The Life Code: 1-800-273-8255

Suicide eliminates the potential to open a new chapter of life.

Suicide is definitely a problem in our society today and also the second leading causes of death between ages 15 to 24 according to US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people today are or know of someone who has suicidal thoughts and organizations like the Suicide Prevention Hotline would like to help prevent these people from taking their own life. There are many ways to prevent the person from committing therefore we should make a huge effort as a society to make sure these people have the support they need. This is where regular people like me and you come in to support and prevent this cause.

Personally, I have never experienced such thoughts but I think everyone might know someone who does. I would like to bring this issue into light as something very important and allow us to observe our surroundings more. I believe that there’s always someone willing to listen to you and just because your closest ones don’t seem to care, even strangers are willing to listen. This is was a reason why the Suicide Hotline is available for everyone.

The second leading causes of death for some age groups was suicide in 2018 and sadly the ages start from as low as 10 to around 34 years old. In the US, one in five teengaers think about attempting suicide every year and this can be affected by many factors which may include certain life experiences, mental disorders, alcohol and much more.

A chart of the top leading causes of deaths by age groups in the US in 2018.

One of which is ninety percent of people who die by suicide have a mental health condition that may be treatable. In 2016, more than 90 percent of people that took their own life had depression or other mental disorders. Understandably many teenagers feel the pressure and stress to succeed in the future or worrying about things out of their control. As time passes and changes happen in our lives, the more stressful it might seem to make discoveries like what you’re passionate about, high school or college applications, career choices and many more.

TW: THE VIDEO TALKS ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SUICIDE AND MORE SENSITIVE TOPICS

A touching story and the journey of Travis, a suicide survivor and how his experience feeling these tough emotions.

Being able to observe your surroundings and communicate with people around you can be difficult but this should not stop you from saving a life. There are many ways you can look out for yourself and your friends by finding warning signs of when someone may be feeling off. One common warning sign is having a mental disorder. This topic isn’t something everyone can openly speak about but always remember to check up on your friends and family to make sure they are okay. There are many ways to prevent someone else from taking their life like therapy.

There’s many kinds of therapy but two types of therapy that I would like to mention recommends others to look into if they are or know of someone who is struggling. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to help people who are depressed. CBT can help people acknowledge their negative thoughts and find a positive way to cope with these thoughts so they don’t lead to unhealthy behaviors. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is also helpful to those who are depressed but the therapy makes you more aware of the negative feelings and cope with them kind of on the spot. This can include breathing exercises or meditation.

Therapy is not the only way to prevent suicide. If you notice odd behavior or situations that may cause an individual to feel a negative way, you can always be a support friend and be there for them if they need someone. There are so many ways to prevent such events from happening and everyone should acknowledge the events that may lead up to a bad ending.

Studying more on this topic continues to add onto my mindset of we don’t really know what everyone is going through. The feelings and thoughts suicidal people might experience are indescribable and I don’t wish anyone to feel this way so I think as a society we should make a greater effort to prevent it. I am very interested in seeing the newer ways doctors and researchers find helpful in supporting suicidal behavior and how to notice before things get serious. I genuinely think the suicide should not be so high and wondering if we continue to move on in a society that doesn’t prioritize all lives, how many generations will live on?

Annotated Bibliography