This week we lost another young girl to the heart ache and
pressures of the world. She committed suicide. The constant ‘push, push, push’
mentality that our schools and our society is putting on both girls and boys of
young ages, has become too much.
Adolescents is a time when everything feels out of your
control and many children are being subject to further bullying, perhaps by
their peers or maybe the true origin of this is born in the media. For many
young children they feel like there is no place for weakness or vulnerability (which
by definition is what children should be) and seek advice not with their
parents or friends, but with the many evils of this world; self-doubt,
pornography, slimming websites.
Mental health issues such as depression, anorexia, anxiety, and
bulimia are all real and they are unfortunately in our schools, our friendship
circles and our families. It makes people feel uncomfortable to hear about it.
But children can’t diagnose themselves, they feel misunderstood and confused
and end up helpless and pretending to be okay. Aside from raising awareness and
various programmes happening within the government the biggest thing we can do,
is not ignore it.
If you know your friend, or relative or class mate is not
coping with exam stress or life stress then speak to them about it or get them
to seek help is someone trustworthy, that isn’t google. The internet is not
there friend. Why is this still a taboo? Being sad isn’t ‘silly’, ‘you’ll get
over it’ isn’t helpful, this is real and it’s entirely 100% preventable.
Stop child suicide rates escalating today, ask someone how
they are!
I wrote this poem when I younger and it really echoes the
essence of how kids are feeling, don’t just say you ‘knew somebody’, really get
to know them and you might just be saving a life.
You say that you ‘knew me’,
You watched me laugh and smile and love,
You thought what stands will stand
And what doesn’t will fall
But you were wrong!
You say that you ‘knew me’,
Then you must have played along.
For, elaborate lies and a heartbroken song,
They do not show themselves graciously
But go to the ball in a mask.
You say that you ‘knew me’
That of course you knew all!
So pain you must know?
But you forced it upon me!
One battle too many…
You say that you ‘knew me’,
You betrayed your own knowledge!
For you saw I was dying,
But you were not honest!
You watched my heart fall.
You say that you knew me, you didn’t at all.
Find out more about mental health issues here http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth/Pages/Mentalhealthhome.aspx
or speak to your local GP today. Alternatively, if you’re dealing with it alone
give The Samaritans a call, you’ll find their number on their website http://www.samaritans.org/
