Everything After - A 9.11 Youth Circle

I know this is a rather "hush, hush" issue that people do not like to talk about. But I think it's time that we, as teens, discuss this. You always hear 40-something-year-old, childless, balding, psychologists talking about teen suicide. But I'm tired of hearing their psychoanalytical babble. Statistics mean nothing to me until I hear it "straight from the horse's mouth."

So, what are your thoughts? Have you ever thought about or attempted suicide? What about your friends, relatives, or classmates? Do you think that the contemplation of suicide has increased since 9/11, or do you feel that teens value life more now?

Well I've personally thought about suicide before, but I've never actually acted on those thoughts. I thought about what my family and friends would go through if I did do it since one of my good friends killed himself and no one knows why since he left no note or any clue to why he would even do it. I think suicide is selfish and stupid. If you don't succeed when you try to commit suicide you may end up in a wheel chair for the rest of your life with brain damage and unable to do anything for yourself. My friend who committed suicide was totally unexpected, the only reason anyone can think of why he did it was 'cause him and a friend had stole his mom's car and his dad's 9mm handgun and of course his mom reported the car and gun stolen so the cops were looking for them. They didn't think anything of the gun 'cause they didn't keep any amo. in the house but Bo(my friend) had bought some from a friend at school. When the cops found them, they tried to run in the car but then they finally pulled over and when his friend got out he shot himself in the head, so we think he was just afraid of what would happen to him since he got caught. The person who sold him the amo. is facing prosecution, and his friend did get prosecuted for bein with him in a stolen car and everything. Why Bo killed himself, no one will ever know, he was a senior and going to graduate this May, he had alot of friends and was always makin people laugh. To me suicide is a stupid selfish thing and makes everyone left behind wonder why the person did it, if it was their fault, if the person was mad at them and all the other quiestions you have when someone dies.

I've never seriously considered suicide. Parts of my life suck, but I'm one of those people who are hard to get depressed. What scares me is that I'm also one of those people that might kill themselves without really thinking it through.

I have a friend who has said she's been to the point of commiting suicide several times. Her home life is a mess, and her school life isn't exactly perfect, either. It scares me.

As far as I know, no one I know has actually tried to com,mit suicide, but then, its not exactly like someone will come up to you and say "Hi! My name is_____! Did you know I once tried to kill myself?"

16% of deaths of people our age are from suicide (Oh, the useful things you learn in health class) Just in case anyone cared.

Suicide is a ridiculously hush hush topic. I mean it's really uncomfortable for some people, which I understand, but not for me. I really think it's an interesting topic, I want to study this, like ethics, it's really mind blowing. I mean the whole question of like does someone have the right to kill themselves you know? Is it really ever justified? To me it goes along with, why are we here? and what happens afterwards? I know in school you can't really talk about it cuz if you do it's like you have to be afraid like someone is going to think, you put a little too much thought into it and you know then they're required to like report it or whatever. I guess I understand that too cuz most kids who talk about killing themselves are really asking for help, etc., etc. Anyway I don't know anyone personally who's killed themselves. I always think it's really sad when I hear about people though.

I don't want this taken the wrong way but I think people should have the right to end their lives when they see fit. I think death is natural and that we just don't accept this, it's going to happen it's OK. We fight it in some ways you know, it's not OK to be so friendly with your own death. Maybe someone else's but not your own. You can't really talk about it :) Like once I tried to tell my Dad that I wanted to be cremated and he just didn't want to hear it (I'm a fire sign plus do you know what happens when you're embalmed?). I mean maybe it should be like a legal thing where you're evaluated and they make sure you really wanna do it but like I don't think life should be something you're forced to endure.

I think murder is more acceptable than suicide in this society. I don't understand how we can live in a world where all kinds of atrocities occur daily and suicide is just sooo out of the question. We act like people aren't killing themselves everyday, without really killing themselves, like people who abuse drugs, who eat really really really unhealthy foods, smoke, put themselves in risky situations, etc., are actively killing themselves but that's totally acceptable right? Lets not forget emotional/spiritual death you know? We're walking zombies, some of us, and we kill each other all the time (you know what I'm saying, we knife, we do things to each other that bring us down, we kill dreams, and hopes, and other things that make us want to live). We're also being assisted (by anyone who manufactures anything that does not prolong life...basically, how many things can you name that do that? You'll die naming...stop) The human race is suicidal, and very destructive. We're killing our home! OK? We have all these weapons that can destroy us all God knows how fast, how many wars, how many suicides, homicides, diseases, how much more clean air or water do we have? What are we doing to prolong life? I'm not saying it's hopeless most things can be reversed and that's reason enough for living, like waiting for a cure, just in case. But still I'm not mad at Dr.Kevorkian.

Well, I have never seriously attempted suicide. I've thought about it on a few occasions though. I have also had tons of friends who have attempted suicide. Some of whom had to be rushed to the hospital due to their attempts.

From a religious stand point, I do not believe that suicide is right. If God is ready for you, He'll take you. He doesn't need your assistance.

But on the other hand, I also can see why so many people-- teens in particular-- commit suicide every year. It's a scary thing.

Like I said, I've contemplated it on occasion. Recently, in fact. Why? Because life does seem hopeless at times. Right now, I'm in a situation where the majority of my friendships are deteriorating right along with my health.

I am at an awkward age where I can't do all of those adult things yet (going to night clubs, bars, etc.) but I can no longer do those things I enjoyed doing as a child (attending summer camp, going to all of our old hangouts that are now overrun by 14-year-olds).

In addition to all of this, I have to deal with school work, college (therefore SATs), all while trying to live up to that picture-perfect image, painted by the media, of what a female should look like.

My school is very competitive and traditional. They believe in posting SAT scores, having superlatives (you know, "most likely to..."), homecoming and prom court. While some people don't see these things as all that threatening, I feel that it is almost unbearable.

So unbearable, in fact, that I am no longer in school. I am currently home schooled, simply because I couldn't stand the pressure.

However, some people aren't always so lucky as to catch all of this at an early stage. I have a friend who had to be issued into an Insane Asylum. She had to "perfect" life. A gorgeous cheerleader, hot boy friend, and straight A's. No one could have seen it coming. But it came, and had devastating effects.

Well, in actuality I waz highly suicidal a few months back. I hate talking about it because it waz a very hard time in my life. I had the whole cutting and drinking crap going on to try to dull different pains I felt in life. After those didn't work I turned to suicidal tendencies. Thankfully I have some very good friends and they helped me through things. Below I am going to share something that I posted on my website when I waz going through all of that.

"Suicide, The act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself. Such simple definition for such a complex issue in the human psyche. At one point can one justify ones own death? When has one been through enough to justify it? Why not let one control death, instead of death always being uncontrollable. Is it enough to be mentally and emotionally damaged, or does one have to be more than that? Does one have to be physically impaired beyond medical help? How can a person decide when it is time to end it with so many questions. Also, how can a person accept another persons decision to end it, should that other person intervene and stop the suicidal person, or trust the suicidal persons judgement? So many un-answered questions..."

::shrug:: that's all I have to say about that...
...punch and pie

Unique, I understand what you are going through in a way or was whatever. I to couldn't deal with bein in public schools, all my friends treated me different after my dad died, like if they said somethin wrong I was going to break down and start crying in the middle of class. I've been homeschooled since 10th grade, ever since I've started this my friends seem more distant, they don't call as much or e-mail. Not to mention I have the stress of living with a 79 year old man(my grandpa) who is getting bad and loses his balance alot, can't see or hear good, plus there's all the school stuff, work, and then my one aunt who is always causing problems and doin things to start fights and sayin I've said this to her or whatever, and on top of all that....the lawsuit over my dad's death. I'm scared that if this medical malpractice case goes to trial I will have to be a witness, which is already stated in the papers, and I'll have to see the dr whom I blame the most for my dad's death and I will never forgive and would like to be locked in a room alone with. I'm so scared that if the lawsuit goes to trial and I'm in the room when this one dr gets on the stand and probably lies I won't be able to control myself and I'll do something that will ruin our case. I haven't taken my SAT's yet, let alone signed up for them. I wanna go to college, but dunno where yet.