Teen Suicide Is Going Over The Cliff! How Can We Stop It?

Our Teens’ Growing Suicide Problem

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that, in 2017, there were over 47,000 suicides in the United States. Over 10% of those suicides were teenagers. In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens. Accidental death is the leading cause.

What Drives Teens to Suicide?

Remember that suicidal thoughts and behaviors are not an automatic reaction to severe life stressors. Some teens experiencing stress who feel intense anger, anxiety, sadness, loss, and even hopelessness may occasionally feel that they would be better off dead. But this is not the normal reaction of most teens.

Depression and Other Mental Illnesses

Research shows that nearly all teens who committed suicide had a mental illness, most commonly depression. Depression’s great emotional pain and loss of hope blind teens and young adults from seeing another way out of the pain aside from suicide. Other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, have also been shown as causes.

Traumatic Stress

Those teens who suffered a traumatic experience, including childhood sexual abuse, rape and physical abuse, are at a higher risk for suicide, even if many years have passed since the trauma. A diagnosis of PTSD, or multiple incidents of trauma, has been shown to raise the risk even further.

Substance Abuse and Impulsivity

Abusing alcohol and drugs also has a significant impact on teens who are suicidal. Substance abuse causes these teens to act more impulsively upon urges than they would have while sober. Substance abuse can have an indirect effect as well, such as causing the loss of a job or relationship, or exacerbating a psychological disorder.

Loss or Fear of Loss

When a teen is facing a painful loss or even afraid that such a loss might occur, committing suicide may seem like the only option. Such a loss may be the ending of a close friendship or romantic relationship, losing a job, being bullied, socially targeted in a negative way, or failing academically.

Hopelessness

When teens feel they no longer have hope and are unable to do anything about it, suicide seems like a viable option. While it may be apparent to an outsider that things will get better, to a hopeless teen this reassurance sounds like wishful thinking that has no basis in reality, and thus is discounted as irrelevant.

Social Isolation

Social isolation can happen for a variety of reasons. It could be the loss of friends, physical or mental illness, moving to a new location, or even social anxiety. Sometimes low self-esteem can lead to loneliness, which could ultimately result in suicide.

A Cry for Help

At times a teen will attempt suicide not because of a desire to die, but because the pain is overwhelming, and he/she doesn’t know where to go to for help. Such an attempted suicide isn’t the teen crying for attention, but crying for help. But these cries can be fatal if the teen doesn’t appreciate the lethality of her chosen suicide method.

Warning Signs that Suicide may be near:

• Obsessively talking about suicide or death

• Feelings of intense sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness

• Becoming disinterested in physical appearance or daily activities

• Desire to be alone/withdrawal from friends and family

• Giving away meaningful possessions

• Risky behavior such as substance abuse or reckless driving

• Persistent lack of energy

• Difficulty thinking clearly and concentration problems/academic failure

• Suffered a recent traumatic event/exposure to other teen suicides

• Unable to extricate from a hostile social or school environment

• A significant change in sleeping or eating habits

• Running away/violent or rebellious behavior

• Saying goodbye to people in a way that suggests they won’t be seen again

• Trying to access weapons, other objects or pills that could be the means

• Expressing feelings of self-loathing, guilt, or shame

How Can You Prevent Suicide?