Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers especially between ages 15 to 19. Though teen suicides are more like an impulsive act lacking maturity, there is no way you can justify people around them who fail to notice or downplay their cries for love, attention and help. What is it that drives the teens to believe that life is too difficult to deal with? Lets have a look…
Adolescence has always been a period of confusion with varying temperaments where teens have to deal with academic, social and individual pressures. Additional stress factors like violence in the family, poor performance, fear of punishment, rivalry etc can make them feel there is nothing to live for. Teen suicides are like precious lives turned futile causing an irreparable loss to the individual as well his close concerns.

Feelings that need to be addressed
Death is chosen because suffering becomes intolerable. (as per the teen perception) There is little hope for change, improvement or possibility of a better future with the life that they experience. They have an easy solution in mind i.e death means no pain. Most of the teen suicidal attempts are consequences of improper dealing with feelings of depression.

Facts about Teen Suicide
Clear warning signs precede suicides in more than 90% of cases
More suicides occur because of depression than being afflicted by fatal diseases
Not all teenagers who commit suicide are mentally ill
Possibility of completing a suicide increases with the number of attempts
Most teen suicides can be prevented by effective communication and psychotherapy
Pay attention to the post depressive period, when the individual looks near normal, it could be an unsafe period
Causes of Teenage Suicide
Disharmony in the family
Unhealthy or abusive relationship or break-up
Alcohol or drug abuse
Feelings of anger and guilt
Physical or mental disorders
Poor academic performance
Sibling rivalry
History of suicide within close circle
Experience of a personal loss
Inability to handle hardships due to low energy and depression
Notice the Red Alert Signs of Teenage Suicide
Parents need to look out for the warning signs and differentiate them from the normal teen angst over helplessness. Expression of feelings related to depression and worthlessness definitely means something is going seriously wrong. These symptoms may be present together or in varied combinations and are most effectively addressed if noticed earlier.
Complaining of sadness, fatigue and emptiness
Statements and jokes about death and suicide
Loss of interest in fun and recreation
Neglect of appearance
Not responding to praise
Social withdrawal and staying aloof most of the time
Aggressive expressions of hatred and anger
Insomnia and sleep disorders
Trouble concentrating on studies
Signs of hallucination and weird thoughts
Physical signs like body aches and pains
Indigestion and major changes in weight
Drug or alcohol abuse
Meeting people one cares about
Setting affairs in order
Throwing away important possessions
Verbal hints like "I won’t cause a problem much longer"
Preventing Teen Suicide – Get Help Immediately
Immediate consultation of mental health professional is a must in extreme to moderate cases. An in-depth psychological evaluation with appropriate medications followed up in a timely manner is crucial.

Parents should watch over their teenagers and help them clear their distortions about life and bring back hope; vigor and joy of life back again. No magical spells are needed, help them open up and express whatever they feel. Do not leave the individual lonely and let there be more than one person he can turn to for help. It can be his guardian, friend, teacher, counselor, family doctor or anybody he can trust. Assure him that such feelings are temporary and will surely pass. Keep weapons like guns, blades and medications away from his reach. Agree to help the person whenever he wishes to speak out his feelings. Do not argue and find faults. The fact that someone is helping him figure out a way to betterment has a healing effect on him.