Every year, thousands of youth die all around the world, not by cancer, car accidents, and other diseases, but by their own hand. These people make the choice that they want to die and they take there own life. Suicide, the term is given to the act of killing oneself, is the third leading cause of death among people that are 15 to 25 years of age. It is estimated that 500,000 teenagers try to kill themselves during the course of one year. During the adolescent years, normal teenagers experience strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, the pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. These feelings in themselves are not harmful, but normal. However, those who can not handle these situations are ones that are prone to suicide. Many people believe that suicides are isolated incidents, but they are far from that. Suicide among teenagers is indeed an epidemic that should be focused on and dealt with immediately. This essay will focus on the causes of suicide, the signs of a person that is suicide prone, and what one should do for a person who may be a target for suicide.

The main two causes of teen suicide are the mental disease of depression and family problems. 90% of teen suicide victims have at least one diagnosable, active psychiatric illness at the time of death, which is most often depression, substance abuse, or behavior disorders. Only 33–50% of victims were known by their doctors as having a mental illness at the time of their death, and only 15% were in treatment at the time of death.

The pressures of modern life are greater these days and competition for good grades and college admission is difficult, which are extra stressors on already unsure teens. Some even think it’s because there is more violence in the media. Lack of parental interest may make them feel alone and anonymous. They believe that their parents don’t understand them and when they try to express their feelings they feel that their parents either denied or ignored their attempt to communicate feelings of unhappiness, frustration, or failure. Many children grow up in divorced households or both parent’s work and their families spend little time together. Even the threat of AIDS is a factor that contributes to a higher suicide rate. Stressful life events, such as the loss of an important person or school failure, often encourage suicides. People who have worked with depressed teens see a common pattern of unhappiness, feelings of inner disturbance, chaos, low self-worth, hopelessness, and anger.

Suicidal teens generally feel that their emotions are played down, not taken seriously, or met with opposition by other people, but it should always be taken seriously. Those who believe in the finality of death (i.e., that there is no after-life), are the ones who advocate suicide and regard it as a matter of personal choice. On the other hand, those who firmly believe in some form of existence after death on earth, condemn suicide and judge it to be a major sin. However, there are ways of watching for warning signs of a suicidal person and depression.

Some noticeable signs that are prevalent among people thinking about suicide are talking about suicide, statements about hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness. They may have an obsession with death or suddenly become happier and calmer. They have a loss of interest in things they usually care about. They might stop visiting or calling people that they care about. They even start making arrangements or putting their affairs in order and give away their things. Teens should learn that with treatment, depression ends, but someone who is experiencing deep depression might not be able to think about that. They can’t see the way out of the problem and think suicide is the only choice.

Some hotlines and web sites that help with people are Counselors Counseling, Teen Suicide Help, and there are many others that exist. These people who work for these hotlines, and the counselors out there are educated to help people who are suffering from deep depression, and suicide. They don’t even have to be suicidal…they might just have a deep depression, and since that is one of the main causes of suicide, they are there to help them cope with their depression so that in the future they don’t have to see suicide. The certain web sites that are out there supply people with lots of facts and information about suicide itself. It tells them the causes and effects, and also how to get the strength to realize you have a problem, and to reach out for help.

A couple of the medications that are prescribed to patients by doctors and psychologists are Prozac and Serzone. Prozac has had over 9 years of experience worldwide, and over 7 years in the U.S. It is prescribed for over 16 million patients worldwide, approved in over 75 countries, one of the world’s most thoroughly studied medicines, and is indicated for the treatment of depression. Serzone (scientifically known as nefazodone HCI) causes you to feel less blue, and more like yourself, feeling less anxious, getting a good night’s sleep, feeling calmer, more in control, less “jittery”, being able to concentrate, and having more interest in more activities. In many cases being on these certain medications has helped lots of people to overcome their sickness, and get on with their lives. The third, and final “solution” for suicide is basically the love and support from family and friends. Usually, when people are this depressed, it is because they are feeling pain.

They have lost someone, or feel lost themselves. Being ignored, unloved, being forgotten or being left out… these are all possible reasons for a person to become suicidal. They just need to know that their life is worth living and that there are people out there who love and care about them, and who want them to stay alive. Every person is different, therefore every suicide case is going to be different, with different needs, and different causes. If I could tell you a solution to solve suicide and put an end to it I would be one of the most famous people in the world. I can tell you the ways to help reduce the numbers of people who commit suicide each year. As one can see, teen suicide is an epidemic problem that is only spreading throughout America. There seems to be little exposure to teens about this vast and important problem. This problem must be focused on and dealt with or the world is going to miss out on its future leaders and important people because some will take their lives as a teenager. Therefore, this problem should be given all the research funding that is given for cancer and other diseases, and it should be taught in schools. Suicide will never completely be ended, but with a focus on prevention, the number of those who commit suicide can drop, substantially.