Every year thousands of youth die in North America, not from cancer or car accidents, but by their own hand. They make the choice that they want to die, and they take their own lives. More and more, teen-agers seem to be turning to suicide as a desperate solution to seemingly insolvable problems. Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among 5 to 14 year olds and the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds and the numbers are still growing. But the question is why do teens contemplate suicide? What is the reason behind this growing epidemic, what are the signs, and what can be done to prevent it?.
Whether a teenager actually wants to die or not, their suicidal behavior speaks of feelings of impotence and helplessness. Given the changes and challenges that the teens years provide, including physical, hormonal changes, social and academic demands and a role in the family, youngsters may well feel overwhelmed and alone. The teenage years are a period of turmoil for just about everyone. You are learning new social roles, developing new relationships, getting used to changes in your body, and making decision about your future. And when you are looking for answers it seems like no one has them. This can make a person feel quite alone, even the strongest person will be affected. Teenagers experience strong feelings, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. So most young people may feel depressed and wonder what it would be like if they killed themselves. Teenagers commit suicide because there is too much pain in their lives and they can do one of the two things; move from the pain or learn to cope with the pain. While some teenagers learn to cope with the pain, others attempt suicide. Suicide among young people have increased nationwide in the recent years and it is important that everyone is aware of the major causes, symptoms, and methods of prevention of this self-inflicted death.
