HASHTAG: TEENAGE SUICIDE

(#TEENAGESUICIDE)

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in English 5

(Developmental Reading)

Submitted To:
Abigail J. Vilches
Faculty, Department of Languages, Mass Communication, and Humanities
Central Philippine University
Submitted By:
Louise Mikhaela Rose L. Escarrilla
JD - 2
October 2015

INTRODUCTION
Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with
pain.
When the defense mechanism to cope up with pain fails, suicidal feelings are
the result.
In the world we live in today, it is not only the adults that feels the pressure of
the growing
population, the poverty in life and most especially the influences coming from social
media,
teenagers struggle more, being pressured to fit in the society, to excel in everything
they do.
Teenagers who are just starting to build their lives; those who are just starting to
see the world;
those little caterpillars starting to bloom to become the generations beautiful
butterflies,stuck at
the point in their lives as they go through a period when problems, no matter how
big or small,
may feel unbearable or overwhelming. While dealing with hormonal changes and an ever-complex
world, may feel that no one can understand their feelings, especially parents. As a result, the teen
may feel angry, alone and confused while facing complicated issues about identity, peers, sexual
behavior, drinking and drugs. Thinking that they are too young for such life problems,
sometimes
their overwhelming hopelessness is enough to cause them to take their own lives, to commit
Suicide.

But first, what is Suicide?

Suicide is defined as the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily
and
intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind.
According to
The Merriam- Webster Dictionary, it is the act of killing yourself because you do not
want to

continue living; it is an action that ruins or destroys your career, social position, etc.
Suicide has become a major social and medical problem around the world. The
World Health
Organization (WHO) reported that one million people worldwide died from suicide in
the year
2000. Rates among young people have risen even faster, to the point where they
are now the age

group at highest risk in 35% of the world's countries.

Most teens who survive suicide attempts say that they tried to kill themselves
because they
were trying to escape a situation that seemed impossible to deal with, or they were
trying to
escape overwhelming feelings like rejection, guilt, anger, or sadness
With that being said, this paper will try to identify what are the causes of
teenage suicides;
the factors that increase the risk; what are the warning signs; and lastly, how it can
be prevented.

DISCUSSION
I wish I was dead.
I just want to disappear. , Maybe I should shoot myself., Maybe I should
jump off a cliff.
I am just a mistake., Youd all be better off without me.
These phrases. These words coming from a troubled teenager, if we do not do
anything upon
hearing those from them, they might think nobody cares, nobody listens. But what
should we do?
Talk to them. How? We should first know why do they do it.
Causes of Suicide
Following motor vehicle accidents, suicide is the second leading causes of death
among
teenagers and young adults. Teenage years are years when an adolescent have low
self- esteem
and they would sometimes have self - deprecating remarks. Young people, confused
teenagers,
troubled adolescent: they all want a bit of our attention. In the story of the kid who
cried Wolf!,
so many times, it is tempting to stop listening, to stop caring. But it is a chance we
can never take.
They dont just do it for nothing. One way or another, something or someone
triggered them. It
can be a recent loss of a loved one (someone very dear to them). It can be because
of the
societys not respectful ways or non- acceptance of a teen struggling with his or her
sexual
orientation. Being ashamed or guilty of something. And lastly, it can be because of
the cultural
and religious differences of todays generations. However, such causes may differ,

in others, major
disappointment, which may start from feeling of rejection; stress, pressure,
confusion and worries
about self worth; depression, a feeling of hopelessness and unworthiness;
substance abuse,
those teenagers who think that drinking alcohol and using illegal substance can
bring relief; some
would be because of their family background, family history of suicide can lead a
teenager into
thinking that it is okay to do the same.
And there also comes a time when an individual starts to question his gender
preference or
sexual identity; a failed romantic relationship and a need for independence which
are mostly in
conflict with the rules and expectations set for them.

Risk Factors
"The risk for suicide frequently occurs in combination with external
circumstances that seem
to overwhelm at-risk teens who are unable to cope with the challenges of
adolescence because of
predisposing vulnerabilities such as mental disorders. Examples of stressors are
disciplinary
problems, interpersonal losses, family violence, sexual orientation confusion,
physical and sexual
abuse and being the victim of bullying."
There is no doubt that every teenager go through major life changes, for
example: parents
divorce, wherein a child believed that nothing or no one will ever break their family;
financial
changes, a story of riches to rugs; moving from place to place, having a difficulty in
adapting to

his or her new environment; and most especially, teenagers who suffer from day to
day basis of
bullying, can either be cyber or virtual, or personal are at greater risk for suicidal
thoughts.
With different agencies and institutions researching about the factors that
increase rates of
teenage suicide around the world, there are also different causes which are
primarily the factor of
the continuing increase of losing the lives of great potentials.
Columbia University Medical Center, headed by Dr. Elyse Olshen, reported that
girls who
have been physically abused by a boyfriend are 60% more likely to attempt
suicide ; for boys,
sexual abuse over an extended period of time is more likely to be the cause.
The American Psychiatric Association said that depression, alcohol or drug
abuse and
aggressive, disruptive behaviors, are strong risk factors. They declared that 53% is
caused by
substance abuse.
NMHA believes that feelings of anger and resentment, and the ability to see
beyond
temporary situation, causes attempts for teens. Further, those teens without
adequate support
system may feel isolated from family and friends, and are at higher risk for suicide.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states, that stress,
confusion, selfdoubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, fears about growing up, divorce,
formation of
new family and moving to a new community, clearly identifies suicide feeling as
mental disorder.
However, American Academy of Pediatrics, identifies long term impact of child

abuse as the
leading cause. Moreover, some homosexual activists insists that teens who struggle
over their
sexual identity overlook vast majority of victims.
American Psychological Association, firmly states that more than 90% are from
mental
illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
The Warning Signs
According to CDC, approximately 1,700 die by suicide each year, wherein 1 out
of 5 teenagers
in the United States considers suicide annually. Given with statistics like this, we can
actually do
something about it before it even happens. Suicidal tendencies dont just happen
overnight,
because teenage years are years of major life changes, it may be hard to
distinguish the signs of
suicide from the normal snobbish personality an adolescent may display. However,
being cautious
wont hurt. We should be aware of a teenagers: loss of interest in previously
pleasurable
activities;their difficulty concentrating on schoolwork; the neglect of the their
personal
appearance; changes in both their sleeping and eating patterns which eventually
causes weight
loss or weight gain; general lethargy or being too emotional ; and, loss of ability to
tolerate
praises or rewards given to them. But there are some who are great in disguising
their problems
with excess energy. There are those who come out right and talk or would write
about their
suicidal thoughts since it is very hard for them to express their feelings verbally.

Regardless of how they change, we should take it seriously and never ignore
with the hope
that it is just a passing thought.

How to prevent it
Education is among the main objectives of NGF, which seeks to help prevent
depression
by teaching others how to understand it, how to watch out for symptoms, and how
to be able to
assist, support, empathize and listen to those with depression.
In the society now, a teen should know that there are people who care, and who
to talk
to . They are to be reminded that someone loves them just the way they are.
"An information campaign about suicide in general, teen suicide in particular, is
necessary.
Whereas this is a mental health issue, prevention strategies can be done at different
levels: family,
school, community, and even at a national level. While there is no national
program, the
responsibility is still primarily at home. Families can start building strong
connections between one
another;parents should help develop kids good problem solving skills or abilities ( in
a nonviolent way); cultural or religious beliefs should start discouraging suicides; most of
all, especially
for those psychologically troubled teens, an easy access to appropriate clinical
interventions
should be given. Not everyone can afford a psychiatrist, but anyone can be a friend.

CONCLUSION
As the number of teenage suicide increase every year in all parts of the world,
knowing its
causes, risk factors, warning signs and prevention can help stop the growing rates.
There is no doubt that every teen go through major life changes.
According to statistics, as teens experience these changes in life, girls have a
harder time
coping up with it than boys, leading to higher percentage of suicide attempts being
20%; while
boys having only 10%.
Some factors which increase risk of suicide attempt among teenagers include:
psychological
disorder, such as bipolar disorder where the mood usually are alternating episodes
of depression
and manic; feelings of hopelessness; previous attempts of suicide; family history;
lack of support
from family or friends; dealing with gender crisis; and mostly, sexual abuse.
However, we still cannot pinpoint what really makes a teen think of ending his or
her life, but,
the same can still be prevented if we are aware of the warning signs.
Loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities; neglect of personal
appearance; changes
in their normal daily pattern; easily angered; mood swings; and substance use.
These are just
signs we usually ignore because we may think that it is just normal for their age to
act that way;
and there are those who are really good at hiding their emotions. Regardless of how
they change,

We should never ignore it.

Most of the time, teenagers are at school, thus, having a good guidance
counselor, a
good circle of friends or anyone who gives a troubled teenager their time to listen,
who they will
get the chance to open up to and talk about his or her feeling, someone who listens
to them
wholeheartedly. Someone to reassure them, someone they can count on. A person
who is equally
neutral enough to say that their parents understands them, that they have been at
their positions
once in their lives.

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REFLECTION
Suicide is neither wrong nor right; it is not a defect of character; it is morally
neutral. It is
simply an imbalance of pain versus coping resources.
Given with the facts stated above, the society nowadays is not safe anymore.
Teenagers
aging from 14 to 15 or younger sometimes feel more stressed than the adults
because of the
social differences they experience. Family and friends are the two things that are
essential in the
life of a person, may it be an infant, an adolescent or an adult. With our family
guiding us in the
right path; supporting us with lesser pressure; letting us experience things with
limitations; I
guess these are the best teachers in life, we learn through experience with a good
support system
behind us.
A circle of friends that do not pressure us into doing something against our will,
that is what
we need. People around us that would respect who we really are. I believe that
being a teenager
is easy, or maybe because I had the best people around me who believes and trust
me. But what
I know and will forever hold on to, is the Golden Rule, do not do unto others what
you dont want
others to do unto you, in short, respect and trust.
Respect each other, that way it will lessen the feeling of insecurity. Even for
those kids who
suffer psychological disorders, we should still respect them, we are all equal. Trust
the people

12

around you, and gain their trusts as well, especially your parents.

13

REFERENCES
Adolescent Suicide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015 from
http://chealth.canoe.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?
disease_id=135&channel_id=40&relation_id=55627
Crouse, Janice Shaw. (2014, January 9). Sad Truths about Teen Suicide. Retrieved October 3, 2015 from
http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/01/sad_truths_about_teen_suicide.html#ixzz3nst7doGM
Kaslow PhD, Nadine . (2013). Teen Suicides: What Are the Risk Factors?. Retrieved October 2, 2015 from
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2013-11-5-risk-factors-teen-suicide
Lyness PhD, D'Arcy. (August 2015). Which Teens Are at Risk for Suicide?. Retrieved October 2, 2015 from
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/suicide.html#

Shaw, Jerry. (2011, March 28). Causes of Teenage Suicide. Retrieved October
2, 2015 from http://www.lvestrong.com/article/130491-causes-teenagesuicide/
Suicide is the second leading cause of death. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015 from
http://www.medbroadcast.com/condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=135#.Vg29U-yqqko