TEEN SUICIDE

Teen suicide is a problem everywhere where there are teens.  Now you must understand, the life of a teen is not as wonderful as it seems...

• In 2001, 11 people between the ages of 10-14 committed suicide each day.
• Boys use firearms to commit suicide more than girls.
• Girls usually use depressant medication, mostly pills to commit suicide.
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds.
• There is an estimated 8 to 25 attempted suicides for each suicide death.
• 4 out of 5 of those who attempt suicide have given clear warnings.
  

With 4,135 teen suicides each year, it affects:

• 8,270 parents
• 16,540 grandparents
• 28,945 teachers
• 24,810 friends
• 12,405 siblings
• 90,970 total people affected EACH YEAR
  

WHY DO THEY DO IT?                             

• Most teens who try to commit suicide think they are doing it for a reason. Possibly, feelings of rejection, hurt or loss. Others may try to escape being angry, ashamed, or feeling guilty about something.
• Some teens are worried about being a disappointment to friends or families. Some try suicide because of feeling as if they are a burden, victimized, unwanted, or unloved.
• Another cause is DEPRESSION. It leads a person to focus on more negative thoughts than positive ones, like failures, and see only the negative side of their situation.
• Sometimes a suicidal person does not realize they are depressed, and don't understand that it is depression making them feel so hopeless, not their situation. They're just caught in thinking there is "no way out", "there's nothing I can do", or "it will never get better." 
• Persons with a BIPOLAR disorder are also at high risk for suicide. Their condition causes them to go through instant swings of depression or manic(abnormally high or frantic energy). Both dangerously extreme phases of bipolar disorder can twist a person's mood, judgment, and outlook.

WARNING SIGNS                                             

TO BE AWARE OF:

• Talk Of suicide or just death in general.
• Talk Of "going Away".
• Talk Of things "they won't be needing".
• Giving things away .
• Talk of feeling hopeless or guilty.
• Not taking part in things and activities
• Aloof from friends and family
• Trouble thinking and concentrating clearly.
• Change in sleeping and eating patterns.
• Self destructive behavior.(Ex.Drugs, alcohol, and cutting themselves)