In “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green once wrote: “Whenever you read a cancer booklet or

website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact,
depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying.” It is intensely
challenging for adults to preserve their will to live in our hectic industrial revolution era, let
alone the younger ones. These days, we witness a brutal series of suicidal cases among teenagers,
making it an issue of concern. Statics have shown that more teenagers and young adults die from
suicide than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic
lung disease have combined. Since the teens are at their growth both physically and mentally,
they are exceptionally vulnerable to their surroundings during this period, which sometimes
makes them defenseless to even minimal strain. An increased proportion of teenagers have
committed suicide to extricate themselves from stress regardless of whether such potential
threats are preventable.
Evidence-based programs have shown that carrying such an overwhelming burden or
inappropriate responsibility for a long time for someone other than us is one of the leading
causes of despair, especially among teenagers. Given duties such as expectations and pressure in
well-studying, extracurricular commitments, over-excessive assignments that exceed
adolescents’ ability from family, schools, and even themselves usually create dizziness,
disorientation, or violent emotional outburst. Overburden from parents and educational
environment prevents them from spending time on self-exploration which causes the blur in their
identity. Therefore, various people in their teenage age, even in their adulthood still wander on
the journey to discover their true identities, and in case they are unable to find them, there is a
likelihood that they would find themselves in other places but not this mundane world. “There is
evidence the brain’s neurotransmitters and hormones, which form part of the typical stress
response, can become distorted in the face of traumatic events.” Dr. Atkinson said. “Ultimately,
research supports the manifestations of long-term stress can kill.”
“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart,
and all they can do is stare blankly.” Lack of connectedness with your community is another
cause that leads to depression. Adolescence is a period of secrets. Nowadays, due to grand
expectations, overreactions, and overprotection… from parents, many teenagers are likely to fear
sharing any pieces of an individual story with their guardian. They obsess with being judged or
ridiculed because they may not hear criticisms from their overworked commuter parents once,
but countless times. As mentioned before, adolescence is a phase of “storm and stress,” and
when their despair cannot release, this may result in disagreements with parents and authority
figures, mood disruptions, and risk-taking behaviors such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, or
worst, suicide. Blocked feelings are also caused by an imbalance among organ systems, resulting
in disconnectedness from society. In long-term health, being buried by pressure far too long or
the inability to convey your thoughts or emotions without restraint may lead to mental illnesses
such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorder. The consequence of isolation and
solitude in this world is a high rate of teenagers choosing an act of ending this persistent pain and
finding where they belong in the afterlife.
Dalai Lama said: “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at
least don't hurt them.” Indeed, suicidal cases we witness in society nowadays partly arise from
the inconsiderate attitude of surrounding people, let alone hurtful criticism of the family, abusive
parents, bullying at school, and emotional neglect... Parents and society should let the children
have free self-expression, raise the awareness of their worth, or else they may collapse into
secrecy. In this way, they are encouraged to speak their mind and learn how to identify and
overcome their feelings. Family members and the community should pay attention to the young
feelings. Only by thoughtful and devoted efforts can we take them back to forks in the road to
reframe the choices they previously made. Letting children know that parents care for them
through loving sentences, thank you, or even sorry... we can even dramatically transform other
people’s lives, seed a future with potential, and give them the stamina to maintain their
transformation. Finally, parents should also take them to a psychologist or psychiatrist whenever
they have any signs of depression: self-injured, social withdrawal, or searching for suicide
methods... Those who are experts in mental fields can help them calm inflammation, dissolve
toxic emotions, sharpen mental perception, and lifts depression.
Conclusively, the vulnerability of teenagers to commit suicide can mainly be attributed to
challenging and new experiences when they encounter their prime developing stage. Their toxic
emotions or negative thoughts during adolescence age attack them within, creating mental
diseases that ultimately manifest physically. Therefore, they need to have some support and
assistance to allow them to withstand the distress and depression that often triggers suicidal
feelings and thoughts.