Today's Teen Deaths

Today’s Teen Deaths By: Robin Richards of Xenia Ohio

In today’s life, among us teens, death has come to friends, relatives, and people we hardly know and teens we never thought would die. The average teen has to deal with suicidal friends or others who do drugs and one day fall dead to the ground with no warning and perfect health. The two highest cases of teen death in the world today are SUICIDE and DRUG ABUSE. If you have had a friend or love one pass away due to one of many ways of death, you know where I am coming from.

In the small town of Xenia, Ohio, we have had ten teens pass away from suicide, drug overdose in just the past three years. And with a population of 24664, ten teens is a lot. I am a student of Xenia High School. It’s so heart breaking to hear of fellow students die, or even someone my age range die. Many teens (if not directly influenced by a person’s death) may however place themselves in that person's shoes and think “What if that were me”. Even though they may or may not do the same.

SUICIDAL TEENS

In many cases, suicide may have been prevented by the teen asking for help. It may have been stopped if they told someone. That person should have listened and told someone that could have helped them if they couldn’t help themselves. Normally the person whom has the suicidal thoughts becomes more quiet, depressed, and withdrawn, and they start behaving recklessly. Some get their affairs in order and start giving away valued possessions. They may show a marked change in behavior, attitudes or appearance, and may start abusing drugs or alcohol.

It’s not easy to tell in this day and age. We have the subgroup of teens that are always looking depressed because of their dress or attitude. Most but not all teens will use this to get attention, or just the opposite by trying to blend in so they don’t get attention.

Teens are sometimes afraid to talk to people because of what is on their minds. It could be sex, drugs, a significant other, family matters, friends, or even their school work can be in there. However the fact that all school counselors must by law report sex, drugs, and family matters to the law it hides them from telling them and working it out. So they confide in a friend who doesn’t tell anyone because they don’t want to lose them, not thinking that they have a chance of losing them in any other way (EX: suicide). They do not realize that the counselors are trying to help and not harm.

Other ways of recognizing suicidal thoughts...

Family history of suicide or violence, Sexual or physical abuse, death of a close friend or family member, Divorce or separation, ending a relationship, Failing academic performance, impending exams, exam results, Job loss, problems at work, Impending legal action, Recent imprisonment or upcoming release, Crying, Fighting, Breaking the law, Impulsiveness, Selfmutilation, Writing about death and suicide, Previous suicidal behavior, Extremes of behavior, Changes in behavior, Lack of energy, Disturbed sleep patterns sleeping too much or too little, Loss of appetite, Sudden weight gain or loss, Increase in minor illnesses, Change of sexual interest, Sudden change in appearance, Lack of interest in appearance, Thoughts of suicide loneliness lack of support from family and friends, rejection, feeling marginalized, Deep sadness or guilt, Unable to see beyond a narrow focus, Daydreaming, Anxiety and stress, Helplessness, and Loss of selfworth.

My purpose of letting you know the symptoms is so you will be aware of them, so you can watch your friends, family, or even others. If you yourself is considering it than find a help hotline, talking to a friend a neighbor, anyone that maybe able to help you.

The teen suicide statistics show that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among those 15 to 25 years of age, and it is the 6th leading cause of death among those 5 to 14 years of age. It is estimated that 500,000 teenagers try to kill themselves every year, and about 5,000 succeed. Please help others so he may decrease this rate and live on until our natural times have come.

DRUG OVERDOSE

A drug overdose is the accidental or intentional use of a drug or medicine in an amount that is higher than is normally used. All drugs have the potential to be misused, whether legally prescribed by a doctor, purchased overthecounter at the local drug store, or bought illegally on the street. Taken in combination with other drugs or with alcohol, even drugs normally considered safe can cause death or serious long term consequences. The reasons teens would want to do this intentionally is a puzzle. Reasons can include attempted suicide, just wanted to get high and it back fired, and believe it or not make them sick to get attention. Some teens are taking antidepressants and mix other drugs with it not knowing the outcome of the effect of mixing the medications. “Teens are not Doctors or Pharmacists let the meds be handled my professionals!” Says Donna Fields of Xenia Ohio, “These kids these days have no idea what they are getting themselves into, they have no idea what will happen to them. Leave the meds to the professionals!” Rick Taylor of Indiana says, “I think teens these days are out of their minds by attempting such nonsense do they have a clue that the drugs will affect them more seriously than just a (HIGH) they could be making their deaths beds by such?”

Parents have to face the fact every morning when they wake up that there are dangers that appeal in the lives of their teen sons and or daughters. But the last thing on their minds, is the fact that the next morning they wake up to send their children off to school, they may not be able to wake them up from their dead sleep. Teens have no idea what they are putting themselves and others through by doing such. Statistics say that every one out of three teens try drugs every day in America if not already addicted to them to send them trying other drugs. Everyone’s body is built different what Johnny maybe able to take may not be the same amount Sue can take. And just as easy as that Sue had (OD) overdosed on what Johnny was able to take.

Not everyone dies from an OD however it can make you die from it; it can harm your stomach, liver kidneys and such. Your heart beat races to fast and your heart may explode, or its slows down too much and may stop. Drugs are bad in the first place however, they are even worse if you OD from it.

Stop and Think About It: Poem By: Robin Richards

Today we count on friends to catch us when we are falling And we answer them back when they are calling But where would you be If your friends you could not see? How would life go? If your love would not show You are special to the world To every boy and girl The kid that’s sits in the back in the class of History If his existence tomorrow would be a mystery How would you handle never saying hi? When his last words to the world were goodbye Maybe you’re the coolest of your friends And that last trip was the very end And your friends are alive tomorrow However your absents has filled them with sorrow Tears roll down there face And you know you could have helped it, if you wouldn’t have shown disgrace Your friend remembers you taking them And he passed it up right then He thinks… should he do it again? But shakes it off by saying that was the end its time for it to mend That never should have been We are all having a big fit……But Stop! And think about it Maybe the girl that you make fun of Has a new way to show you up And tomorrow you hear it on the news How could you have done it you didn’t mean too You thought that it was ok because your words were only a few The news continues about they way she died And all you can do is cry Because yourself you begin to blame An you but yourself to shame Don’t do exactly as she did Even though she was just a kid She now knows how it feels to die And just for a moment you wonder why She had a life outside of you Wether or not you knew Because you did not know how her life was for you never wanted to know And inside you it begings to burn But through this there a leson you have learned For each word said in vain To another person its pain WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES But because of this morning after next will we awake? Or allow ourselves to our own life take? Wouldn’t you have a fit? Stop and think about it!