| A young Teen's Cry: 'Just Help Me' | ||||||
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By Special to The Detroit News Excerpts from Tempest Smith's journal: |
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| * Look at me, what do you see? Please help me to forget this. Moment of silence, will it ever come? Even I don't know who I am any more. * Here I am, all alone. Everyone's gone. Leave me all alone, why? Please, just help me! * Try not to get hurt. Please, please help me to overpower this. * Running, running from a dream that I wish was not. * Stop me from hearing this. To whom do I go to? Open a new page in my life. Relax, how can I? Many people have this? Teen suicide attempts:
Federal researchers interviewed more than 10,000 high school students in grades 9-12 as part of a 1995 risk study, which found:* 24 percent had thought seriously about suicide. * 18 percent had made a specific suicide plan. * 9 percent had attempted suicide. * 3 percent had made a suicide try that caused an injury, poisoning or overdose requiring medical care. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Watch for warning signs
Symptoms of suicidal feelings can resemble those of depression. Parents should recognize these trouble signs:* Change in eating and sleeping habits. * Withdrawal from friends, family and regular activities. * Violent acts, rebellious behavior or running away. * Drug and alcohol use. * Unusual neglect of appearance. * Marked personality change, persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating or a decline in the quality of schoolwork. * Frequent complaints about symptoms related to emotions, such as stomach aches, headaches, fatigue. * Loss of interest in pleasurable activities, praise or rewards. When action may be near
A teen planning suicide may also:* Complain of being a bad person or feeling "rotten inside." * Give verbal hints, such as: "I won't be a problem for you much longer," "Nothing matters," "It's no use" and "I won't see you again." * Give away favorite possessions, clean his or her room, throw away important belongings. * Become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression. * Have signs of psychosis, such as hallucinations or bizarre thoughts. * If a child or adolescent says, "I want to kill myself" or "I'm going to commit suicide," always take that seriously and seek evaluation from a psychiatrist or other physician. Source: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
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