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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Friends, Parents Should Watch For Warning Signs Of Suicide

Leanna Stricklin Havermale

I think the reason why so many teens are taking their lives is because they want some attention from their family and friends.

They want to feel loved by their parents, and this is a way that some of them think they can get the love and attention they crave.

Some teens get depressed because of the way they look; if they don’t look like models then they’re nothing, so they think they don’t have anything to live for. I also think if they’re on drugs, they can’t think straight, so they don’t know what they’re doing at the time they attempt suicide. Also, if a person is on drugs or drinking, they might try to kill themselves when they truly don’t want to do it. They might not even know what they’re doing.

As I said, I think it all boils down to the love and attention they’re not getting. Teens get depressed and don’t want to deal with it anymore, so they take their own lives.

I think parents should be more concerned about their children and always know where they are. They should know the warning signs of suicide and watch for them. I think if the teen is thinking of suicide and the parents don’t care, the teen should try to get help from someone else, like friends, other family members or professional counselors.

Suicide almost happened to a friend of mine. I’m just glad he started to talk to me about his thoughts of suicide. After he told me, I tried to comfort him and tell him how many people loved and cared about him. I went and told my mom and she told me to talk to our neighbor, who was a counselor. I did, and she talked to my friend and then asked him to tell his parents. He didn’t want to so she told them for him.

I also gave him the number of my counselor, who I was going to for the same reason.

Well, today he’s still with us and every once in a while he still thinks about suicide. But he realizes what he would be missing in life if he killed himself.

I’m glad I never killed myself because if I had, I couldn’t have helped save my friend’s life. Then two more lives would have been gone to suicide.

xxxx