So your boyfriend broke up with you. Your best friend lied to you. You are failing your physics class. Nobody seems to understand you. The transition between childhood to adulthood can be traumatic. Hand in hand with adolescence is the emotional stress about problems that seem like they may be the end of the world.
On April 4th, freshman Meagan Allen at Leander High School brought a gun to school and shot herself in the girls’ bathroom. Although the reasons behind her tragic death are unknown, Allen is representative of the thousands of young adolescents that are faced with pressure and don’t know how to deal with their anxiety.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth 15-25 years old. While this critical fact is sad, it can be prevented. The truth is that teenagers oftentimes find it difficult to relate to adults, but the key is to always have someone to talk to and know that you are never alone.
Junior Brett Koster’s grandfather committed suicide, and for that reason, he realizes the importance of suicide prevention. Despite the large amount of anxiety that he is faced with everyday, he manages to keep his life in perspective.
“Your performance in sports causes a great deal of stress from coaches and other players, “ Koster said, “but I like to stay optimistic by always looking at the bright side of things.”
Koster thinks that because of the change created in your teen years, including new responsibilities and maturing from boyhood to manhood, that the pressure of all the changes hitting you at one time can seem like too much to handle. He believes that wanting to commit suicide comes from within, and you are the only person who can change that.
Unlike Koster, junior Topher Jensen believes that a significant reason behind teen suicide comes from the fact that the media plays an important role in the lives of adolescents. These media icons portray a perfect figure or life that countless teenagers strive to achieve but fall short of, inevitably decreasing their self worth.
“High school is surrounded by pressure and stress coming from everywhere,” Jensen said. “There are a sad number of people who resort to drug abuse as a form of a stress reliever.”
Jensen copes with pressure by watching his favorite TV show: The Office. He loves Steve Carell and its sense of humor helps him relax and forget all his problems. Jensen believes that a major part of prevention comes from people’s ability to listen and be aware of your friends’ actions.
Sophomore Emily Rue enjoys singing, running, and venting about her problems in order to make sure that she can collect her thoughts and make sure that she can breathe.
“All the celebrities create an ideal image that girls idolize and attempt to be more like,” said Rue. “In exchange this gives girls more pressure on the way they look.”
Although the pressure from an array of sources makes living through high school more difficult, it is always good to shed a positive light on your life and realize that you are just like everyone else.
“There is never a reason to commit suicide,” said Jensen. “Sometimes people feel depressed or like there is nothing to live for, but there is always something, and it’s important to never forget that.”
