Posted by admin on July 1st, 2009 in Health, Sleep, Stress

Recently  my thoughts turn to a local mother who buried her 17 year-old son who committed suicide. I cannot imagine the unbearable pain and anguish.    Does living in the “bubble” of Silicon Valley infect our teenagers with such intense stress that the only way to get relief is to end their life?  What role do parents play in our teenager’s stress levels?

The” incident” occurred about 8:20 a.m. Tuesday after a northbound commute train hit the teen, who was on the tracks between lowered crossing gates.  “We’ve got another suicide,” said the train-intercom announcement, who passed the word to passengers. The train immediately applied full brakes and stopped, a passenger said.  Too many people had to witness the awful spectacle.  I’m sure there have been many lost nights of sleep these last few weeks.

In an e-mail message to Gunn High School parents, School Superintendent Skelly said: “As parents and guardians, we are naturally deeply affected by this type of event. It reminds us how important it is for us, collectively, to redouble our efforts to look out for our young people as they navigate their way into adulthood.”   I wonder…what role does stress play in these suicides?

In recent years, two Palo Alto High School students committed suicide on the CalTrain tracks. Steven Wertheimer died in 2002 and Ben Tachibana died in 2003.  Madeline Levine, a well-known Bay Area psychologist who specializes in adolescents has said that,” when she looked at the research, she was startled by what she saw. “It turns out they (affluent teens) look worse on every single measure she was looking at”.

Depression is higher. Anxiety is higher. Cutting and other forms of self-mutilation were disturbingly high. she says. “They have a lot of fear. They’re afraid to not be popular. They’re afraid to not get good grades so they’re afraid of teachers. They’re afraid of peer groups. They’re afraid of their parents.”

She remembers an era when a troubled kid looked troubled. “The kids who come in now, they look good,” Levine says.  “They’ve perfected this facade of the expected.”  You cannot TELL they are hurting and in pain.

Mary and Vic Ojakian, who lost their 21-year-old son Adam to suicide in 2004 said, “It’s important to understand that the action of suicide itself is largely impulsive,” she said. “The person who dies is very ambivalent about death. They don’t necessarily want to die. They want to get out of the pain they’re in, and that’s why it’s important that we all talk with each other because we can then recognize that somebody is experiencing pain and give them help and hope.

But, it is NOT just a local problem it’s a national crisis.  In an analysis of suicide deaths among 10 to 19-year-olds over the past decade, it was found several hundred more deaths than anticipated in recent years, an 18% increase.

Here are some warning signs of teenage depression:

• Sad or irritable mood
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Large changes in appetite or weight
• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Slow or agitated movement
• Loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Difficulty concentrating
• Frequent thoughts of death or suicide