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Last visit to my doctor this sentence came out of his mouth, "it's normal for young adults to be depressed or have thoughts of suicide." Seriously?
I thought i was alone on this and to find a doctor saying this? I understand stress is heavy at that age, of getting started, and still very confused about the world, but suicide? Who the hell is teaching what's right?
I think that Dr. (and I use the term loosely) needs his head examined! Suicide is not a normal thought! True, there may be a higher incidence of teens with depression, but there's nothing "normal" about it!
Wow! That doctor was completely out of line stating it is "normal" for today's youth to be suicidal!
While it is true that there are far more angry and despondent youths than we've ever experienced before; suicide is never "normal".
I don't have all the answers as to why many youths are so angry; but I can't help but think that the hard-core music, violent movies, computer/video games that the kids are constantly exposed to aren't part of the problem.
Am curious, did you ask him why he made such a statement?
Wow! That doctor was completely out of line stating it is "normal" for today's youth to be suicidal!
While it is true that there are far more angry and despondent youths than we've ever experienced before; suicide is never "normal".
I don't have all the answers as to why many youths are so angry; but I can't help but think that the hard-core music, violent movies, computer/video games that the kids are constantly exposed to aren't part of the problem.
Am curious, did you ask him why he made such a statement?
Geez!! I meant to write ". . . .exposed to are part of the problem". Great typing!
Wow! That doctor was completely out of line stating it is "normal" for today's youth to be suicidal!
While it is true that there are far more angry and despondent youths than we've ever experienced before; suicide is never "normal".
I don't have all the answers as to why many youths are so angry; but I can't help but think that the hard-core music, violent movies, computer/video games that the kids are constantly exposed to aren't part of the problem.
Am curious, did you ask him why he made such a statement?
I agree that we seem to have a lot of angry young people and I see them every day. I am not sure why that is because they have everything and want more. Maybe that's the problem--they have and see too many material things. I am not sure that thoughts of suicide are all that rare. Young people cannot envision the future the way most adults do. If a student gets low grades or gets dumped by a girlfriend/boyfriend, they think that it is the end of the world. They don't realize that in a few months, there will be higher grades, new friends, etc.
I believe the most important thing is open communication. As a teacher, I do talk about these things every day because I have seen several suicides in the past few years. It is extremely sad, but usually these kids are not the ones you would even expect to think of suicide.
Tomorrow, my plan is to visit a student who graduated in June. He is in jail for helping a friend kill a former girlfriend. The young man could not envision his life without her and paid my student to help kill her. I don't know if they will let me visit, but if so, I plan to ask how he could get himself into this situation. Unfortunately you cannot turn back a clock and ask someone who has committed suicide why they did it.
I think it's the result of our society here in the U.S. We've got such high, unrealistic expectations from a combination of hollywood, tv shows, advertising, and 12 years work-free camp -- our public education system is ridiculous -- and when we're out in the real world, reality can be pretty depressing.
Life isn't about the material things like houses, cars, good-looking dates, and showing off your new clothes at the hottest club in town. But again, this is what it seems like it comes down to in our high-consumption economy. When young people try and think of what their life will like 5, 10, 15 years down the line it just seems like so much work for so little because we're so disillusioned from childhood. We start thinking about the thousands of career paths and choices and feel despair rather than appreciation for the opportunities. Kids in their twenties already feel like their lives are ruined from choices made in their teens. When you get lost in that egotistical, materialistic mindset, you won't be very happy and might consider suicide as an easy out. But then you've got to think of the little things, what life is really about. Your family and friends and how going out and meeting someone new one day can change your entire worldview. Think about your parents and how harder life might be for them if you just offed yourself. The joy in your friends' faces when you show up to a party by surprise. It's the little things that make our existence worthwhile.
You just have to see how hard some people have it to appreciate what you've got.
Actually, another thing the contributes to American depression is our stupid Moderator cut: language capitalistic system and how hard the middle class has to work for so little compensation. Less working hours and a better healthcare system would be a great start but it's also got a lot to do with the nation's wealthiest 1% owning 40% of the wealth.
Anyways, thoughts of suicide are probably very common and I would agree with the doctor. But these are just thoughts of suicide, not serious contemplation. I've thought about suicide a couple times in my life but my very next thought would be "well that would just be a waste, get yourself together."
Last edited by Suzet2262; 10-14-2008 at 09:03 PM..
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