Bessey 1

Princess Bessey
April 1,2014
5th hour
Suicide Awareness
Melinda, a girl from a ad home and a !ictim of high school ullying, is sic" of the
harassments# She sits in her dar" lit room,with ma"eup stained and tear filled face$ she is
frantically trying to put all the words she has on paper as she prepares to ta"e her life,sha"ing
and wondering if this is the right thing to do# %er hand &ui!ers$ she holds the rope she is aout to
use and hangs it in her closet# She loo"s up to the s"y and mouths the words '()m sorry,*and
+###2###1### she lets go of the rope and the world around her is changed ,ust li"e that# -re!or is a
oy is suffering from too many pressures at school and a hard rea"up that lea!es him feeling
suicidal# %e wal"s down his street one last time as he is waiting for a speeding car to pass y so
he can feel no more pain# Andy, a oy who is trying to find himself, cannot ear searching
anymore# %e "nows what he is# But will e!eryone around him accept who he is . %e doesn)t
want to ta"e a ris"# %e)s scared he will fore!er e singled out# %e has the pills in his hand# (n
three seconds, he lays on the floor, motionless# %e stays on the floor, staring at the ceiling
lan"ly # %is mom wal"s in terrified# /hy would he "ill himself. /hy would he ta"e his life
could there e such a great reason# %is Mom see)s a letter written to her# (t turns out Andy was
gay# -hese are ,ust a few e0amples of how suicide could happen # So easy, right. Most of the
time, noody e0pects it# -een suicide is still a serious prolem faced y the world today# (t is
important to "now how suicide has e!ol!ed, why people commit suicide, and how to stop a
suicide#
Suicide rates ha!e grown greatly o!er the years# Suicide has also e!ol!ed greatly# '1ach
day, there are appro0imately 11#5 teen suicides 2American Association of Suicidology3# -his is
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horrifying to thin" aout# (n fact, '(n the past 40 years, the suicide rate has &uadrupled for males
24 years old, and has douled for females of the same age* 2American Association of
Suicidology3# -hat really says something of how the world has e!ol!ed o!er the years## 'Suicide
rates for those etween 10514 increased o!er 60 percent etween 1761 and 2004* 2American
Association of Suicidology3# -hese are ,ust some shoc"ing facts of how much the suicide rates
ha!e gone up# -his shows we are definitely doing something wrong, to push "ids to that e0tent to
want to commit suicide# -hese "ids aren)t ,ust "ids$ -hey are the future of America 2American
Association of Suicidology3#
Most people "now or ha!e heard aout suicide, ut many do not truly "now the factors
that cause it# 8irst, '9!er 70 percent of people who die y suicide has a mental illness at the time
of their death and the most common mental illness is depression 2:aruso3# Many people would
e surprised to "now that ';ntreated depression is the numer one cause for suicide*2:aruso3#
Another reason someone would commit suicide is due to negati!e thoughts, traumatic e!ents,
and a need for attention# Some people actually commit suicide as a way of punishing other
people# -hey see it as the person caused their pain, and now they<re going to ma"e them feel
guilty aout their death# -he sad part is researchers say aout 70 percent would tell a friend# But
if no one is there for them then who do they ha!e to turn to. 'Most suicidal people don)t actually
want to die ut to sol!e their own prolems*2=ales +1553# Most 9ften times, it)s not the situation
itself ut the emotion ehind it# Say a girl and her oyfriend rea" up# (t may not seem li"e
someone would want to "ill themsel!es o!er something li"e that# /hat gets to them is the
emotional pain ehind the situation# (f someone reacts with intense emotion, they are asically in
a crisis# -hey usually react with intense anger, frights,or sadness# -he emotion that someone is
feeling tend to loc" their aility to use reasoning# -he person has no 'middle ground* and
thin"s they either "ill themsel!es or always ha!e this pain left inside them# Suicide is often
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descried as a cry for help# (t)s a good way of communication saying they are not o"ay inside
2Smith 425513#
Suicide is serious ut there are ways of pre!enting the tragedy# -al"ing openly aout
suicide could sa!e a life# 8irst start with warning signs li"e intense emotional mood swings,
tal"ing aout "illing themsel!es, showing rage of see"ing re!enge, sleeping too little or too
much, and especially tal"ing aout eing trapped or eing a urden to someone# Suicide is a
desperate attempt to escape e0treme suffering that has ecome too much to handle anymore#
Suicidal people are deeply conflicted aout ending their own li!es# -hey wish they could ha!e an
alternati!e for suicide 2'Suicidal Pre!ention*3 Be open to someone aout their prolems ecause
it can help them 2S"ri"ot3#
(f someone is e!er suicidal please call the suicide hotline at 1560052>+5-A?@# Suicide is
a serious issue, especially with teenagers# Suicide should always e ta"en seriously# Suicide has
e!ol!ed greatly o!er the years and we ha!e failed to put a complete end to it# /e need to
understand why and how to pre!ent a suicide# /e may not completely stop the depressing
thoughts, suicidal moments, or suicide attempt, ut we can help# (f someone e!er says they want
to "ill themsel!es, ta"e them completely serious# %elp sa!e a life# Aou could e their last hope#
/or"s cited
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American Association of Suicidology# 'Aouth Suicide 8act Sheet#* 2004 16 April 2014
Bwww #suicidology #org Ccdocument 5lirary Cget D file > folder D (d E2+2 Fname E l81 5
141# pdf G#
:aruso, @e!in# *Suicide :auses#* 16 April 2014 Bwww #suicide #org Csuicide 5causes #htm 1> G#
=ales, Hudith# -een Suicide #:aliforniaI ?ucent Boo"s (nc,1772#
S"ri"ot, @immy# Phone inter!iew# @entwood,M(# 2> April 2014#
Smith, Hudie# :oping with Suicide # Jew Aor"$ Fosen Pulishing =roup,1770#
'Suicidal Pre!ention#* %elpguide#org April 2014# 1> April 2014#
BhttpICCwww#helpguide#orgCmentalCsuicideDpre!ention#htmG#