The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month .  Take the time to get involved in your community and your schools.  Bullying kills.  Words kill.  People kill.  Children die.  They are too young, it is that simple. Warnings signs your teen may be contemplating suicide: Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose Talking about being a burden to others Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs Acting anxious, agitated or reckless Sleeping too little or too much Withdrawing or feeling isolated Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge Displaying extreme mood swings Looking for a way to kill oneself The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide. Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens. If you have a troubled teen, reach out and get help.  There is help....

Teen suicide is a fear that some parents have lived with or have survived.  There can be nothing worse than  losing a child, however losing them to suicide can be devastating.  Being an educated parent can help you learn about warnings signs , even if they are hidden or silent . Source:   Connect with Kids Signs of Suicidal Thoughts “If your child is depressed or thinking about suicide, you have to remove the most dangerous means of doing that- and that's guns and certain kinds of medication.” – Dr. Shannon Croft, M.D. Child Psychiatrist, Emory University School of Medicine 20-year-old Erin Salisbury suffers from depression and bipolar disorder. She has attempted suicide five times. Everytime she was saved by an adult. "There have been many days I could have died," says Erin. "I'm very lucky... very lucky right now." Experts say the first sign that a child may be suicidal is depression. "So a child that's sad more days than not, th...

With the recent tragic news of the untimely death of Michael Blosil , 18 year-old son of Marie Osmond, combined with the suicide of Growing Pains TV actor, Andrew Koenig , alerts everyone that there are people that are suffering with serious depression which can reach to suicidal results. The L.A. Times reported that Blosil had jumped from his downtown Los Angeles apartment at 9 p.m. Friday (February 26th) and had left a suicide note. These recent sudden deaths that were not necessary, are a wake up call to people that may know someone that are suffering silently, or have become withdrawn. Especially with teens, parents need to be aware of warning signs. Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention (FISP) was founded by Jackie Rosen . Her son committed suicide 22 years ago and she has devoted her life to helping prevent others from going through this pain as well as educating people about the warning signs. Depression is a major factor in the lives of our youth and young adults...

Holiday’s are known as joyful time of the year, however it is also a time we hear more about suicide. Holidays can also bring on sadness and depression to those that are suffering with a loss or simply unhappy in life. It is important we understand warnings signs. Carolyn Friedman , is working on her Masters and recently wrote an excellent article on “10 Common Myths About Suicide.” She asked me to share it with my readers. Take the time to read and learn more. You never know when you may need this knowledge. Suicide remains a serious epidemic that transcends socioeconomic, age, racial, religious, mental health, and gender/sexual identity boundaries. While studies do show that some groups stand at a higher risk of suicide than others – usually those already prone to social marginalization – the sad reality is that this mindset holds the potential to strike anyone, anywhere, at any point in life. Due to the mixed messages flailing about regarding the condition, it becomes progressively ...

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in older children and teens. And statistics show that suicide rates in teenagers are on the rise. That makes it even more important for everyone to raise awareness of suicide prevention , especially now during National Suicide Prevention Week. In addition to learning to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, spread the word about the availability of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -- 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Dr. Gary Nelson, Author of “ A Relentless Hope ” Surviving Teen Depression recently talked about this serious subject of teen suicide - http://www.wtap.com/daybreak/headlines/27988159.html Learn more about Teen Suicide .