Teen suicide is no longer a rare thing; it occurs much more often now. So often that it is

now the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of

death for 5-to-14-year-olds. Each year 500,000 teens try killing themselves, 500 succeed.

Every hour and forty-five minutes another young person commits suicide. Suicide in the

teen years increases because there is greater access to lethal weapons, drugs and alcohol,

and motor vehicles. Different genders use different methods; girls tend to overdose on

drugs and cut themselves, and boys use firearms or hang themselves more frequently.

Teenagers experience a lot in life that causes pain and depression and leads to suicide,

strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, and financial

uncertainty are just a few. Many symptoms of suicidal feelings are similar to those of

depression, but depression and suicidal feelings are treatable mental disorders. There are

many suicide warning signs, they are: 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 school

work, frequent complaints of physical symptoms, loss of interest in pleasurable activities,

and not tolerating praise or rewards. A teenager who is planning to commit suicide may

also: complain of being a bad person; give verbal hints with statements such as: "I won't

be a problem for you much longer," "Nothing matters," and "I won't see you again"; put

his or her affairs in order; become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression; and

have hallucinations or bizarre thoughts

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