Suicide Preventions Presentation

Suicide is a major issue among teens. It is a very unfortunate cause of death of a person who is going through great amounts of stress and/or depression as well as other negative emotions. It is known to be the second leading cause of death in North America, which I personally find very shocking, especially with the fact that our governments do nothing about this issue. Listening to this presentation made me realize how common it is in our world and that we should be doing a lot more to help prevent suicides from happening.

Suicide is something that should be taken very seriously. In this presentation I learned many ways to help prevent suicide as well as other important information. The main thing we talked about is what to do if you know of, or have a feeling, that someone you know may be considering suicide. When someone says he or she is thinking about suicide, or even sounds as if he or she is considering it, you should first start by asking questions. Ask questions such as "are you thinking about suicide?", "how would you do it", or other relative questions. Allowing the person to talk about their feelings may reduce their chances, or put them on the spot, making them reconsider suicide in general.

There are also common signs you can look for such as if they ever bring up suicide, changing normal routines such as eating or sleeping, abusing alcohol or drugs, saying goodbye to people as if they won't see them again as well as other signs. If you believe someone is at risk do not handle the situation without help. Tell a family member or a responsible adult, or if you feel it's appropriate call 911.

The definition of suicide we were given was "A permanent solution to a temporary problem." I thought that was an excellent way of putting it, and is also something I will always remember. This presentation has shown me how serious and popular this issue is and has impacted me by telling