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Suicide
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Youth
suicide is a big issue in New Zealand as we have one of
the highest rates of youth suicide in the world.
For a young person to begin to think about actually killing
him or herself means that they are having some really
serious problems. That said most people who think about
killing themselves don't actually do it, and although
the thoughts are very scary, talking about them can help
them cope with them and find solutions.
It is important to remember that people feel suicidal
for many reasons and it may be as a result of a problem
such as depression or another
problem discussed on headspace somewhere. The best solution
may be to get help for that problem.
When a young person takes their own life is always a tragedy
because there are people in our communities who can help
a young person overcome what often seems impossible to
overcome. There are people who can help young people see
that there are other options and assist them to find solutions
even when they themselves might not see any.
If you are thinking about committing suicide, or if you
are concerned about a friend or family/whanau member,
it is really important that you talk about it with someone
that you trust as soon as possible.
If there is really no-one who you feel you can talk to
then maybe contacting Youthline,
or trying one of the organisations on our Auckland
survival kit or Getting
help pages may be helpful.
Is someone you care about thinking
about suicide?
There are particular things that
may cause concern, if you notice them in someone you care
about, these may include:
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Feeling down all the time |
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Saying that they want to kill themselves or that
life isn't worth living |
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Getting into death images and music |
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You notice a clear change in the way they act
or the way they tell you they feel |
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Using alcohol or drugs more than normal |
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Giving away their favourite possessions |
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Tying up lots of loose ends with people |
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Acting really "out of it", maybe being violent
or dangerous |
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Taking lots of risks, maybe driving really fast
all the time or having unsafe sex |
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Suicide expressed in written stuff, like diaries
or school work |
When we are concerned about someone it is really important
we get him or her to talk about their situation with a
person they trust. This may be a teacher or school counsellor,
or another adult they trust and who can offer help and
support.
If you are with someone who you think may be immediately
at risk it is important to stay with him or her until
another person is with you.
If someone has already hurt himself or herself, it is
important to get them to a hospital or an A and E clinic
to be checked out as soon as possible.
A really good website to check out is the site of SPINZ,
Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand, which gives
heaps of info on the issue and what's going on in NZ:
www.spinz.org.nz
...and also have a look at the ministry of youth affairs
website which provides a toolkit for youth suicide prevention:
www.newhealth.govt.nz/toolkits/suicideprevention.htm
...and this cool Aussie info site:
www.responseability.org
Remember... Talk to someone
and they will be able to put you in touch with someone
who understands and can help you. You don't have to handle
these problems on your own.
www.youthline.co.nz
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