Suicide is devastating for everybody involved. It is a sensitive subject that has been avoided in the pastand is a well known problem in Mayo. Many people say the high rates of suicide in the west are due to the bad weather and many people living isolated in rural areas. They may not receive attention or have access to support agencies that deal with issues such as depression or suicide. Of course the reasons for suicide are impossible to pin-point as they are so personal to each victim. The only way the high suicide rates can be reduced is by now helping those that can still be helped, for example, people who have suicidal thoughts or inflict self harm. To have somebody available, in a comfortable environment, to lend a sympathetic ear to a person’s problems without them being criticised or judged would greatly help everyone and promote a healthy community for all.
It seems the age at which people are now committing suicide is lowering all the time. Of course suicide is a terrible situation, regardless of age, but as a young person it hits me hard when I hear of a teenager taking their own life. It is hard for me to accept that somebody hates themselves or their life so much at such a young age, as they have yet to experience life in full or know who they truly are. I think throughout life we are constantly learning who we are or who we want to be. This is a big issue with young people especially. Teenagers are obviously not faced with the stresses of adult life but are dealing with a great deal of personal and emotional development. In my opinion, learning about yourself is the most important education anyone will receive. Being in transition year gives me and my classmates time to do this and to prepare ourselves for the future outside of the education system.
Personal development
I think if students were given more of a chance to develop on a personal level and learn life skills, the fear of the ‘big bad world’ would be eased. This may help to take pressure off and reduce suicidal thoughts for people who feel they aren’t fit to face the future yet or are unsure about what they want to do with their lives.
Many suicidal young people have a huge problem with their self image. Negativity is something I personally have trouble combating. Having cynical or negative thoughts can sometimes keep me down in myself, but luckily I am learning to be a positive person through my friends, family and things I enjoy, such as music. For others it isn’t as easy. When somebody feels very low for days and days, nobody takes the time to see what’s wrong and the person has difficulty brightening their mood themselves, we can see how this could lead to depression and perhaps even suicide. Young people in particular are very sensitive to other people’s opinions of them. And we all know about the raging hormones but I won’t get into that!
Peer pressure
There is a huge issue with peer pressure. I am glad to see that magazines for both genders are helping change people’s views of what ‘perfection’ is and show people how beautiful anyone can be. Beauty is after all in the eyes of the beholder. But making comparisons with others is something that all humans do and something that is very difficult to prevent. Self-confidence is something that needs to be hugely promoted in schools and youth centres. Confidence in yourself is the key to love, success and I believe ultimate happiness. This whole stigma of “having pride in yourself is being cocky” needs to be abolished. Nobody should feel they can’t accept a compliment because others will think they are conceited.
The need to ‘fit in’ is a huge deal with many teenagers. Finding where you belong and who your friends are is a learning curve and from my observations, it even continues into adulthood. I think a sense of community needs to be enforced in schools. Everyone’s entitled to their close group of friends but including others is very important. Isolation is a common form of bullying. The feeling that nobody accepts you and that you’re not good enough is something nobody should experience. The issue of isolation is something everybody needs to be aware of. Schools or other groups dealing with the youth should promote a sense of co-operation and not to just simply accept that some people have friends and others don’t. A support network is very important for everyone, young and old.
For some it may seem like suicide is an issue that doesn’t concern them or may not affect their lives but we all need to be aware of those around us. Listening to friends and family talk and providing help when you can, even smiling at a stranger on the street may seem like a simple task but one that could mean the world to him or her.
