Good bye young one...

Over the past two weeks, I've been made aware of not one but two suicides of young adults.

One I didn't know at all.  He was a friend of a young woman we are very close to.

And then, there was Jess.
Jess - we knew.  Not well, and not in quite a few years - but at one time, we knew her.  She was someone who was part of a friend's family for a time.  Someone we cared about.  Someone who is now gone.

And here again is the WHY??

Why would someone so young stop believing there is more?  Why didn't she reach out?  Why didn't anyone see how lost she was?  Why, why, why...

I always feel the familiar pang of heartache when the words... "committed suicide" pass over someone's lips.  My heart breaks, my eyes fill with tears & the familiar pain comes to the surface.
Even if I never knew the person.

She had some stuff.  I know that.  But the other boy who left too soon - he did well in school - he was popular.  He was getting ready to graduate and move on.

What is the defining line in someone's life where they just can't do it anymore?  What is the point where one person can take what comes their way and move forward and another crumbles under the pressures of life?

...And their light dims forever.

May you find the peace you were unable to find here and those left behind find comfort.

Rest softly on the wings of angels young ones.

If you, are someone you know are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts - PLEASE seek help.

1-800-SUICIDE lists state and local hotline numbers to call for help.

www.suicidehotlines.com

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults.  Although it's hard to believe that teenagers and young adults could be so desperately unhappy that they would plan to kill themselves, more than 5,000 US teenagers commit suicide every year.

Warning Signs of Depression and Suicidal Behavior:        

• A marked personality change such as exhibiting angry actions or rebellious behavior, or withdrawal from friends and activities
• A change in eating or sleeping patterns
• Involvement with drugs or alcohol or other risky behavior, such as reckless driving
• An overreaction to a recent humiliating experience, such as a breakup
• Difficulty in concentration and a decline in the quality of academic work
• Persistent boredom and/or lethargy
• Unusual neglect of physical appearance
• Complaints of physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue
• A pattern of giving away or throwing away possessions
• Preoccupation with death in writing, songs or poems
• Intolerance of praise or rewards
• Increase in comments such as “I can’t take it anymore” or “Nobody cares; I wish I was dead.”

 Other Recommended Resources: 

American Association of Suicidology - Web site: www.suicidology.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Web site: www.afsp.org  

National Institute of Mental Health - Web site: www.nimh.nih.gov

National Mental Health Association - Web site: www.nmha.org  

Suicide Prevention Resource Center - Web site: www.sprc.org 

As posted on:
http://www.aboutourkids.org/families/suicide_teenage_young_adult_tragedy