Suicide - Why go on?

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Suicide - Why go on?
With teenage suicide rising at an alarming rate, it is obvious that many are wondering if life is worth living. Recent statistics indicate that suicide is now the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15-24. Threat of attempted suicide has tripled in 30 years! Suicide is no respecter of age, sex, race, ethnic group, socio-economic status, or family. Few common de---script---ors apply to everybody; even the professional medical and psychological researchers use different cause effect models when describing suicide. Some have labeled suicide an illness, treatable and curable. Others have described it in terms of depression. Researchers are looking at brain chemistry, at anti depressant medications, at socio de---script---ors, and at all forms of therapy. However, many families do not know what to do to help their children. Some are fearful of doing anything, thinking that a mis-step on their part would push a teenager over the edge. But families are in a critical position to help their children. For all the differences in suicidal situations, we can still act with confidence if our responses model God's responses to our own despair. There are two things that we do know about suicidal adolescents. Whether the cause is chemical, neurological, physical, emotional, behavioral or a combination of any of these, we know that the suicidal adolescent feels isolated, totally alone, that no one knows about his or her situation. The other certainty about suicidal adolescents is that they "know" the future: it is unbearable in their view. Not only is life terrible now, but its going to get worse. They will feel more lonely, more lost, and completely incapable of their world. In their view, nothing is forever. No one is forever. Life will only get worse. Nothing ever gets better. It doesn. t matter much where they got that message. It is a pervasive one at present in Australia. There is continual reference to throwaway families and throwaway relationships. "Disposable" is a key marketing concept. So is a near hysterical fear of aging. And our children are bombarded with it several hundred times a day. How do families counter the fear? Our children need a different message, delivered with the same intensity as the negative ones they receive. And they need to see families, parents, teachers, and adult role models live the message with conviction as well. We say more to them with our lives than with our words. Whatever we expect them to accept and honor, we must accept and honor. Our children need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that God loves them so much, that their lives are so valuable, that Jesus died for them so they could live, not die. They need to know that God lives, that he is bigger than this universe and certainly bigger than any challenge we might face. The need to know that his love is unconditional, that he is constant and forever, this is critical information for our children. Another certainty that our children must know, is that same thing that we must know: that we need to have no fear of the future. There is nothing that God and I cannot handle. And while "worst-case scenarios" can get terrifying. I hold God. s promise that the future will never be more than I can handle. I build my life on that promise" God is with me and will always be with me. He will shield me from more than I can handle. I will face whatever comes, but I will not face it alone, and it will not defeat me. My friends, do our children see our confidence about tomorrow? There is precious little of it in our culture. There is precious little of it in the world. And there is none of it at all without God. They must see it in us. They must see a celebration of the person God created a confidence to take on whatever is in front of us knowing that our arms will be held up by all the power that we need. They must see the God who spoke the world into being, who hurled planets across the heavens, who made man and woman with his hands and blew life into them, and who stand by us eternally. They must see the miracles of breathing, or circulation, or motion and language, of thought and memory, of an eternal soul. Alone? No, Lost? No. Hopeless? No, Because, if you and I will let him, God is always with us. Use his power to survive. Use his gift of prayer. Know that you may live, not just survive, but live victorious with strength and conviction that the eternal love of God can and will sustain you. Unconditionally. Forever. Over the years, I have come to believe that those suicidal adolescents do not want to die. They just don't want to hurt anymore. They don't want to be alone anymore. And they don't want to be afraid anymore. And death is the only way they know to achieve release. In the face of the horror of suicide, both adolescent and adult, each of us must sincerely ask ourselves the following question, "Is it right to commit suicide when life becomes a burden - filled with problems, seemingly, too difficult to solve, or frustrating loneliness, or a sense of worthlessness? To help you answer that question, I encourage you to write for a free booklet, which is titled "Why go on?" It's yours for the asking. Simply contact me: Email me or write to me at P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

With teenage suicide rising at an alarming rate, it is obvious that many are wondering if life is worth living. Recent statistics indicate that suicide is now the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15-24. Threat of attempted suicide has tripled in 30 years!

Suicide is no respecter of age, sex, race, ethnic group, socio-economic status, or family. Few common de---script---ors apply to everybody; even the professional medical and psychological researchers use different cause effect models when describing suicide. Some have labeled suicide an illness, treatable and curable. Others have described it in terms of depression. Researchers are looking at brain chemistry, at anti depressant medications, at socio de---script---ors, and at all forms of therapy.

However, many families do not know what to do to help their children. Some are fearful of doing anything, thinking that a mis-step on their part would push a teenager over the edge. But families are in a critical position to help their children. For all the differences in suicidal situations, we can still act with confidence if our responses model God's responses to our own despair.

There are two things that we do know about suicidal adolescents. Whether the cause is chemical, neurological, physical, emotional, behavioral or a combination of any of these, we know that the suicidal adolescent feels isolated, totally alone, that no one knows about his or her situation.

The other certainty about suicidal adolescents is that they "know" the future: it is unbearable in their view. Not only is life terrible now, but its going to get worse. They will feel more lonely, more lost, and completely incapable of their world.

In their view, nothing is forever. No one is forever. Life will only get worse. Nothing ever gets better.

It doesn. t matter much where they got that message. It is a pervasive one at present in Australia. There is continual reference to throwaway families and throwaway relationships.

"Disposable" is a key marketing concept. So is a near hysterical fear of aging. And our children are bombarded with it several hundred times a day.

How do families counter the fear? Our children need a different message, delivered with the same intensity as the negative ones they receive. And they need to see families, parents, teachers, and adult role models live the message with conviction as well. We say more to them with our lives than with our words. Whatever we expect them to accept and honor, we must accept and honor.

Our children need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that God loves them so much, that their lives are so valuable, that Jesus died for them so they could live, not die. They need to know that God lives, that he is bigger than this universe and certainly bigger than any challenge we might face. The need to know that his love is unconditional, that he is constant and forever, this is critical information for our children.

Another certainty that our children must know, is that same thing that we must know: that we need to have no fear of the future. There is nothing that God and I cannot handle. And while "worst-case scenarios" can get terrifying. I hold God. s promise that the future will never be more than I can handle. I build my life on that promise" God is with me and will always be with me. He will shield me from more than I can handle. I will face whatever comes, but I will not face it alone, and it will not defeat me.

My friends, do our children see our confidence about tomorrow? There is precious little of it in our culture. There is precious little of it in the world. And there is none of it at all without God. They must see it in us. They must see a celebration of the person God created a confidence to take on whatever is in front of us knowing that our arms will be held up by all the power that we need.

They must see the God who spoke the world into being, who hurled planets across the heavens, who made man and woman with his hands and blew life into them, and who stand by us eternally. They must see the miracles of breathing, or circulation, or motion and language, of thought and memory, of an eternal soul.

Alone? No, Lost? No. Hopeless? No, Because, if you and I will let him, God is always with us. Use his power to survive. Use his gift of prayer. Know that you may live, not just survive, but live victorious with strength and conviction that the eternal love of God can and will sustain you. Unconditionally. Forever.

Over the years, I have come to believe that those suicidal adolescents do not want to die. They just don't want to hurt anymore. They don't want to be alone anymore. And they don't want to be afraid anymore. And death is the only way they know to achieve release.

In the face of the horror of suicide, both adolescent and adult, each of us must sincerely ask ourselves the following question, "Is it right to commit suicide when life becomes a burden - filled with problems, seemingly, too difficult to solve, or frustrating loneliness, or a sense of worthlessness?

To help you answer that question, I encourage you to write for a free booklet, which is titled "Why go on?" It's yours for the asking. Simply contact me:

Email me
or write to me at
P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.

Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418