the age of 24 commits suicide. For that person the problems are over. But for the loved ones left behind, the problems are only beginning. No matter what the number of teen suicides may be, the number of lives affected is much greater. As the problem of teen suicide is growing, many people are working to spread awareness about suicide. By learning what can be done to help yourself or someone you know who is depressed, you can help stop the growing number of suicides.

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Works Cited "How to Prevent a Suicide." WikiHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov 2013. <http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-a-Suicide>. Schleifer, Jay. Teen Suicide . New York: The Rosen Publishing Company, 1997. Print. "Suicide Facts." Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. Global Cloud, n.d. Web. 6 Nov 2013.<http://www.save.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=705 d5df4 055b-f1ec-3f66462866fcb4e6>. "Suicide in the U.S.." National Institute of Mental Health. N.p.. Web. 21 Nov 2013. <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-andprevention/index.shtml>.