Gone Too Soon: Issues Surrounding a Teen on the Brink of Commiting Suicide

The world is an enormous stretch of barren land shrouded in darkness. Trudging aimlessly, he can only hear echoes of his own heartbeat reverberating in the stillness. There is nobody else out there who would care to listen. As worthless as excrement baking on the dusty ground, no one would bother wasting his time on someone such as he. He knows he should be getting somewhere, but all he sees is the same dismal emptiness—devoid of people, devoid of understanding. Changing direction is futile. He knows he would still end up in the same God-forsaken place. He's just going around in circles, wasting his time in pursuit of nothing. Maybe, everything would be better off if he just stops this madness right here, right now. Who knows? He might make the world a better place by ridding it of one of its many vagrant losers: himself.

When a teenager is depressed
He/she is bound to feel this desolate. Oftentimes, parents/guardians would be misled to think that he/she is just undergoing the usual “growing pains.” During this stage, a rift between parents and their children emerge. Teenagers would tend to seek their own company and distance themselves from their family. Having been through the same phase, parents would attribute these changes to raging hormones and/or teenage rebellion. Little do they know that behind the apathetic facade lies a vulnerable youth, confused and torn by the torrent of changes confronting him/her. Teenage life can be fun, yes. But it can also be very troubling.

As concerned people, we cannot just leave our teens be and allow them to sort the harsh realities of growing up on their own, especially if they are obviously overwhelmed by it. Depression is a very clear possibility. With an estimated 500,000 youths attempting to kill themselves annually, it is not unlikely that our teen could join the bandwagon. A seriously depressed teen will have difficulty snapping out of his/her condition without help from others. Unlike adults, depressed teens are prone to exhibit bouts of anger instead of showing sadness. Even the strongest antidepressant would not work if depression is not acknowledged in the first place. Because depressed teens are least likely to open up on their own, communicating with them and getting them out in the open would be up to us. Constant and open communication would help prevent our teens from meeting such a tragic end too soon.

Thinking of suicide
More teens succumbing to depression means more teens are prone to commiting suicide. Coming down with this debilitating illness automatically places the concerned individual at risk of taking his/her own life. Thus, it comes as no surprise why depression is the main factor behind teen suicide. Moreover, for teens who are dependent on alcohol or drugs, the risk is even higher. Nevertheless, most suicidal persons would show signs indicating the direction they are contemplating on taking. As with teens, once we have noticed depressive symptoms manifesting, we should be vigilant since they could already be hinting on suicide:
Discussing or mentioning suicide in conversations/jests
Thinking or saying that the world/everybody else would be better off without him/her
The topics of his/her writing(journal, essays, poems, etc.) is death or anything related to dying
Entertaining the positive probabilities of killing oneself
Handing over his/her prized belongings to other people(friends, siblings, etc.)
Indulging in a dangerously carefee behavior(driving recklessly, unsafe sex, binge eating, etc.)
Searching for materials or substances that are lethal
Bidding farewell to loved ones as though it is for real