Happy Thursday Everyone. I am writing this article really shocked and scared for the future. A lot of stories have been released recently about teen suicide rates. Teen issues, whether it be cutting or burning or fighting or shootings at schools, our teenagers are going through a lot. Now, I don't have any children. I've talked to my god kids and my friends kids. However, I have never had the full time duty of dealing with a teenager. Our children are dying and taking their own lives. This is frightening to me. They've barely have had a chance to live, let alone to have accumulated enough in life to want to end it all. The story comes out in the aftermath. There was an issue, problem or something that was bothering the child to the point where they felt they couldn't overcome. Teen suicide rates are on the rise, and are the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds. What a staggering statistic. Now, it makes me wonder, what are the signs? How can you tell that a teenager is actually going through a crisis? How can you take the non verbal clues, and come up with a plan to help the teenager, go through what they're going through? Well in doing my research, I discovered quite a few things to look out for when you are looking at your teenager:
- Psychiatric disorders such as major depressive, bipolar, substance use and conduct disorders.
- Psychiatric comorbidity, especially the combination of mood, disruptive and substance abuse disorders.
- Family history of depression or suicide.
- Loss of a parent to death or divorce.
- Physical and/or sexual abuse.
- Lack of a support network.
- Feelings of social isolation.
- Bullying.
These are different times our children are growing up in. We are in a new millennium and a new frontier. These children need coping skills. They need parental guidance. They need a support system to build them up to the point where they can make it to adulthood. There's so much life to live and love to give. Young people need to learn we're never bound by our circumstances- even while being teenagers. Growing into adulthood gives us the opportunity to make the changes that we want in life. Kids think the end of the world is what they're going through. And it's not. There's always the other side. There's always someone who has been through what they've been through. And they came out okay. We need to share the stories. We need to share these lives. We need to save these lives. And the best way to save lives is to prevent suicide. Prevention efforts should be aimed at individual, relationship, community and societal levels. Suicide rates for young people can be affected by:
- Knowing the signs. Four out of five suicide deaths are preceded by warning signs such as suicidal threats, previous suicide attempts, preoccupation or obsession with death, depression, and final arrangements.
- Making it harder to die in an act of deliberate self-harm. Interventions include building barriers on bridges, removing guns from homes with at-risk youth, lethal means counseling and reducing medication load available.
- Easing access to mental health services. Examples include medical interventions and support groups, effective clinical care for mental disorders and family and community support.
We want to make sure that we're taking care of our babies. Now, I repeat, I don't have any children. So I say this completely as an outsider. But I'm concerned. I'm concerned about these young lives. I'm concerned about the generations that are coming up behind me. I will do my part to make sure that every life that I touch- young or old- is known to be appreciated and loved. I'm also making sure that if there's ever anything I can do to make someone's day better or brighter, I can do it. I will always make sure that someone is living up to their full potential. I will certainly encourage anyone to get the help they need to resolve their issues. Let's do at least that much because we all deserve to live our best life. The purple life. share your comments below. Thank you for reading this article, and supporting this blogspace. Stay safe, masked and healthy. Take Care and God Bless!!!
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