Suicide / Question
Published: July 13, 2009
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am 14 and I've had alot going on in my life over the past years. When I was 7 my parents got a divorce and I've been living with my mom ever since, she never lets me see my dad if she can avoid it. Then in that same year my uncle got killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack. When I was about 12 years old, for some reason whatsoever my mom became verbally and physically abusive. It has begun to get worse now. Like one time I forgot to turn the light in my room off and she just started yelling and swearing, calling me names like worthless bi*** and hitting me and pulling my hair. Another time she didn't like what I was wearing and she told me to stop dressing like a sl*t. If I don't get an A, she hits me and tells me that I'm stupid and useless, I'll never get anywhere in life etc. I've started cutting myself and one time I was hospitalized because I refused to eat anything. After I came from the hospital she told me that if I really wanted to die she would help me get there. I just can't take it anymore. I overdose myself with painkillers everyday,I suffer from insomnia and I have attempted suicide about 5 times. I wish that I was dead. I've already started taking sleeping pills (without a doctors permission) to help me with my sleeping problems (they still don't work) and I'm thinking of taking an overdose in an attempt to take my life. I just can't take life anymore. Please help me!
Signed: 14 And Can't Take Life Any More
Dear 14 And Can't Take Life Any More,
TeenHealthFX is very concerned about you. You have obviously dealt with some terrible loss in your life, and now rather than having the support and love you need from your mother you are dealing with an abusive situation at home. FX thinks that it is very important for you to talk to a trusted adult about what is going on – this includes letting them know about how you have been feeling, that you are contemplating suicide, that you have been cutting and abusing painkillers, and that you are experiencing verbal and physical abuse at home. It is important for an adult to intervene to get you the mental health treatment you need, and to ensure your emotional and physical well-being at home. It is very possible that child protective services will need to be involved to determine whether your home environment is safe for you right now, and to mandate that you and your mother get the mental health treatment you both need, as she is obviously having trouble coping with her current situation and dealing effectively with her emotions.
You can speak with an extended family member, neighbor, parent(s) of a friend, a teacher, school counselor, your primary care physician or any other trusted adult who can intervene on your behalf. If you are seriously thinking about killing yourself, tell an adult immediately, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room as soon as possible.
If you would like to call child protective services yourself, if you live in New Jersey you can contact DYFS at 1-800-NJ-ABUSE. You can also call The Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-792-8610. This hotline is to report physical or sexual abuse for people living in or outside of New Jersey, and is available 24 hours a day, 7days a week.
You can also contact the Self-Injury Hotline (information only, not a crisis line) at 1-800-DON’T-CUT, 1-800-366-8288.
FX also suggests that you look into Rainbows, a non-profit, international organization that works to help children and teens who have had to deal with some kind of loss in their lives. This could be a very helpful group for you given the loss of your uncle and the minimal contact you have had with your father.
If you live in northern
If you get to the point that you are seriously considering suicide or are afraid of your impulses then you need to seek help immediately. You can call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. In northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.
