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Although this has never flashed through my mind
I understand it is a serious problem for lots of folks

Another reason to be an attentive parent

In my early 20s I was - shall we say- "obsessed" with my own death. Not really suicidal, but not really giving a rat's behind if I died or not either. I saw death as inevitable, and I really didn't expect to live a long life.

That was my minor thrill seeking period. I'd try crazy things just because I didn't really care if I got killed - gives you a certain freedom when you think about it.

I think everyone around their teens and early 20s goes through a certain amount of depression, or at least highly varying emotional states. Some more so than others.

Statistics bear this out. There's a reason insurance rates dramatically drop for people over age 30. You are, for instance, hundreds of times less likely to have a serious or fatal car accident after your 20s.

Never . And now that I have kids I would never dream of it . I think suicide is selfish . People who commit suicide don't realize what it does to their loved ones . ( I realize there are exceptions) .

People who get depressed enough to really commit suicide aren't even really considering how their actions effect others and so one can't really understand or judge others who get to that unfortunate state of their lives.
I think that many teens think about it, often over seemingly silly things like losing a GF or not knowing what they want to be when they grow up and that's alot of pressure (for guys) and then there's other circumstances later in life that for some become so unbareable that a person can't cope and thinks it's the only solution.
I think that I understand much of why people get to those circumstances as I've lost someone close due to that and have spent many years thinking about it (over 30 yrs now). If one believes in God, then all that can complicate matters greatly. There are many things about this topic that we'll never really know being human and for "suicide victoms", the events leading to it and trying to understand it can be unresolved for many years, if not a lifetime.
As for me personally, I could never do it as I think life's too valuable and short, even though I know that I might face tougher times someday ahead.
Another time when this becomes serious is when people get to be very old as they often lose a spouce or other family members, or due to bad health lose their house and end up in a nursing home.

I've thought about it many times over and over and never did anything with regards to accompishing the task. It sounds stupid but I never did it because I don't like pain and I'm a bit of a klutz so I think I'd botch it up and end up in a wheelchair for something dumb and would feel stupid when people would ask me "hey how'd you end up in a wheelchair?"

Now that I have a son I'm worried about things that would hurt him and would never consider suicide now because it's my job to protect him.

What about today's society makes kids so depressed?

It seems like its a lot more common today than 30-40 years ago.
Then it was shocking when someone did it.

I never have, but I just went through this with my 16-year-old daughter last Thursday night. She decided to take "a few pills" to ease her depression, but she freaked out and became paranoid, therefore, told my wife and I she had taken a bunch of pills because she was depressed.

She is the middle child out of our 3 kids - son 17, her, and my oops child at 6. It seems like the middle child has problems in most faimilies. Even today, my wife and I can't figure out why she decided to do this. She's now on anti-depresents until she reaches her early 20's. I guess it must be tough being a teenager now a days, because when I was a teenager, it was a rare event that someone at school wanted to commit suicide. Makes you think as a parent if you're an asshole, thus, contributing to your kid thoughts about suicide, but according to my wife, it's more common in girls than boys. I guess in today's society, girls have a tougher time than boys. Doctor seems to think she will probably be ok when she matures into her 20's. I know she did not like going to ER, where they made her drink liquid charcoal. She did not like the ordeal at ER, so I have my fingers crossed it won't happen again.

hmmm learned something new

I've never even heard of liquid charcoal

Similar link to what HellRaiser posted, this story from cnn says:

<i>WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Three million American teens have thought seriously about or even attempted suicide, a government survey released Sunday showed.

More than 13 percent of young Americans between 14 and 17 years of age considered suicide in 2000, the report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found. Only 36 percent of them had received mental health treatment or counseling, SAMHSA said.


Girls were twice as likely as boys to say they thought about suicide, but race did not seem to make a difference, the report found. Nor did whether the teens lived in the city, suburbs or country.

The highest rate was in the western part of the country, where 13.5 percent of children aged 12 to 17 reported having had thoughts of suicide.
</i>


With kids things are as serious to them as much as things are to adults. That's something many adults fail to realize. They think "aw, they're just kids" and are not always taken as seriously as they sometime should be. Other times it's just plain impossible to know what's on their mind since many kids hide any serious issues.

When I was a kid, yes I thought about it. I hate to say anything bad about my Dad because he's dead now, but growing up us kids were to be seen, not heard. No way could we ever even think to have a heart to heart talk with him. He was the type where if he said something like the grass was purple, you do NOT ever correct him. He is always right, no matter what.

Thought about it? Sure... ...did anything about it? Well, I'll let you be the judge My sophomore year was depressing for some reason. I couldn't imagine doing it now. Why would you want to give up your one and only chance to have fun at this place? (my views anyway)

I used to think people who had suicidal tendencies were just stupid or weak, until I started having them myself. Don't be so quick to judge me, I am as normal as many of you, well maybe with the exception of blade. j/k

I have been dealing with depression for well over 10 years and have had many instances of thoughts of suicide. As morbid as it sounds the only thing that kept me from going through with it was the thought of having a family member discover my body. I would get mad over the smallest little thing, stay in the house for weeks at a time, and at times would even fear public places. Things that I once had loved doing, I no longer enjoyed. I started realizing the strain the depression was putting on my relationship with my family and friends, so I decided to get some help.

A doctor prescribed Zoloft, an anti-depressant. In just in a couple of months I feel "normal". All my family and friends have stated that I have changed. That's one reason I havn't been posting lately, I have been camping, boating, paintballing, partying, cooking, etc....

Just thought I would post on this topic incase there is anyone feeling the same way I did and to let them know help is avaiable.

Zoloft is helping a bunch of people.

I know a number of people who swear by it.

They put my daughter on Celexa, a new drug on the market, but the doctor seems to think it's only a temporary condition because of her raging hormones, and expects her to be off of it within a year which is good news for me.

As H_T said the thoughts have been there but I would never do that to myself. It seems that high school is the worst time because everyone kind of strives to be "accepted" and other factors involving that certain period of time. Is suicide an easy way out? Yes it is. I do think it's stupid? Yep sure do. But yet I can see what would drive people to do it. Losing friends over a stupid incident and people will think "there is nothing to live for". Or losing a GF/BF, etc. And, as a high schooler, I think that girls actually have more pressure put onto them then guys do, but I can't tell you for sure considering I'm only a guy.

Three things stopped me:

1. The family. Wasn't able to figure out the "simply disappear and be forgotten" routine.
2. Nice, cute chick I just had to ask out and get to know before skydiving without a parachute.
3. Depression mellowed out to less-suicidal stage.


While we're on the topic, it's easy to get depressed, but it's very tough to get out. In my opinion, drugs are just a security blanket. You don't wake up one day and say, "I think I'll try something new. Let's see how depression feels." Therefore, popping pills to feel better doesn't quite sound right.