- Three million teenagers consider or attempt suicide every year.
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents.
- Approximately one-fourth of adolescent deaths are the result of suicide.
- While girls are more likely to make attempts BUT boys are more likely to complete the act.
Do I have your attention? This is a very real problem in this century. Even if it doesn’t seem to apply to your teen at this time, please read this section carefully. You may be able to assist another parent help a teen at risk. Suicide is hard to talk about and hard to think about, but please don’t skip this section. Adults who are well informed are a teen’s best ally in times of crisis.
How can you determine whether your teen is at risk to commit suicide?
It is important to take the warning signs of teen suicide seriously and to seek help immediately if you think that you know a teenager who might be suicidal. Here are some of these symptoms to look for:
1. Extreme personality changes
2. Loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable
3. Significant loss or gain in appetite (changes in eating habit)
4. Sleeping too much or too little.
5. Fatigue or loss energy
6. Withdrawal from family and friends (losing the desire to go out)
7. Neglect of personal appearance or hygiene
8. Sadness, irritability, or indifference
9. Having trouble concentrating or pay attention in class
10. Extreme anxiety or panic
11. Drug or alcohol use or abuse
12. Aggressive, destructive, or defiant behavior
13. Feeling worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness
14. Feeling negative or pessimistic
15. Crying frequently
16. Loss of interest in school or schoolwork / drop in school performance
17. Preoccupation with death and dying
18. Self-injury or self-destructive behavior.
Tragically, many of these signs go unrecognized. And while suffering from one of these symptoms certainly does not necessarily mean that one is suicidal, it’s always best to communicate openly with a loved one who has one or more of these behaviors, especially if they are unusual for that person.
