Suicide and the Warning Signs

1. Suicide and the Warning Signs Katie Lawler p.1 10/15/09

2. What's it About • My section is about how suicide can affect peoples lives and how you can take steps to help those who may be having thoughts of suicide. • It talks about signs you may notice in a person who is thinking of suicide. • Ways you can help that person and people you can go to if you yourself have thoughts of suicide. • CRUCIAL INFO: don’t ignore the signs you may save a life

3. Most Important • The most important thing to learn from this section is that suicide isn't to be taken lightly and we all have to power to safe the life of someone thinking of suicide

4. Details and Statistics • Suicide is when you kill yourself deliberately • In this country, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, especially for teenagers ages 15-19 • In fact, since the 1950’s, the death rate of teens by suicide has quadrupled • Many teens are found dead every year because they committed suicide • Many exhibit signs, but they may just be subtle sayings every now and then.

5. Details and Statistics • Signs include: • Loss of energy • Change in sleep patters • Withdrawal from usual activities • Deviates from normal behavior • Or radical changes in the overall personality • EX. When someone who was very outgoing becomes very distant and closed off

6. My Example • My example is a boy named Johnny. Johnny was very outgoing and was on many sports teams. He hung with his friends all the time as well. Unfortunately, his mom lost her job and started to drink heavily. His dad also became very violent because he was angry. His parents would constantly fight and hit Johnny. As it progressed, Johnny quit his sports and withdrew from the rest of the world. He rarely went out with his friends. One day as Johnny got home from school, his mom and dad were arguing. As Johnny tried to slip by, his dad grabbed him by the arm and beat Johnny profusely. When Johnny wriggled free, he ran up the stairs to his room.

7. My Example • As he sat on his bed looking at his cuts that were now bleeding, he wrote a letter. A letter that would be found to late for someone to help him. He finished and set it on the desk, the Johnny went to his dresser drawer. He had a gun in there just in case his father came in and Johnny needed to protect himself. As he sat there, staring at the gun, thoughts rushed through his mind. He reached over and grabbed the sheet on his bed to muffle the sound of the gun. He put the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger. As the shot was fired a faint echo went through the house. His mom thought that he was up stairs crying, as she went to his room to tell him to suck it up, she was greeted by the mangled body of her son on the floor in a pool of his blood. As she fell to the ground in tears, his dad walked in

8. My Example • His dad, who showed no compassion, walked to Johnny’s desk and found the letter. As he opened it and read, a tear showed in his eye because at the end of the letter Johnny wrote, “Its hard for an empty person to lead an empty life and as I fall to ground in tears and blood know I cry for you and I bleed for the hope that things will be better this way”

9. What do I feel • I feel that suicide isn't to be taken lightly because the idea of a person being so miserable that they would kill themselves is very sad. How could someone think that they had no other way out? Its possible and it happens often. Teens are frequent suicide victims and if we listen and watch for signs, we may save some lives from being over to soon.

10. Summary • My section was about Suicide and the Warning Signs. Suicide claims many lives each year. Mostly teen, but not always. In any situation, suicide isn't good. Whether you are a teen or a grown up, suicide is always a horrible truth. People have such horrible experiences that they think that death is the answer. You can get help and again if you know someone o you yourself have thoughts of suicide, get help. Its not worth dying over, literally.