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Help prevent teen suicide! |
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Many people know, if they know me personally, that I was and still am a suicidal teen. Depression, anxiety disorders and paranoia are genetic problems in my family and what that means for me is that even if no one hates me, I will feel like they do if they either ignore me, don't acknowledge me or even say one little thoughtless thing to me, it can make throw me into a downward spiral. I thought I was alone in this until I was thirteen and found out that millions of people in America alone and many many more in foreign countries deal with this problem. It's not, like some people think, an 'emo' thing or always just 'a cry for attention', teen suicide is a serious problem among people with anxiety disorders and depression. As I said before, sometimes it is genetic, that is to say something people can't help. Also, just saying things like 'cheer up!' or 'your life isn't that bad, think of the people in Darfur', that doesn't help, it only makes people feel worse and more selfish, which can lead them into a deeper depression. Also, things can make it worse, like if a person is abused in any way or if they have a personal tragedy in their life, everyone reacts differently to that and some people don't deal well with the pain. So before you think someone has no right to feel suicidal or depressed because they have 'such a good life', think.
HOW CAN YOU HELP PREVENT TEEN SUICIDE? 1. if someone even looks depressed, reach out to them, I've heard hundreds of stories about this sort of thing working and the worst they can do is snap at you or dive into their life's story. Okay, there are worse things, but if it's someone you know, you should definitely do this, not so much with strangers unless you're in a safe place where you know someone wouldn't hurt you.
2. Think before you speak, if someone's already looking bad, don't make it worse no matter how much you dislike them. Also, if you're someone who's prone to suicidal thoughts, try and think about what you'd feel. I don't practice what I preach on this one, but I should and I have no excuse not to.
3.Help with pleasant distractions; a little conversation goes a long way, I met someone once who did not know me, who I did not know, but because I looked depressed and was wearing a Repo! shirt, he sat down, talked to me about Repo! and then proceeded to yell "GRAAAAAAAVES!" at the top of his lungs in a crowded mall just to make me feel better.
4. Get involved; support your local Teen Suicide Prevention centre, try looking up a teen suicide hotline and either start or contribute to a fundraiser for it, as I mentioned before, sometimes, a nice talk can make things much less bleak and that's what these hotlines provide.
5. People like me don't like to be thrown into a clinic, no one does, but sometimes it's necessary, if someone makes an attempt or a threat of suicide, take it seriously and tell their parents if their a teen or child or if they're an adult, convince them to look into a rehabilitation program.
There are many more ways that I haven't covered, come up with some yourself and see how it works. I hope this has been enlightening and helpful, and remember, it's always good to make someone else feel better about themselves. Remember, everybody can find something to be depressed about, especially if they have depression, so they aren't just selfish, inconsiderate jerks, there really is an underlying issue.
The Paviche Largo · Mon Apr 20, 2009 @ 03:39pm · 0 Comments |
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