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

This has been an extremely difficult time. Since March 2020 there has been a rise in teen depression, anxiety, stress and suicide ideation. Parents are concerned and struggling for answers. Teen Depression Teen depression  is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how your teenager thinks, feels and behaves, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms may be different between teens and adults. Issues such as  peer pressure , academic expectations and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens. But for some teens, the lows are more than just temporary feelings — they’re a symptom of depression. Teen depression isn’t a weakness or something that can be overcome with willpower — it can have serious consequences and requires long-term treatment. For most teens, depression symptoms ease with treatment such ...

Teen depression and anxiety is on the rise. Sadly, we are seeing suicide as the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24. With today's digital lives there could be so many reasons. Are they missing the routine of a real-life social life?  Are they being harassed online ?  Or are they watching their friends on social media have a blast while they believe their life is boring or they are simply missing out? What was true a generation ago is still true today, teens are unpredictable and still difficult to figure out. However depression is a very real emotion. Adolescence can be a very turbulent and difficult time, even for the most well-adjusted child. Depression strikes teenagers and adults alike, and can have far-reaching implications when kids suffer from emotional difficulties that they aren’t sure how to manage. After noticing the signs of depression in your teen and helping him to get the treatment he needs, understanding the root of his depre...

A parent’s worst nightmare is surviving a child’s suicide. It’s not natural to outlive your child, especially to suicide. September is  National Suicide Prevention Month  however this topic is one that needs attention 365 days a year. Kids In The House  offers a library of videos by experts to help educate parents on teen suicide prevention.  Today’s generation of online peer pressure in combination with offline only complicates our teen’s stress and anxiety. The world of cyberspace has created a new level of concern for many parents – and they must continue to be in touch with their teen’s emotional lives both offline and online.  It’s why your offline chats are so important –  frequently . American Foundation for Suicide  offers the following warning signs for parents of teens and youth: Take it seriously, even if your friend brushes it off Suicidal ideation (continual suicidal thoughts) is not typical and reflects a larger problem...

Holiday blues isn't only about adults, teens can struggling with depression too. Teen suicide is a very real concern. Sometimes parents will believe that their behavior is typical teen "stuff", but in reality it their child is deeply hurting. I fully understand that many parents hesitate wanting to consider residential therapy over the holidays , however you have to think about your child's future.  Once Christmas, one New Year's Eve, one  Easter compared to the rest of their life is worth getting your teen's emotional health back. Some warning signs: Withdrawn, secretive Change of appetitie Change of friends, or no friends  Sadness Poor performance in school: grades are dropping Rage, defiance, disrespectfulness Frequent headaches, stomach aches Check their arms, legs, stomach for scarring (cutting) Check their social media sites for writing about death and other dark comments Learn more from http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ ...

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....

The recent headlines of the two 14 year-old girls that secretly planned their death by hanging at a slumber party has sent shockwaves through our nation.  The facts behind teen depression and teen suicide are ones that parents need to take the time to understand, learn and be proactive about.  Did you know? ( Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention ) Worldwide over 1,000,000 people die each year by suicide. The CDC's most recent report shows the largest One-Year Increase in Youth Suicide Rate in 15 Years Suicide takes the lives of over 2,400 Floridians and over 33,300 Americans in 2007. Suicide is the 11th cause of death in the Americans. In 2004, there were 2,382 reported suicide deaths in Florida. In Broward County Florida the youngest documented child to complete suicide was 9 years of age. Florida has the 2nd highest number of suicides in the Nation and ranks #13 highest rate of all the states [2001]. Florida has more than two times the number of suicides th...

Teen depression is a serious concern that can lead to tragic results if not treated.  According to a new study from Duke/John Hopkins University , nearly half of teens who suffer a severe episode are back in depression within a few years of their initial recovery.  Also noted in this new study finds that depression affects an estimated 6 percent of U.S. teen girls and nearly as many teen boys. Nearly all (96 percent) of the 196 teenagers in the study either improved or fully recovered after an initial depressive episode, but 47 percent had one or more subsequent depressive episodes in an average of two years. As the holidays approach, it is a time that suicides among adults and teens will increase. It is critical to be aware of your teenagers feelings and activities.  For reasons that are not clearly understood, girls were more likely to have repeated bouts of depression, with nearly 60 percent of them suffering subsequent depressive episodes after reco...

Hunter Perkins - Accused of Bullying Commits Suicide Is there another side of bullying ?  Has our country overacted in some instances? On October 11th, life ended for 16 year-old prep-school student Hunter Perkins of Virginia.  He shot himself in his basement.  Teen suicide . We hear of it, probably too often, however it is sometimes connected to a teen being a victim of bullying.  Just last month we heard of the tragic suicide of Tyler Clementi after his classmate sent a viral video of Tyler's private life on the Internet. Hunter Perkins attended The Groten School, which is considered an elite school.  He was accused of creating sexually demeaning comics about another student with two other boys.  Walter Perkins, his father, in no way condoned this behavior but feels the school overeacted when they asked him to withdraw his son from the school. According to the Boston Herald , Mr. Perkins said: ' I was going to see that he...

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 headlines of the suicide of Marie Osmond's son and TV teen actor of Growing Pains, Andrew Koenig , we are learning and hearing more about depression in children as well as a keen awareness to suicidal signs in our teens. Do you suspect your child is suffering with depression? Are you concerned your teen is becoming more withdrawn, secretive, isolated? Childhood and teenage depression is often in hiding. What is pediatric depression? It's normal for children and teenagers to have sad or moody days, but when those feelings last for two weeks or longer, it could indicate that something more serious is going on. As adults, it can be hard for us to accept that children can also have depression, but research is going on now to help find new medicines for children with depression in the future. If your child has been displaying one or more of these signs of depression for at least two weeks, and they are interfering with his/her ability to function, then h...

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...

TO SAVE A LIFE is now in over 400 screens in theaters nationwide. To Save A Life is a powerful Indie movie about the real-life challenges of teens and their choices. But it's more than just a movie-it's a feature-length film with follow-up opportunities like a youth group curriculum and a teen devotional centered around the biblical concept that we're never more like a Higher Power than when we are reaching out to the hurting and lonely. Watch trailer below. At some point, every teen has to decide: "What's my life going to be about?" To Save A Life dares to bring that question into their world, encouraging them to answer it with boldness and honesty. ABOUT TO SAVE A LIFE An all-star athlete and his girlfriend find their lives spinning out of control when Jake loses a childhood friend. Help comes when he reaches out to others who are hurting, and he realizes some people are just dying to be heard. The movie asks... How far would you go? How much wou...

Another teen tragedy that involves sexting, bullying and the horrific end to a young beautiful life. (Photo of Hope Witsell, from Edmund D. Fountain, St. Petersburg Times). According to the St. Petersburg Times , 13 year old Hope Witsell was a typical teen however suffering from inner turmoil that lead to the end of her life. Hope was taunted by ugly and harassing insults which resulted from a nude photo of herself that was spread via text also known as 'sexting'. Although meant for her boyfriend only, this photo soon went viral and school officials suspended her. She was convinced that tons of people secretly hated her according to her journal. The St. Petersburg Times also noted: A 2009 Harris online poll shows that one in five teens admits to having sent naked pictures of themselves or others over a cell phone. But even that number may be low. This is another horrific story that we can learn from. The question is, why is it taking these tragedies to wake us up? Here are some...

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 ...

As you have probably heard before, talking to your teen about suicide is one of the most important things you can do in helping to prevent a suicide attempt. Many times parents are unsure of what to say and instead say nothing. Here are some suggestions of how you can open the channels of communication and help your teen open up. First, tell your teen you care; no matter the state of your relationship, just hearing this can go a long way. Tell your teen you are there if needed, and are willing to listen without judging. NAMI estimates that around 80% of all teens who attempt suicide give some sort of verbal or nonverbal warning beforehand, so be sure to take whatever your teen says completely seriously. A common mistake parents make when dealing with a suicidal teen is thinking that if they mention suicide they will be planting the idea in their teen’s brain. This is simply not accurate. In fact, by mentioning your fears, you are showing your teen that you take their actions and their...