What’s wrong with the youth these days? The most recent case of Arjun Bhardwaj’s suicide is a reminder that we live in the times where feeling lonely and depressed has become so common with young people. Arjun was a third year student of economics at Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, and was living in college hostel. Before committing suicide, Arjun had written a 9-page suicide note and made a video tutorial on social networking site in which he was seen drinking wine and smoking cigarette. In the video, Arjun explained ‘how to commit suicide’ and posted the video on Facebook!
Suicides among young people continue to be a serious problem.
Teenagers experience strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed,financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. For some teenagers, divorce, the formation of a new family with step-parents and step-siblings, or moving to a new community can be very unsettling and can intensify self-doubts.
For some teens, suicide may appear to be a solution to their problems and stress.
School’s offer little to no support for at risk teens and teachers are often unable to identify depressed students to make a difference. Even worse are parents,who often just as oblivious as schools are to the fact that their child may be depressed. They believe that their children are just experiencing difficulties that all teens have. If parents do know about their children’s depression, they often fail to assist their child in dealing with their symptoms or even are outright confrontational about it. A common line from parents to deal with depression is simply put, “get over it.” ; often leaving their teens alone to face their illness, brushing it off as a phase or a disease that will be cured within a few days.
What teens really need is help, for someone to see what they are going through and understand what to do.
Depression and suicidal feelings are treatable mental disorders. The child or adolescent needs to have his or her illness recognized and diagnosed, and appropriate treatment plans developed. When parents are in doubt whether their child has a serious problem, a psychiatric examination can be very helpful.
Society plays a large role in the area of depression and mental health.
Many children and teenagers suffer from depression and have no one to help them cope with their illness because schools and parents fail to address and deal with the issue.Know that many of the signs and symptoms of suicidal feelings are similar to those of depression.
Parents should be aware of the following signs of adolescents who may try to kill themselves:
- change in eating and sleeping habits
- withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities
- violent actions, rebellious behavior, or running away
- drug and alcohol use
- unusual neglect of personal appearance
- marked personality change
- persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating, or a decline in the quality of
schoolwork - frequent complaints about physical symptoms, often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.
- loss of interest in pleasurable activities
- not tolerating praise or rewards
A teenager who is planning to commit suicide may also:
- complain of being a bad person or feeling rotten inside
- give verbal hints with statements 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”
- put his or her affairs in order, for example, give away favorite possessions, clean his or her room, throw away important belongings, etc.
- become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression
- have signs of psychosis (hallucinations or bizarre thoughts)
If a child or adolescent says, I want to kill myself, or I’m going to commit suicide, always take the statement seriously and immediately seek assistance from a qualified mental health professional.
People often feel uncomfortable talking about death.
However,asking the child or adolescent whether he or she is depressed or thinking about suicide can be helpful. Rather than putting thoughts in the child’s head, such a question will provide assurance that somebody cares and will give the young person the chance to talk about problems.
If one or more of these signs occurs, parents need to talk to their child about their concerns and seek professional help. With support from family and appropriate treatment,children and teenagers who are suicidal can heal and return to a more healthy path of development.
