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Teen Suicide
Ten pathways to prevention
By Victor M. Parachin
O
ver the last three decades, the Here are 10 pathways to prevention the following as some key signs that a
suicide rate for all Americans which parents and other significant person is severely depressed:
has been rising slightly. How- adults in the life of a teenager can Sleeping more or less than usual.
ever, among American teenagers, the use to guide and support a desperate Eating less or more than normal.
rate of suicide is increasing far more young person. Helping a struggling Feeling restless and agitated.
rapidly and dramatically. teenager is one way of fulfilling the Having trouble concentrating or
According to the Centers for Dis- exhortation of Scripture to carry one making decisions.
ease Control (CDC), teen suicide in- anothers burdens (Gal 6:2). Easily hurt feelings: crying a lot.
creased by nearly two percent over a 1) Recognize the warning Abusing alcohol and other drugs.
24-month period. Furthermore, not signs of depression. Nearly 6,000 Losing interest in activities which
only is the rate of suicide increasing teenagers end their lives each year. used to bring pleasure.
but thoughts of suicide by teens are It is the third leading cause of death Persistent sad, anxious or emp-
on the rise. Of the teens surveyed by among teenagers. Key issues of teen ty mood.
the CDC, 15.8 percent indicated they stress are family discord, separation Feelings of pessimism, hopeless-
had seriously considered suicide, up or divorce, excessive academic and ness.
from 13.8 percent two years earlier. social pressures, a painful loss such Decreased energy, fatigue, being
Today, suicide is the third leading as a relationship break-up, the death slowed down.
cause of death for 15-24 year olds and of someone close, relocating to a dif- Feelings of worthlessness, guilt,
is the second leading cause of death ferent city. These stresses can trigger helplessness.
among college students. deep depression. As a significant adult 2) Listen compassionately.
Even though this trend is alarm- in the life of a teenager, be on the alert When teens are stressed and hurt-
ing, it is one which can be reversed. for the warning signs of depression. ing, they need and want to talk. Be
Suicide is a preventable cause of death. Mental health professionals identify an adult whom your children or your
IN BRIEF
Recognize the
warning signs
Listen
Be direct
Believe it
Avoid disapproval
Remind teens they have
other choices
Help them see hope
Never leave a suicidal
SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
teen alone
Twelve Suicide
With an engaging and personal style, Fr. Bob
Hater considers both the future and the past in
this one-of-a-kind bridge building book about
catechesis in America.
Warning Signs
1. Suicide threats and/or previous
Discover Fr. Haters entirely new concept for
suicide attempts.
2. Statements indicating a death
catechesis a Common Sense approach. It
wish.
takes into account the historical framework
3. Preoccupation with and asking
over the course of the 20th century and overlays
questions about dying.
key concepts to give catechetical leaders and 4. Putting affairs in order.
catechists, usually volunteers, what they need 5. Giving away personal items.
to succeed today. 6. Personality changes and unusual
behavior.
ID# X1584 Paperback, 200 pp., $16.95 7. Loss of interest in usual activi-
ties.
Bulk discounts available! 8. Withdrawal, isolation, moodi-
ness, anger, crying.
9. Depression.
Visit osvparish.com 10. Statements about feeling hope-
less, helpless, worthless.
Call 800-348-2440 Ext. 2173 11. Loss of interest in friends.
12. Increased alcohol/drug use.
38 The Priest June 2014
5) Respond gently and with their pain without ending their lives.
compassion. When listening to a The reality is that they have many
teenager who may be suicidal, re- other choices. They can reach out to
spond with gentleness and compas- people who can help them through
sion. Treat him or her the way you the crisis. They can call a hotline, a
would want to be treated if you were friend, a teacher, a spiritual leader, a
severely depressed and feeling hope- doctor, a hospital, the police.
less. Follow the golden rule of Jesus: 8) Help them see and sense
Do to others as you would have hope. Sadly, suicide is a permanent
them do to you (Lk 6:32). solution to a temporary problem. If
Dont criticize or argue. For ex- a teens are so troubled that they say
ample, rather than responding to a theres no hope, try to balance their
young person by saying Youve got negative thinking by stressing the
to be kidding. Youre going to kill positive. Yes, I understand you may
yourself because your math scores feel this way now, but perhaps youll
are low? a better response is to say: feel differently later today, or tomor-
Lets talk about solutions other than row or next week. Maybe youll re-
suicide. Similarly, never argue with a ceive a phone call that will lift your
suicidal teenager. That young person spirits or a piece of mail that will help
is already at an emotional breaking you see things differently. Perhaps
point and needs a friend, not an ad- what youre needing is just a minute,
versary. Do all you can to communi- a week or a month away.
cate friendship, understanding and 9) Never leave a suicidal teen
caring. alone. Once you have determined
6) Avoid expressing shock that a teenager is a high risk for sui-
and disapproval. Saying some- cide, dont leave him or her alone.
thing like How can you feel that Stay with the person or ask someone
way? or But suicide is a sin! will else to stay with him or her until the
probably only make the person feel crisis passes or until help arrives, says
worse, note authors Bernard Frankel, Rabbi Grollman. It may be necessary
Ph.D., and Rachel Kranz in their book to call a hospital emergency room or
Straight Talk About Teenage Suicide. an outpatient clinic.
No one chooses suicide because they Once that crisis has passed, Rab-
think its a good idea they choose it bi Grollman advises entering into
because they feel they have no other
choice. They are already more upset
a suicide contract with the teen.
That means asking the person to
THE UPPER
that they feel this way than you are, promise that she or he will contact ROOM CRISIS
even if they are acting calm and se-
cure.
you prior to attempting suicide in
the future so that the two of you can
HOTLINE
Rather than expressing shock or discuss available alternatives. It may A Unique,
disapproval, permitting teens to ex- sound strange, but it can be very ef- Comprehensive
press their feelings is a more construc- fective.
Hotline System
tive approach. Depressed people who 10) Get professional help.
can talk about their feelings openly A key aspect for breaking suicidal skilled listening
and honestly often find the intensity thoughts is to get professional aid for information and referral
of their emotions becomes defused by a desperate teen. Friends can be help- suicide prevention
the simple sharing of feelings. ful and supportive, but they often
crisis intervention
7) Remind desperate teens lack expertise and experience. Suicidal
that they have other choices. Too teens should be taken for professional
theupperroomcrisishotline.org
often, depressed teens conclude they help. Good professional adult helpers
have only one choice, and that is sui- include clergy, physicians, psycholo-
cide. If you suspect they are thinking
about suicide, remind them they have
gists, psychiatrists and other thera-
pists. TP
Call for help:
other options. 1-888-808-8724
Teens often benefit from the re- REV. PARACHIN writes from Tulsa,
minder that there are ways to end Okla.