I’m going to start this off by letting you know the purpose of this article and that this is not a matter to be taken lightly. For anyone who cares to learn more about the issue at hand, or if you or someone you know is struggling, please read to the end of this article. I’m going to first give you the facts so that you can become more aware, then the resources and help available to you.

So recently, as some of you may know, schools on our area have suffered the loss of a student to suicide within the past month. One being 16 year old Maura C. Rupprecht, a sophomore at Deer Lakes. She was a sweet girl who was very passionate about soccer and music, but unfortunately, none of the warning signs were seen before hand.

The news has also been buzzing with the recent deaths of two students who survived the Parkland shooting last year. The two students had supposedly been struggling with survivors guilt and took their own lives before they could get the help that they needed.

Hearing this is always heart breaking, and to me it is very concerning. In both cases the warning signs were not seen in advance. But the one thing that is the most worrisome to me is that one student’s attempt to get help was not viewed as urgent and they were put on a list with other students waiting to speak with someone who may be able to help.

My fear is to see someone here go through this without the proper help or without anyone noticing. We need to be more aware of what is going on with the people around us and to see the warnings in time to help. No one should go through a hard or depressive time alone.

If you have any concern about the people around you, please take something from this. There is a chance to help someone find an end to their pain and an escape from their struggle, we just need to open our eyes.

Facts

For years we have been told about the rising suicide rates, but what really does that mean. Well, according to the CDC, from 1999 to 2016, Pennsylvania has had a 34.1% rise in suicide rates.  The CDC also reported that suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens ages 15-19.

In an article by the organization Teen Suicide, they stated that for every suicide there are an estimated 25 attempts.To put that into perspective, in 2017, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) reported 47,173 suicides in the U.S.. If you use the Teen Suicide numbers to estimate the number of attempts for the year, there would be just under 1.2 million, which is still 300,000 shy of the number provided by the AFSP.

One thing that seems to be taken hand in hand with suicide is depression, and this, again, we have been told many times is on the rise. In 2017, the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) reported that about 13.3% or 3.2 million U.S. teens (12-17) have suffered from at least one major depressive episode. About 70% of those teens have severe impairments that were caused by their depressive episode. Out of that 70%, about 60% did not receive any treatment.

Self Harm

Self harm is the intentional self inflicted pain by a person for various reasons. Not all people who self harm are suicidal, and visa versa.

When people hear the term “self harm” they tend to immediately assume cutting, but there are other ways this can be done such as burning, alcohol and drug abuse, and starving one’s self.

In many cases a person who self harms says that they use it as a way to ‘feel something’ when they have become numb to the things around them. Again there is no one reason as to why someone may do this, but it’s also something that is hard to understand to someone who has never done it.

There’s a lot of bitter comments that are made about self harm, as to why people don’t just stop, but it’s not as simple as it seems. The pain becomes an addiction to some people, and an escape from what is happening around them. In some cases the physical pain replaces the emotional pain.

Warnings

Now some of these warning signs may be very obvious but others are a little more subtle that you may want to watch for if you are concerned about a friend or a family member.

Verbal Hints~

While a lot of high school students seem to be making joke about wanting to kill themselves, (Which by the way isn’t really acceptable. You don’t know who that statement may affect. Whether it’s someone who is struggling with suicidal ideation, or someone who has lost a loved one, please be more considerate.), it makes it important to listen to the tone of the comment. Subtle things such as avoiding eye contact while making such comment and the time after, or a change in their mood after making the comment.

Lack of Interest~

Things that someone may have once found enjoyable may suddenly become unimportant, boring, or seem like a hassle or burden.

Change in Behavior~

Now I know that this is a very broad statement, but I mean a drastic change. For example, someone who may have been a straight A student, always followed the rules, and never acted out for fear of punishment suddenly rebelling and causing/getting into a lot of trouble.

Sudden Lack of Motivation~

At times depression can cause people to lose all interest in all things. Depression makes it hard for them to find the will to carry out tasks that they would have done otherwise.

Withdrawal From Friends or Family~

This may be done suddenly or slowly but sometimes a person who may be suicidal may want to isolate themselves. There’s really no one reason for this. It varies from person to person.

Giving Things Away~

The idea of giving things away may seem weird or morbid, but the person may believe that they will not need any of their things for much longer. They may also want to save the hassle of doing so from their loved ones.

Where to Find Help

Whether it be for you or a friend, there are many options available. The one that everyone is aware of is the suicide hotline (1-(800)-273-8255). You can reach out to them when suicidal thoughts are present, or when you are feeling depressed.

Now I know there may be a fear of calling the number, but on the other end is someone who just wants to help. They will greet you kindly and you don’t have to give them any information if you don’t want to. They will be calm and patient and listen to what you have to say. The only time they will alert authorities is if they are very concerned for you.

If a conversation over the phone is not ideal for you, there are many online chats to go to. Some you may speak to professionals, while others you may speak to people who may be going through something similar to you. The Suicide Prevention Hotline also has an online chat on their website under “Get Help.” The Crisis Textline can also be reached by texting CONNECT  741741. You will receive two automated texts telling you that you are being connected to the Crisis Textline and it will ask you to share a bit about yourself. You will then be connected with a trained crisis counselor within five minutes.

For the the resources available through the school, I talked to Mr. Hess, one of the school’s guidance counselors.

“We have many resources available to students that may be dealing with depression and are at risk for suicide. First, there are the school counselors that are available to talk about these kinds of topics. We can help work through what is going on in your life, but we also have outside resources for those students that need more intensive care.

We have the numbers and emails for various mental health services in the area. We can provide these resources to parents and the students, and we can assist them throughout the process if that is needed. We do also have mental health counselors that come into the school Monday through Thursday to provide counseling services. This is another tool that can help students that may not have transportation to a mental health facility.”

In the end I just want it to be known that there is help available. To those of you who may need help, or who know someone who might, here’s a few words from Mr. Hess.

“Look out for various warning signs that other students may be going through a tough time. It is a hard topic to talk about, but there will often be little changes in demeanor or how someone is acting. If there are these changes, make sure to reach out to that person and let them know you are there for them. If you feel that it is something serious; let a teacher, school counselor, principal, or any trusted adult know about your concerns. We are all here to help out students that may be going through any kind of difficult situation, but some things may go unnoticed. That is why it is also important for other students to have each others backs, and don’t be afraid to help your friends get the support and resources that they will need to improve their mental health. If you are going through these difficult things, you may need some help with getting back to your ideal self. If you have a broken bone, you are going to see the doctor. Your mental health should be viewed in the same manner, and this is perfectly okay.”

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0607-suicide-prevention.html

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adolescent-health.htm

www.teensuicide.us/articles11.html

https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/psychiatric-disorder-definitions/teen-suicide-what-parents-need-to-know

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/

https://www.crisistextline.org/texting-in