Teen Suicide

Today while having a coffee date with one of my good friends we learned through social media that the young daughter of a friend and neighbour has committed suicide. The first question that came to my mind was:

For the love of God why is a beautiful girl so full of promise ending her life?

The answer is not always so clear. Was it bullying like so many others was it her sexuality like the rumours are implying or is it something else? The fact is it doesn't matter. What matters is that no one saw it coming, or so it seems. Our kids are dealing with a world that NEVER EVER SHUTS OFF.

In my day when things were hard I could go home to the safety of my own home and if needed I could retreat into my bedroom, my sanctuary.

Think today's kids can do that too? Think again. Sure they can go home, but all the outside noise is right there with them, relentless and unstoppable.

With social media and devices like tablets and smart phone nothing changes when they get home.

"POP!" Another notification there is a facebook message.

"CHIRP!" Oh yay! A tweet!

"BLING" Another text.

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pheed, Vine, Instagram, Formspring, AskFM and the list goes on and on!

Parents, please step out of the fog. Lift your rose colour glasses and watch for problems. Don't ignore that tiny voice whispering that everything might NOT be ok. Get involved! TALK TO YOUR KIDS! Not just idle chit chat. Deep meaningful conversations. Have discussions about mental health, ask if they have friends with serious issues. Ask how they handle stress and if they feel like parts of their life causes them to struggle. They'll most certainly be resistant at first, but keep at it. Ask again, talk again! Eventually you'll begin to see what's really going on, and if you don't find another perhaps more "Cool" adult in their life to help you get there. You have to do everything you can to help your teens wade through the turbulent waters of the hard years. Sure, they seem to have it under control, they are independent and head strong, out in the world making their mark. But don't be fooled by this façade, they still need you. MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. Be the parent that doesn't give up.

Kids don't have to end their loves like this. They need intervention before it gets that bad.

If you need a starting point check this website out. It has great Canadian based resources.

http://teenmentalhealth.org/

Please keep parenting your teens even if it seems like they don't need it.

How do you stay involved in your teens life?