topic Suicide in Among Friends

Suicide

Annabellethecat66 — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 18:30:29 GMT

I keep hearing and reading about young people committing suicide. These are people who are (in some cases) 12, 13 years old.

People need to take notice. It's an epidemic.

Re: Suicide

ECBG — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 19:11:28 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 The age you mention is a very difficult period for a lot of children.

So many families are dysfunctional, which means something negative is happening in the family where emotionally supporting and nurturing everyone for positive growth has stopped.

Families can cycle into and out of dysfunctional mode and young people can't "see" past the issue and time they're dealing with which causes hopelessness. Sometimes, they have inherited depression which hasn't been diagnosed or they won't take their meds.

When I taught, I was on the adolescent psyc unit as a "family" member so often, some of the nurses recognised me. those students felt I was the only one that "got it".

It seems some children just have a hard time growing up, bless them.

Re: Suicide

Mindy D — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 20:09:17 GMT

Another factor fostering suicide in this age group is the notoriety suicide gets online and in other media. Children see it more often within their peer group which can add to the understanding by children of how to commit suicide. In addition, this visibility adds to the child’s perception of suicide’s acceptability within their age group.

Re: Suicide

Catty2 — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 20:19:36 GMT

It's so sad what kids have to deal with now. Bullying over social media is rampant. It's such a vulnerable time when kids are trying to figure out who they are plus all the changes their bodies are going through. My heart breaks for them and their families.

Re: Suicide

Vivian — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 20:55:16 GMT

I saw a report on this tragedy today. We hear about adults and suicide, which is awful, but with young people it's even more heartbreaking for what might have been. We are experiencing some very difficult and challenging times and we are apparently not taking enough care of each other.

Re: Suicide

Gorgf — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 21:55:27 GMT

When I was married we had some friends whose son committed suicide at age 14. His Grandfather died and he wanted to be with him in heaven. The parents said they did not have a clue as did his friends? I often wondered if there was more to the story as his Mother was always working and she remarried.

Re: Suicide

chrystaltree — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:07:29 GMT

Some kids much younger than that think and talk about suicide. The hospital I work for has a pediatric psychiatric ward and kids as young as 7 or 8 have been admitted for what they call "suicidal ideation" which means they have talked about or threatened suicide. It's not common but it does happen. It's by no means an epidemic. Parents either take their kids to their pediatricians when this happens and they get guidance on therapists and what to do if the child is in imminent danger. Or they take the child to the ER where a psychiatrist is called in and they admit the child to psychiatric ward or facility for treatment.

Re: Suicide

ECBG — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:18:42 GMT

@chrystaltree I'm glad you posted. I knew we had some nurses on here that could "ground" this. I really don't think we're in an extremely heightened period, although I have seen a slight increase since I've taught.

We always need to keep in mind we are in the age of information. We have access to so much information now where we never did before.

Re: Suicide

Annabellethecat66 — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:23:50 GMT

@ECBG Remember, I told you my nephew (whom I lived with at one time) took a gun...bought specifically to blow off his head...did just that.

When the children came the next morning to go swimming at the local pool, his partial body was there at the entrance.

He’d never mentioned anything that would have led us to think he’d do that. To this day no one knows why he’d do that.

He didn’t drink and had never done drugs. He worked out every day. He was very attractive and had lots of friends.

We all attended seminars to try to understand suicide and the bottom line, you don’t always see it coming or know it’s coming.

It’s often something that’s hastily done. I’ve watched a lot of shows about it.

I know people, myself included, who had extremely difficult lives growing up.

I’ve often wondered what makes me different that nothing remotely like that ever entered my mind.

I know someone who’s life in school was sheer Hell. But she never thought about suicide. She’s still not a happy person, but she feel like she survived.

I’ve read where the most dangerous time and when a suicidal person must be watched is when they start feeling a little better from the meds.

The theory is when they are in the depths of despair they don’t have the energy. However, as they feel slightly better and get a tiny bit of energy....that’s when they’re the most vulnerable emotionally.

I’ve also read where suicides can run in families. I’ve had other family members die this way.

However, it was many years ago and this nephew never knew about them.

The emotions a loved one feels (anger, guilt ) an entire range of emotions is overwhelming.

Re: Suicide

ECBG — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:31:06 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 I do remember, Sweetie.

These kids often feels "no one gets it" which is SO sad and quite the paradox because THEY "don't get it". Things Do change. Opportunities DO open up. They WILL succeed. I just hate it for them.

Re: Suicide

blackhole99 — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:47:31 GMT

I don't know, I think you are hopeful or you're not.Some of us who had harsh upbringings seem to know that this too shall pass and we educate ourselves and move forward. I noticed in my rural area we have young male suicides, almost every few weeks in the local newspaper. Some are high school and college age, others are young men in their 30s. It seems they come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. I have a feeling they didn't feel hopeful.

Re: Suicide

Mary Bailey — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:56:09 GMT

adults......

2 people in my department committed suicide

DH's coworker did also

HS friend's brother did also

sister's friend's hubby did

sadly it's very common

It's terrible for the survivors for the troubled people the pain is over

DH hates that I say this

Re: Suicide

SeaMaiden — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 00:41:04 GMT

I think internet and cell phones are to blame.....people do not communicate one to one any more...isolation....loneliness.

Re: Suicide

lolakimono — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 01:11:18 GMT

In eleven years of teaching in public schools, I have known of three students in the same school. One was in middle school at the time, but he was not a student whom I knew. The others were my former students, who got through middle school but ended their lives in their sophomore and junior years, respectively.

Re: Suicide

Scooby Doo — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:31:26 GMT

People with bipolar disease are more likely to commit suicide. Maybe the family didn't know of the disease because they weren't diagnosed. My BFF's son committed suicide shortly after he turned 18 and could legally buy bullets. She knew he was bipolar because he had made several attempts previously. It just took his being dumped by his girlfriend and an argument with his mother to push him over the edge.

Re: Suicide

hckynut — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 07:45:08 GMT

@Annabellethecat66

Don't know about children, but read that 22 Veterans commit suicide each day.

And I believe the number of Opiod OD's killed around 60-70,000 last year. That to me is an epidemic, but how often do you hear this mentioned in the media? They seem more concerned with more trivial things, in my opinion, why?

hckynut

Re: Suicide

chrystaltree — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:36:00 GMT

Epidemic is a word that is being bounced around but it's being used incorrectly and that's why you aren't hearing it in connection to suicides. But there have been many stories and articles about the rising rates of suicide and suicide threats. People who die from unintended drug overdoses do represent a real epidemic.

Re: Suicide

Annabellethecat66 — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 20:11:56 GMT

@hckynut I totally agree with you. I've heard so many of the people who are supposed to be 'looking out for us in our government' actually say that the number crisis in this country is global warming.

I can't go further with what I really want to say, but let's just say I think we agree that not enough of anything is spent on the Vetrans and many other problems in this country.

My late husband was in the Vietnam War as was several of our friends. We know first hand of people who are STILL suffering from this.

My best guy friends (2 of them) get full VA benefits from medical issues while in Vietnam.

Re: Suicide

this is my nic — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 21:26:50 GMT

Sad topic. I know of several people, one in her early 20's the other in her early 40's who committed suicide. Both fathers had done the same. I just wonder if young teens who commit suicide also dealt with parents who took their own lives. There was a horrible instance of a young man, a friend of mine, 13 or 14 years old, who committed suicide because he got in trouble at school. To my knowledge, there wan't a family member who did the same.

In many cases there does seem to be a family history of suicide. Perhaps the child believes this is the way to deal with what they consider to be serious problems.

Re: Suicide

mimomof4 — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 15:33:16 GMT

When I was in High School, a fellow student committed suicide. I knew her and had been friends with her in Junior high, I don't know what happened in High School.

Now in school, they talk to the kids about Depression and Suicide. My middle schooler was given a "Lifeline" card with the National Suicide hotline. Basically they can give the card to someone and that person is to be the givers "lifeline" to offer support, stay with them and connect them to any necessary services.